EMPATH FOUNDATION

THE EMPATH FAMILY BELIEVES IN GIVING BACK AND CREATING A BETTER COMMUNITY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS WITH A FOCUS IN ASD. ONE OF THE WAYS THE ORGANIZATION ACCOMPLISHES THIS IS BY HOSTING EVENTS TO BRING AWARENESS AND SUPPORT. THIS YEAR, EMPATH FOR AUTISM BEGAN HOSTING "MOM CHAT" EVENTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BE U BEAR, BRINGING TOGETHER 25 MOTHERS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM FOR A SUPPORTIVE, COMMUNITY-BUILDING EXPERIENCE. THE EVENT PROVIDED A SAFE SPACE FOR PARTICIPANTS TO SHARE THEIR JOURNEYS, ACCESS RESOURCES, AND FIND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AMONG PEERS. WHILE MOTHERS ENGAGED IN OPEN DISCUSSION AND A SHARED MEAL, RESPITE CARE IS PROVIDED FOR THEIR CHILDREN. THIS GATHERING PROMOTES CONNECTION, REDUCED ISOLATION, AND REINFORCES EMPATH'S MISSION TO UPLIFT FAMILIES NAVIGATING AN AUTISM DIAGNOSIS.CIRCUS BIZIRCUS LUNAR, HELD AT THE MADISON THEATER, WAS DEVELOPED AND EXECUTED AS A CORE PROGRAM SERVICES EVENT, DELIVERING A HIGHLY IMMERSIVE, MISSION-CENTERED EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE. THE EVENT WAS INTENTIONALLY PROGRAMMED TO ADVANCE THE CHARITABLE MISSION OF FOSTERING AUTISM AWARENESS, EDUCATION, EMPATHY, AND SUPPORT THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. THE CORE THEME OF THE EVENT, A JOURNEY TO ANOTHER WORLD, WAS DEVELOPED TO ILLUSTRATE HOW INDIVIDUALS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM OFTEN EXPERIENCE LIFE THROUGH SENSORY PERCEPTIONS VASTLY DIFFERENT FROM NEUROTYPICAL INDIVIDUALS. GUESTS WERE GUIDED THROUGH A STRUCTURED EXPERIENCE MAP THAT REQUIRED THEM TO ENGAGE WITH MULTI-SENSORY INSTALLATIONS, NAVIGATING STATIONS THAT SIMULATED THE CHALLENGE OF ADHERING TO A "NEUROTYPICAL" PATH WHILE MANAGING OVERWHELMING ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULI. THIS EXERCISE SERVED TO MIRROR THE COGNITIVE AND SENSORY DEMANDS OFTEN PLACED ON INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM AS THEY ATTEMPT TO CONFORM TO SOCIETAL EXPECTATIONS.TO DEEPEN THIS EXPERIENTIAL EMPATHY, WE INCLUDED A SILENT DISCO ACTIVATION. WHILE ON THE SURFACE A FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT, ITS TRUE INTENT WAS SYMBOLIC: IN THE SAME ROOM, SURROUNDED BY THE SAME PEOPLE, EACH PARTICIPANT DANCED TO A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AUDITORY EXPERIENCE. THIS DEMONSTRATED THE REALITY THAT WHILE INDIVIDUALS MAY SHARE PHYSICAL SPACE, THEIR SENSORY EXPERIENCESESPECIALLY THOSE WITH AUTISMCAN BE VASTLY DIFFERENT.FURTHER, THE EVENT INCLUDED AN INTENTIONALLY OVERSTIMULATING THEATRICAL ENVIRONMENT FEATURING INTENSE LIGHTING, LAYERED SOUNDS, AND ABSTRACT PERFORMANCESALL DESIGNED TO SIMULATE HOW SOMEONE ON THE SPECTRUM MAY EXPERIENCE EVERYDAY SETTINGS. UNDERSTANDING THE POTENTIAL OVERWHELM, WE ALSO CREATED A "SENSORY SPEAKEASY," A SOFT-LIT, SOUND-ISOLATED SPACE WHERE GUESTS COULD DECOMPRESS. THIS QUIET ROOM SERVED AS A TANGIBLE METAPHOR FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF SENSORY REGULATION AND THE NEED FOR RETREAT THAT MANY IN THE AUTISM COMMUNITY FACE DAILY.A DEEPLY IMPACTFUL MOMENT OCCURRED WHEN 8-YEAR-OLD JAGGER WILLIAMS, WHO IS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM, WAS GIVEN THE STAGE FOR UNSCRIPTED EXPRESSION. WHAT UNFOLDED WAS AUTHENTIC, RAW, AND BEAUTIFULJAGGER SANG, SMILED, SCREAMED, AND SIMPLY WAS HIMSELF. THIS UNSCRIPTED MOMENT WAS A REAL-LIFE APPLICATION OF OUR MISSION: TO CREATE A WORLD WHERE INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM CAN BE UNDERSTOOD AND ACCEPTED WITHOUT CONDITIONS.

JAGTAG PROGRAM - EMPATH FOR AUTISM DEVELOPS AND DISTRIBUTES WEARABLE IDENTIFICATION BANDS FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM AND OTHER DISABILITIES. JAGTAG BANDS ARE DESIGNED TO HOLD COMPATIBLE BLUETOOTH TRACKING DEVICES AND PROVIDE CAREGIVER-AUTHORIZED IDENTIFICATION AND CONTACT INFORMATION THROUGH A SCANNABLE QR CODE, HELPING FAMILIES ENHANCE SAFETY AND COMMUNICATION WHEN A CHILD BECOMES SEPARATED FROM A CAREGIVER.JAGBAG PROGRAM - PROVIDES SPECIALLY CURATED WELCOME BAGS FOR FAMILIES WHOSE CHILDREN HAVE RECENTLY BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. CREATED BY EMPATH FOR AUTISM BOARD PRESIDENT LESLIE WILLIAMS, AND INSPIRED BY HER PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, THE INITIATIVE AIMS TO OFFER COMFORT, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND PRACTICAL SUPPORT DURING A TIME OF OVERWHELMING EMOTIONS. EACH JAGBAG INCLUDES SENSORY TOOLS, SAFETY ITEMS, AND COMFORTING GIFTS, ALL REVIEWED BY CINCINNATI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, TO PROMOTE SECURITY, SENSORY REGULATION, AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. THIS INITIATIVE EXEMPLIFIES OUR MISSION TO SUPPORT FAMILIES AT THE ONSET OF THEIR AUTISM JOURNEY WITH EMPATHY, UNDERSTANDING, AND TANGIBLE RESOURCES.