Austim Moms of Kona has a major goal of raising more awareness and interaction between families with children on the Spectrum.  

This group is also welcome to moms who have any questions or concerns about their child, and who would like to learn more about early signs of autism and resources re: early intervention.  


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We need your support in getting the 2nd Annual Sensory Festival up and running!  I run a group called Autism Moms of Kona, and we host support groups monthly, an online Facebook forum, and activities frequently throughout the year for families with special needs.  We are working to organize our 2nd Annual Sensory Festival, slated for Sunday July 7th at the Palisades Pavilion.  Our motto is "WE are special needs" because when you have a child or family member with a disability like Autism, the entire family has special needs to be able to put their best foot forward for their development.  I started this group because there were not a lot of autism resources out here when I first moved, and there were no support groups.  In the past year, services have started to flourish where there were none (Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, etc.) and it is our intention to fund respite (relief programs like babysitting services) and additional therapies for children with an IEP qualification.  We were able to fund free swim lessons for special needs kids and their siblings most recently.

When you have a child with Autism, they are generally met with curiosity in the community.  People frequently ask my daughter why she is not saying hello or telling them her name, why she is not making eye contact.  She will often do weird gestures like hand flapping and loud squealing noises that can ruin a play or a movie (which we have done).  Most families shy away from social events because it's just exhausting to constantly defend your children.  With our sensory festival, we are creating a safe place with fun activities that kids respond to, especially those with neurodevelopmental issues that operate at a 6 month level and need activities that heighten their senses that's also super simple.  

Last year we had 45 volunteers, 22 corporate sponsors (provided gifts for a raffle and raised money), and 20 families that participated.  We raised around $4500 that helped to pay for the event, future events, and were available for additional therapies for families.  Funds will also be used to provide support such as a 5 hour babysitting slot and a 5 hour cleaning session for a family.  Our activities last year were a balloon blowing tent, a bubble pool with a ton of wands, a water play pool, a ball pit, a sensory bottle making station, a lei making station (we inserted flowers into ti leaf leis), a pinwheel garden, and more.  This year we are looking to double the activities through our corporate sponsors and volunteers.

We thank you for taking the time to consider working with us on such a sentimental pursuit, and we are grateful for any support and awareness you bring to Autism and to the rising demands for services that support our families.

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With a mere $600, we can facilitate the following:  

- Swimming Lesson for (2) Kids  
- Equine / Horse Therapy Session for (2) Kids  
- House Cleaning Session for (2) families  
- Respite Childcare, 3 hours session for (2) families  

Consider donating today, and contact me with any questions!!

Here are photos from our past events