Tonya Nash

One Word for 2021

Tonya Nash — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 04:12:54 +0000

Hello friends! I have great news to share!

I was invited by Sandra Peoples to be a speaker at the One Word for 2021 Online Conference for Special Needs Moms! Join me and 20 other special needs parents as we share our testimonies as caregivers and words of encouragement.

This online conference will be available for viewing via Vimeo on December 28th – January 1st.

Tickets for the conference are $15.00, but I have a promo code that you can use for a discount! Here are the steps you need to purchase your ticket and receive a discount!

Visit http://vimeo.com/ondemand/onewordfor2021
Click: Buy All $15.00
Login to Vimeo or create an account
Click “Apply Promo Code” in the pop up box and enter: Tonya
Your 20% discount will be applied, showing the ticket cost to be $12
Complete your order!

I hope that you will join us as we share our hearts and wisdom from the Bible with you. It is my prayer that our words will be encouraging and refreshing for you as we head into 2021! Feel free to share this post with others!

Wishing you good health, peace and joy as we head into the new year!

Tonya

Original article: One Word for 2021

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Self-Care When You Have Children With Disabilities

Tonya Nash — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 08:00:00 +0000

Do you struggle with finding time for yourself? Are you feeling stressed more often, especially during this global pandemic? If so, you may need to make some time for self-care.

Self-care is any activity that you do to take care of your physical, mental, and emotional health. This is so important, especially for parents of children with disabilities.

I was blessed with the opportunity to join Sandra Peoples on her podcast, “Self-Care and Soul-Care for the Caregiver.” Episode 32 went live on Monday, July 20, 2020 with our discussion on self-care when you have children with disabilities. We both got pretty transparent and honest about mental health!

“It’s important to consider when times get really stressful, prayer is good, reading the Bible is good, devotions are good, but you know what else is also good? Being willing to go see a counselor. It is often stigmatized in communities of color, among religious communities, but God gives therapists wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to help us get through the hard times. We have to be willing to allow someone else to help us through when we’re going through those hard times because untreated stress can really cause problems in your health.”
Tonya Nash

July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month and it’s important that we have these conversations to fight against stigma. This is especially true for our minority and even faith-based communities. Please don’t let stigmas stop you from seeking help when you feel stressed, overwhelmed or depressed. Don’t suffer in silence alone.

You can listen to our discussion on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you love to listen to podcasts. I hope that you will find it helpful and encouraging!

What are your best self-care tips?

*This is the 2nd podcast that I have participated in this year. A few months ago, I was on the Unchurchable podcast discussing how churches can be more welcoming for persons with autism and their families. If you missed that one, check it out here!

Original article: Self-Care When You Have Children With Disabilities

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My Interview on the Unchurchable Podcast

Tonya Nash — Tue, 12 May 2020 04:00:00 +0000

I recently participated in my first podcast interview!

It took place on the last day of Autism Awareness Month with Kit Kennedy. Kit lives in Australia and has a podcast called, “Unchurchable.” Her podcast discusses issues that make church attendance hard for some people.

My interview with Kit was focused on how churches can be more welcoming for persons with autism and their families. Accessibility at church is a global issue that many special needs families face. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to speak on this to a global audience!

Kit and I discussed several topics during this interview, including:

The Autism Faith Network
Faith healing
Tips to make our churches more accessible

We had a great conversation and I’m honored that Kit chose to interview me!

Please take some time and listen to this podcast, ESPECIALLY if you are in church leadership. You’ll hear my heart about this topic and learn why I’m so passionate about it!

Let me know what you think about this interview. Feel free to share this podcast with others!

Original article: My Interview on the Unchurchable Podcast

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COVID-19 Resources for Faith-Based Communities

Tonya Nash — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 21:24:14 +0000

COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, has had a profound effect on our world since the first case was discovered in December 2019. This highly contagious virus has resulted in well over a million cases globally, with tens of thousands of people dying all over the world.

Many nations are implementing social distancing measures, which restricts the number of people gathering in one place and how close they can be together. These protective measures have pretty much led to a halt of in-person religious services. However, social distancing doesn’t mean that we have to be completely isolated from others. There are ways in which we can stay connected through the use of technology!

Here are some helpful resources for faith-based communities as we navigate through this pandemic.

Fact Sheets about COVID-19

How To Protect Yourself

Resources for Parents and Caregivers

Resources for Faith-Based and Community Leaders

Online Tools to Communicate with Your Congregation

Zoom – A resource for online meetings with free and paid options.
Free Conference Call – A free resource for teleconferences and online meetings.
Mailchimp – A way to send emails to groups of people using templates.
Constant Contact – An email marketing platform.
Restream.io – Allows you to simultaneously stream your worship service on multiple online platforms like Facebook Live, YouTube and more.
Church Online Platform – A free chat, live prayer, and video streaming service provided by Life.Church.
How to Take Your Church Virtual (Fast): The Ultimate Guide to Church Live-Streaming During Crisis – Several tools and tips that can help your church become virtual.
Free Resources for Churches – Apps, platforms and helpful resources for churches.
Tools for Taking Worship Online – Helpful links and tutorials for online worship.

Other Helpful Ministries

These resources are by no means exhaustive, but I hope that you will find some of them helpful! If you know of any additional resources, please share them with me in the comments. Stay safe and healthy!

Original article: COVID-19 Resources for Faith-Based Communities

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How the Church Should Respond to the Coronavirus

Tonya Nash — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 20:56:46 +0000

Faith-based communities are some of our greatest resources in times of uncertainty and fear. Members trust the word of their pastors and will often make decisions based upon their pastor’s recommendations and God’s word. In light of the coronavirus pandemic, pastors and other faith-leaders have to make sure that accurate information is provided and that adequate support is given to their members.

I’ve heard about pastors that have been hesitant and sometimes even resistant to government recommendations to postpone services due to this highly contagious virus. Believe me, I understand how important it is to not forsake the assembly of believers. However, let me explain some things to you as a public health professional.

About the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is a new virus that was discovered in December 2019. It is thought to have started at a market in Wuhan, China. From there, it spread all over the world, which is why it is called a pandemic. This virus is highly contagious and spread through respiratory droplets that occur when someone sneezes or coughs. Those droplets can land on surfaces, such as door knobs, rails, and other things that people commonly touch. When others come into contact with those droplets, it can expose them to the virus.

Public health officials are recommending measures called social distancing to slow the spread of this virus. One method of social distancing includes avoiding large groups. Another includes people maintaining at least a 6ft radius from each other. This is because we know that respiratory droplets can travel at least 3ft – 6ft away. Social distancing is also important to slow the spread because we don’t want our healthcare system to become overloaded with persons sick with coronavirus.

Signs of COVID-19 include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. It can take 2 to 14 days to show symptoms. There are some people that have the coronavirus and may not even show signs of it. However, those persons can still spread the virus. Persons that are above the age of 60 and those with preexisting conditions are more likely to have complications with this virus and are even at risk for death. Unlike the flu, there is no vaccine or medications for COVID-19 and humans do not have a natural immunity to it.

Why Is This Affecting the Church

Government authorities have been requiring churches to close because we need to reduce the number of people getting the coronavirus. It is difficult to maintain social distance measures in large groups. One infected individual can infect as many as 3 people, and those 3 people can EACH infect 3 people, and so forth. It would be terrible to have an outbreak start in our churches and have members die. Sadly, this has happened in churches around the United States.

Many churches have members above the age of 60 and those with preexisting conditions such as cancer, lung problems, diabetes and other issues. We certainly don’t want to put our beloved members at risk, right? And while we have faith, God also gives us wisdom. Good shepherds take care to make sure that their sheep are not placed in danger.

The coronavirus pandemic may have caught some of us off guard, but it certainly did not surprise God! There are a multitude of ways in which you can keep your congregation engaged, even if you aren’t meeting physically in a building. Besides, the church isn’t the actual building, right?

Here’s a list of ways in which we can serve and protect our congregations from a public health and faith-based perspective.

Tips to Assist Your Congregation during the COVID-19 pandemic

Educate yourself on what coronavirus is and how it spreads. Share accurate information about it to your congregation. Do not share partisan politics or conspiracy theories.
Communicate regularly via email and social media about the status of your church services. Are you holding online services? If so, what days and times can members join you? On what social media platform? Will it be on your website too?
Have a person available to serve those who may have difficulty with accessing your services online. Provide CDs or DVDs of the services for those without internet access.
Make prayer a priority, with regularly scheduled prayer meetings via teleconference options. Have someone available to pray with those who may need special prayer.
Provide counseling options for those who are having a difficult time coping. Many therapists have options to provide counseling online via Zoom and other methods.
Set up a way for persons to make financial contributions via mail, text messaging, apps, online and other methods.
Consistently check on your elderly and disabled members. Offer to assist them with grocery shopping or with any other need that they might have.
Share helpful scriptures and devotionals, especially those that deal with anxiety, fear, and uncertainty.
Be transparent! Share your experiences and thoughts about what is going on. You are human too!
Offer financial assistance for members that are laid off or unemployed because of the coronavirus.
Start thinking about alternatives for Easter services. While we would love to have our traditional sunrise services and easter egg hunts, that may not be possible for this year.
Consider ways to serve your community. Is your community in need of a building for emergency operations and response? Consider offering your church. School is out in many areas and some children may need meals. How can you help to ensure that these children are fed?
Be willing to think outside of the box! Consider streaming sermons from your living room. Come up with fun activity ideas for families sheltering in place. Encourage small groups that meet online.
Follow the directives of your local, state and federal government when scheduling in person service times and gatherings. Set the example as religious leaders!

Be encouraged brothers and sisters! God will see us through this. In the meantime, let’s pray for our leaders and use godly wisdom as we deal with this unprecedented health crisis.

Original article: How the Church Should Respond to the Coronavirus

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Exciting Updates for an Autism Awareness Ministry

Tonya Nash — Mon, 18 Feb 2019 10:00:41 +0000

I have some exciting news to share about the Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative! We are growing and taking things to the next level!

In 2016, the Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative was started to promote autism awareness, acceptance and inclusion in faith-based communities. Since then, we have served 32 churches and over 10,800 people have learned about autism at their place of worship! In 2017, we won Honorable Mention at the Patients’ View Impact Awards!

With the increasing growth and recognition that the initiative is receiving, I decided that it was time to start making changes that would push the initiative forward and expand our reach.

I launched a new name, logo and website for the initiative in January. The new name is now the Autism Faith Network! This name works well because we are a network of faith-based communities spreading autism awareness! It’s also shorter, which works better for web addresses and logos. Our tagline is: Equipping faith-based communities to become more autism friendly.

Since our name changed, our logo needed to change too! The logo changed from a picture that my son drew of a church to a blue puzzle piece with the organization’s name. Here’s a picture of the logo:

In addition to the new name and logo changes, we needed to complete our branding process with a website separate from TonyaNash.com. Our new website for the Autism Faith Network is: https://autismfaithnetwork.com. The website gives details on what we do, our history, mission, testimonials, frequently asked questions and more! Check it out whenever you get a chance.

With our branding changes in place, we are now ready to press forward. We are currently recruiting places of worship for this year’s autism awareness month events!

Here’s how you can participate:

Choose a date and activity for autism awareness month in April. I have a list of activities to choose from, but you are welcome to choose your own. Some ideas include: sharing facts about autism in the announcements, creating a bulletin board or display table, and more! I have templates available, so you don’t have to do much work!

Get approval from church leadership and pick a Person of Contact (POC). I communicate with the POC to provide support and guidance.

Have fun during your activity! Take pictures of it in action and count the number of people participating.

After your activity, email your pictures to me, along with your responses to a short evaluation form that I will send to you.

Participating churches receive a letter of thanks, a certificate of participation and recognition on the Autism Faith Network website and social media networks.

This year, we are giving out awards in five categories to recognize the amazing work of our participants!

If you are interested in joining the Autism Faith Network and doing an activity for autism awareness month in April, leave a message here and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Thanks for your support over the years! Together, we can make our places of worship more autism friendly!

Original article: Exciting Updates for an Autism Awareness Ministry

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New Year’s Resolutions for Parents of Children with Disabilities

Tonya Nash — Mon, 31 Dec 2018 17:04:50 +0000

As the new year begins, many of you will be taking some time to reflect on new year’s resolutions. While making my list, I realized that there are certain goals that I can make that would be very helpful to me as the mother of two sons with autism.

Motherhood is a beautiful journey of love and adventure. It’s highs and lows, wonderful surprises and sometimes difficult challenges. My sons have autism, but that certainly doesn’t change the love I have for them!

Autism has often led to stressors beyond our family’s control. If I’m not careful, it can lead to high levels of stress, depression, anxiety, mental health issues and a decline in my overall physical health. As a matter of fact, there are studies that found that mothers of persons with autism often experience chronic stress similar to that of combat soldiers!

Parenting a child with disabilities can be difficult, but there is hope! Here are six new year’s resolutions that can be helpful to special needs parents at almost any stage of the journey.

Make YOUR health a priority. This includes your physical AND mental health. Exercise on a regular basis. Stay on top of your preventative care. See a counselor if you find yourself having a difficult time coping with life. It can be so easy to focus on our children and their needs, but if we aren’t taking care of ourselves, we put our children at risk.
Schedule self-care opportunities on a regular basis. Watch a good movie, get a new hairdo or buy something nice for yourself. It’s okay to treat yourself to nice things every once in a while!
Invest in yourself. Go back to school. Start a new hobby. Volunteer in your local community. Have a healthy outlet outside of your children. I know this may be difficult to do when balancing the needs of your children, but it can be done!
Get comfortable with asking for help. Reach out to family and friends in your time of need. Find a regular babysitter so you can have a break more often. Care.com is a helpful resource for finding sitters experienced with taking care of children with special needs. Seek out camps for children with disabilities and respite care opportunities. Talk to someone at your place of worship about your specific needs and ask how they can help.
Create a special needs tribe. Connect with other parents of special needs children. If you already have a special needs tribe, be intentional about developing those relationships. It’s easier to share with people who know what you are going through and have tried and true ways to deal with common situations that occur.
Develop a relationship with an adult that has the same disability as your child. Follow disability activists and advocates on social media. Learn from them and their perspective on life. Their viewpoint might actually change the way you view your child and for the better!

I hope these ideas have been helpful to you! Is there anything you would add to this list? What are your new year’s resolutions?

Original article: New Year’s Resolutions for Parents of Children with Disabilities

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A Successful Autism Faith Initiative

Tonya Nash — Sun, 01 Jul 2018 18:37:44 +0000

I am pleased to announce the results of the 2018 Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative. This has been our best year yet! I sincerely thank and applaud all of the churches, organizations, and individuals that partnered with us to make our places of worship more autism friendly.

Summary

The Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative was created in 2016 to promote autism awareness, acceptance and inclusion in faith based communities around the world! We do this by recruiting and empowering churches to do at least one activity for autism awareness month. On the day of their activity, churches are asked to take a picture of the activity in progress and count the number of persons participating. After the activity is completed, churches are asked to fill out a short evaluation form to provide feedback about the initiative. Each church that completed the initiative received a letter of thanks, a certificate of participation and social media recognition.

Churches also have the option of joining a private Facebook group that provides additional educational resources, information about the initiative and a place for all of the participating churches to connect.

This year’s event ran from April 1 – 30, 2018. We had 25 churches to participate from 8 different states! Over 5300 persons learned about autism at their place of worship!

Participating Churches

The following churches took part in the initiative:

Church Activities

Participating churches chose a variety of activities to spread autism awareness. Some of the activities included:

Persons with autism sharing their experiences with the congregation
Parents of children with autism educating the congregation about autism and sharing their testimonies
A guest speaker from Autism Speaks
Pastors sharing facts about autism during the Sunday Morning Services
Presentations on the successes and accomplishments of persons with autism
Presentations about autism and the signs of autism
Special prayer for persons with autism and their families
Children’s church lessons about autism, anti-bullying and accepting differences
Display tables set up with brochures about autism and giveaways
Autism Awareness bulletin boards placed in high traffic areas
Recruitment and fundraising for the Autism WALK
A fundraiser for adaptive faith education program supplies
Specially created t-shirts for autism awareness
Handmade autism awareness pins and ribbons for members
Autism themed refreshments after the autism awareness service
Church members wearing blue in support of autism awareness month

Evaluation Results

About 78% of the churches that participated had members with special needs. However, 50% of those churches did not provide assistance for special needs members. Furthermore, only 16% of the churches had some form of a special needs ministry in place prior to their participation in the initiative. All of the participating churches stated that the initiative made them think about how their church can help persons with special needs.

Church Activity Pictures

Churches were required to submit pictures of their autism awareness activity. The pictures came out wonderful! Check it out for yourself!

Bethesda Church of God
Christ First Church
Christian Fellowship Church
Destiny World Church
El Bethel Missionary Baptist Church
Faith-Now Christian Ministries
First Christian Church
Harvest Builders Worship Center
High Praise Orlando
High Praise Panama City
Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church
Living Word Community of Faith
Messiah's House Assembly of God
Mocksville Second Presbyterian Church
Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church
Orange Grove Missionary Baptist Church
Real Faith Church
Shekinah Glory Worship Center
Smith Chapel Freewill Baptist Church
South End Missionary Baptist Church
Union Baptist Church
Willow Grove AME Church
Word and Worship Christian Center
Word in Season Ministries

Participant Testimonies

We received a lot of positive feedback from the churches that participated. Here are just a few of the comments we received.

“We’re major supporters of the initiative! Give Jesus to everyone! Can’t wait for this to reach levels beyond our imagination!” – Tawanda

“It was great. Many people who were not aware or didn’t know what autism was now have the knowledge necessary and won’t have to fear dealing with a person who has autism.” – Quinetta

“Love it and would love to do more next year! Get the information out to more churches!” – DeBorah

“This was an excellent program with great ideas to initiate conversation and inform others about how to support people with autism.” – Carline

“I had fun with the activity and loved how involved the church was!” – RaShannda

“I hope that each year, the program will get bigger and bigger. Autism is something that is not talked about much so I hope to be a light in our community.” – Stephanie

“I love this initiative. Each year, I learn more and more. I plan to continue to support this ministry effort because the empowerment you give is well needed within our churches and community.” – Debra

“Our congregation was incredibly moved by the testimony. Our children showed a greater understanding for those with differences.” – Chelsea

“This initiative is very much needed. The more people are educated, the better the quality of life becomes for everyone!” – Bridgett

“I believe this was a great way to reach out to the community and share with others that don’t know.” – Juanita

“We have several families in our church that are affected by autism. This was a great way to show them support.” – Lynn

“I think you have a wonderful, thriving ministry. I can’t wait to see where it takes you in the future.” – Gale

Special Supporters

There were several persons that went above and beyond to support the Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative and I would like to recognize them!

Jocelyn Green donated three copies of a book she co-authored with Kimberly Drew entitled, “Refresh: Spiritual Nourishment for Parents of Children with Special Needs.” The books were included as a giveaway for participating churches to add to their libraries. Jocelyn has been a wonderful supporter of the initiative over the years and we greatly appreciate her!

Janet Williams, Community Outreach Manager of Autism Speaks of Georgia, provided support by referring churches to the initiative. She also invited me to attend the Unlimited Together Special Needs Conference that took place in March 2018 at Mount Paran Church in Atlanta.

Pastors Mack and Freida McCullough of Word in Season Ministries allowed me the opportunity to speak to their congregation about autism. They also made a very generous donation to the initiative to further the mission of the Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative.

These partners were a true blessing to the initiative this year and I greatly appreciate them! May God abundantly bless them all!

How to Join the Initiative

One of my ultimate goals is to have a church from every state participate in the initiative! We continue to grow each year and I’m excited about all that is to come!

For more details about the Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative, click here. If you and your church would like to participate in our April 2019 event, please fill out this form and I will contact you with more details. You can also send me an email at tonya@tonyanash.com.

Original article: A Successful Autism Faith Initiative

The post A Successful Autism Faith Initiative appeared first on Tonya Nash.

Airport Tour for Persons with Autism Featured On CNN!

Tonya Nash — Tue, 29 May 2018 16:00:14 +0000

My family participated in an airport tour for persons with autism! It took place at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on April 26, 2018. The tour was sponsored by Delta Airlines and was filmed by CNN staff to promote autism awareness month. It aired on Monday, April 30, 2018 during Michaela Pereira’s HLN show.

The airport tour was a wonderful opportunity for our boys! They had a chance to see what it is like to go through security. They also got to play in the airport’s sensory room and sit in the cockpit of a Delta jet! We spent about 3 hours at the airport that day, but the film crew was skillfully able to combine all of that into a 3 minute segment. Check it out!

AIRLINE PREPS KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

https://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2018/05/02/airline-has-mock-flights-to-prep-kids-with-special-needs.cnn

PICTURES OF THE AIRPORT TOUR

Here’s a few pictures that I took throughout the day to give you an idea of how things went.

The boys enjoyed the sensory room and had a great time in the ball pit with Midori, our Flight Attendant for the day!

Daniel is in the cockpit with Capt. Erich Ries, a pilot for Delta Airlines!

Nicky is in the cockpit with Capt. Erich Ries, a pilot for Delta Airlines!

Nicky is enjoying his time at the wheel!

The CNN producer also took a few pics. Click the arrow on the right to see the four pictures that she took and shared on Instagram:

Flying can be a fun experience, but for little ones…traveling can be scary. April marks world autism month, and we went to see how Delta airlines created a special program to help people with autism. They have teamed up with “The Arc,” an organization that helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, to create a space where young travelers can become more familiar with the process of flying, through simulated experiences they call ‘mock flights.’ CNN follows Tonya and Jamie Nash, along with their two sons who are on the autism spectrum, Daniel & Nicky, through the process as they prepare for a trip this summer ?More of their story on @michaelahln

A post shared by Faith Haleh (@faithhaleh) on Apr 30, 2018 at 5:06am PDT

FINAL THOUGHTS

I highly recommend this tour! It is held every month at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport and is open to persons of all ages with special needs. For more information, send an email to ACSCRO.ATL@delta.com. If you don’t live in the Metro Atlanta area, check with your local airport to see if there is a similar program available.

This airport tour reopened the conversation for our family to consider other methods of travel besides driving. It alleviated some of our fears and educated us about the resources available to help us have a smooth travel experience, such as TSA Cares and the sensory room. We participated in this program almost two years ago, but it was great to have the refresher! Thank you, Delta Airlines, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and CNN/HLN for this amazing opportunity!

Original article: Airport Tour for Persons with Autism Featured On CNN!

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7 Things I Wish I Could Have Told Myself After My Son’s Autism Diagnosis

Tonya Nash — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 23:12:07 +0000

Words cannot express how I felt on that life-changing day. It was April 11, 2011, the day after my birthday.

My mother-in-law sat on the couch with me as my son played with toys on the floor. My husband listened in via phone because he was on an extended deployment to the Middle East. Extreme anxiety set in as the psychologist shared with us why she thought our oldest son met the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder.

I remember walking out of the office thinking that my life would never be the same. And I was right. It has not been the same.

On that day, I grieved, I cried and I prayed. I held my son very tight and loved on him with everything that I had.

I will never forget that day or the days that followed. I struggled to have hope when hope seemed to be unreasonable. There were overwhelming thoughts and fears that things would never get better. I wondered if my son would ever call me, “mommy,” or if he would ever develop a true and loving relationship with me because he seemed so distant. It was rough for quite a while.

It’s been 7 years since that day and a lot has changed for the better! Here’s 7 things that I would tell myself if I could go back to the day of my son’s autism diagnosis.

Yes, your child’s journey may be different from other children, but the journey is still going to be beautiful! Don’t get caught up in comparing your child with others! Rejoice at every milestone, no matter how small. Your son is wonderfully and fearfully made! Educate yourself on his autism diagnosis, but don’t focus so much on it that you miss out on the simple joys of motherhood.
Your son will surprise you! It won’t always be this way. It may not happen over night, but you will have many victories. Your son will eventually start talking more and will love you dearly. He will even have a preferred hair style for you! Watch and see!
Don’t listen to what man says about your son. With God, all things are possible! Don’t let people put limits on your son and don’t you do it either! Keep taking him to therapy and watch God move! Keep exposing him to different things and never give up! One day, he’s going to participate in Taekwondo and make beautiful artwork that many will love!
Establish a good support system! It will help you through the rough times. Don’t try to go through this alone. The enemy will have a field day with your mind if you do! Get a good circle of friends that you can vent to, cry on and share accomplishments with. Surround yourself with people that will pray for you and encourage you. Teach family and friends how to help you and your son so that you can have a break every once in a while.
You can still continue your career, but it won’t look like what you imagined. Get creative about how you can utilize your degrees and skills while still being available for your son. Volunteer in your career field and get active in professional organizations. Keep up your certifications and never stop learning! Your earning potential may not be what it could be, but the rewards will be great!
God will use your experiences to uplift and bless others! There is power in sharing your testimony! Don’t allow grief and shame to hold you down! When you open up and share your story, others will share with you in secret and in public. You will soon develop a network of support persons all over the world going through the same thing and it will be of great help to you!
Never underestimate the power of self care. It’s one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your son! Have regularly scheduled activities for YOURSELF that are stress free and relaxing. It can be easy to lose yourself when you are taking care of a special needs child, but getting away on a regular basis will allow you to come back refreshed and in a better mindset to care for your son. And by the way, if you feel yourself getting stressed, depressed and hopeless, seek help! Get counseling from a qualified professional that can help you put things into perspective.

There are so many other things that I can share, but I’ll save that for later. Maybe you or someone you know has a child that recently received an autism diagnosis and you feel yourself trying to figure out how to cope with it all. I pray that my reflections 7 years later will give you encouragement and strength to move forward with optimism and hope!

With Love,

Tonya

P.S. What is one thing you would tell yourself if you could go back in time?

Original article: 7 Things I Wish I Could Have Told Myself After My Son’s Autism Diagnosis

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How to Join the Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative

Tonya Nash — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 21:22:08 +0000

Hello Everyone,

This step by step video shows how you can join the award-winning Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative! Activity ideas, resources and assistance are provided to faith based communities that participate in this initiative for FREE!

Our goal is for these activities to increase autism awareness, promote early intervention and reduce stigmas. As a result, we believe that this will lead to acceptance and inclusion in faith-based communities for persons with autism and their families!

Video for the Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative

httpvh://youtu.be/JTndZI6DPgs

Click here to sign up!

Original article: How to Join the Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative

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Award-Winning Autism Awareness Ministry Seeks Partner Churches

Tonya Nash — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 05:00:31 +0000

I’m excited to announce that the 2018 Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative is underway! We are recruiting churches to join our award-winning autism awareness ministry and we would love for you to join us!

Since 2016, the initiative has served 23 churches and over 5500 people! Our goal is for every person with autism and their family to have a welcoming church in their local area. We seek to do this by encouraging churches all over the world to do at least one activity for autism awareness month in April.

Here’s how you can join us!

Before your activity

Get approval. Tell your church leadership about the initiative. After everything is approved, please let me know. I will email you a toolkit that includes a welcome letter, activity ideas, program details, testimonials and an evaluation form. I will also send you a few additional handouts about autism.
Pick a person of contact (POC). I will communicate directly with your PoC to provide support and guidance for your activity. The POC will be invited to join a private Facebook Group in which all of the churches connect and share ideas. I also share resources and important information about the initiative with this group.
Choose an activity. I have a list of ideas that I can provide for you. Some of the ideas include: sharing facts about autism in the announcements, creating a bulletin board or display table, starting a special needs ministry, teaching about autism in children’s church and more! I have templates and resources available for almost any activity, so you don’t even have to do much work! You are also free to choose your own activity, as long as it promotes autism awareness, acceptance and inclusion.
Set a date for your activity. Your activity must take place in April, which is autism awareness month! Make sure that date is a good fit for your congregation. For example, April 1, 2018 probably isn’t a good date for your activity because that is Easter Sunday! Most churches already have activities scheduled for that day.

On the day of your activity

Have fun! Learning doesn’t have to be boring! Try to share your activity in a way that is engaging and encourages respectful dialogue.
Take pictures of your activity! The pictures can be taken with a cell phone or with a professional DSLR camera. Whatever is most convenient for you, works for me!
Count the number of people participating! How many people heard the announcement about autism awareness? How many children learned about autism in children’s church? About how many people stopped by your display table? Keep track because this number will be used on your evaluation form.

After your activity

Email to me your pictures and completed evaluation form. Your evaluation form is a short two-page form that is in your toolkit. Be sure to email everything to me by May 4, 2018. Most churches send in their information right after their activity.
Receive thanks! Churches that complete the initiative will receive a letter of thanks, a certificate of participation and advertisement of their participation on my social media networks!

That’s it! Isn’t that simple? By the way, did I mention that participation in this autism awareness ministry is FREE?!

Click here to sign up and I will be in touch with you soon! Thank you for joining with me to make our faith based communities more autism friendly!

Tonya

Original article: Award-Winning Autism Awareness Ministry Seeks Partner Churches

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Autism Awareness Initiative Receives Award

Tonya Nash — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 16:42:00 +0000

I am excited to announce that the Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative won Honorable Mention at the Patients’ View Impact Awards!

This award recognizes a patient’s story and the potential it has for a positive impact on healthcare delivery. The award submission required an essay, a short video and links to any supporting information about your work. An excerpt from my submission is included on the Patients’ View Institute’s blog.

I started this initiative in 2016 to educate churches about how to compassionately serve persons with autism and their families. Currently, we have served 23 churches and over 5500 persons have learned about autism as a result. I feel honored and blessed to be recognized, along with my son, for our autism awareness work in faith based communities!

The award for our autism awareness work!

My husband and I traveled to Arlington, VA for the awards ceremony on Thursday, December 7, 2017. The ceremony took place in partnership with The Leapfrog Group’s Top Hospital Awards at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City. The National Board of Medical Examiners sponsored the award.

Here is a video of me accepting the award!

https://youtu.be/zLGCBIeglYg

We had a great dinner afterwards, with many opportunities for networking with other healthcare professionals. My husband and I took a few pictures of this notable occasion. Check them out!

Tonya Nash, founder of the initiative, poses with the award.

Tonya and Jamie Nash with the Honorable Mention Award!

We had the pleasure of meeting some wonderful people at the ceremony. Many of them were honored at the awards ceremony because of the amazing things that they have done to bring awareness to a variety of health conditions. Click here to see a press release about all of the honorees at the Patients’ View Impact Awards.

Our son, Daniel, wasn’t able to join us at the ceremony. Once we returned home, I showed him the award. He was so excited and proud because it also has his name on it! It is because of him that this initiative began and I proudly share this honor with him!

Daniel proudly holds the award and stands in front of the initiative’s logo that he drew.

This award is just the beginning of many wonderful things to come. I’m super excited about our upcoming 2018 autism awareness events! I have so many ideas and can’t wait to share them with you!

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Click here to learn more about the Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative. Be sure to subscribe to my blog so that you don’t miss any updates!

Original article: Autism Awareness Initiative Receives Award

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Are There Health Disparities in Autism Diagnosis?

Tonya Nash — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 17:54:04 +0000

Today marks the beginning of National Health Education Week! It occurs each year on the third week of October and is sponsored by the Society for Public Health Education. The goal of this event is to highlight the importance of health education and to recognize the work that health educators do on a daily basis to protect the nation’s health. Each day has a designated theme and today’s focus is on health disparities, which describes preventable differences in health status for certain groups of people. Did you know that there are health disparities in receiving an autism diagnosis?

I’m a public health educator and autism is one of the areas that I have been focusing on since 2011. In keeping with the theme of National Health Education Week, this post will discuss autism, the importance of early intervention and some of the causes for health disparities in autism diagnosis. It will also share information about a faith based initiative that seeks to make a difference in this area.

What is autism?

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects the brain, causing issues with communication, social interactions and behavior. Autism currently affects 1 in every 68 children in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Signs of autism vary from person to person, but some of the most common signs include:

poor eye contact
delayed speech and language skills
resistance to change
unusual and repetitive behaviors

Having an autism diagnosis can greatly impact a person’s a life. However, studies have found that early intervention can improve lifetime outcomes for a child with autism.

What is early intervention?

Early intervention is therapy services provided for a child from birth to 3 years of age. An example can include speech therapy to help a child with delayed speech and language skills. Another example is occupational therapy to help improve a child’s gross and fine motor skills. Early intervention can be provided by the state or by a private therapy provider. After a child turns 3 years old, services are available through the local school system. Unfortunately, every child with autism doesn’t receive early intervention. An autism diagnosis can be made for a child as young as 18-24 months. However, most children are not diagnosed with autism until after 4 years of age.

Are there health disparities in autism diagnosis?

Black and Hispanic children are more likely to receive an autism diagnosis at a later age than White children. Studies have found a combination of reasons as to why this may be, such as:

poor access to healthcare
low socioeconomic status
stigmas related to autism
language barriers
concerns about immigration status

Receiving a late diagnosis hinders a child’s ability to receive early intervention. It reduces their opportunity to improve their developmental delays before starting elementary school, which places them at a disadvantage. This is why early intervention is so important!

I am the mother of two African-American sons with autism. When my oldest son was diagnosed, I realized that there was a gap in knowledge about autism, not only in the African-American community, but in the faith community as well. My personal experiences with these two communities led me to start the Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative in 2016.

What is the Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative?

The Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative promotes autism awareness and acceptance in faith based communities each year in April. Participants receive a toolkit with information about autism and tips on how they can educate their congregation. We also provide support for churches interested in becoming more autism friendly. To date, we have had 23 churches participate, with over 5500 people learning about autism! Most of the churches are predominantly African-American, with many commenting that they didn’t know much about autism until the initiative began at their church.

There are plans to expand this initiative by continuing to partner with faith based communities to:

create more autism awareness
promote early intervention
encourage screening for autism
eliminate stigmas about autism
promote autism acceptance and inclusion

If your faith community is interested in learning more about autism, please join our initiative! Together, we can reduce health disparities in autism diagnosis, one faith community at a time!

References:

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). (2015, February 26). Retrieved October 16, 2017, from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/signs.html

Community Report on Autism, 2016. Retrieved on October 15, 2017 from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/documents/comm-report-autism-full-report.pdf

Original article: Are There Health Disparities in Autism Diagnosis?

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Promoting Autism Awareness in Faith Based Communities

Tonya Nash — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 04:00:32 +0000

Autism awareness is very important for our faith based communities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that autism affects 1 out of every 68 children. With a rate that high, many churches are sure to encounter a family affected by autism and churches must be prepared.

I didn’t understand how difficult church could be for persons with autism until my son was diagnosed. I watched him struggle with social interactions and with abrupt changes in sound and lighting. Just walking into the sanctuary sent him into sensory overload. I haven’t even mentioned all of the unwritten church rules that he was expected to navigate through!

We moved around quite a bit as a military family. Each move required us to find a new church home. Finding a church home when you have a child with autism is no easy feat. I always informed the children’s church staff about my son’s needs whenever we visited a new church. The staff reaction varied from church to church. My family once visited the church of a very prominent minister. When it was time for children’s church, I told the staff member that my son has autism. He immediately said, “We’re not equipped to handle that.”

Unfortunately, my personal experience is not an isolated story. A 2001 research study by Tarakeshwar and Pargament found that among parents that have a child with autism, 30% felt discontent with their church clergy and fellow church members. A 2013 study by Ault et al found that 32% of parents changed their place of worship because their child was not welcomed or included. In addition, the study also found that almost 47% of parents did not participate in religious activities. Sadly, nearly 56% kept their child home due to a lack of support (Ault et al, 2013).

My family dealt with these same issues until a church stepped up and created a special needs ministry for my son. For those of you unfamiliar with the story, here’s a link to catch you up! Once that happened, I realized how important it was for other special needs parents to have the same opportunities that I have to regularly attend church!

I started blogging about autism awareness in 2014. The series that I wrote about special needs ministry remains to be my most popular blog series to date! The Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative was born in 2016 as a result of the positive responses from those posts. Here’s how it works:

I recruit churches to do at least one activity for autism awareness month in April.
Churches choose an activity that meets the needs of their congregation.
I provide consultation for each church that participates.
Each church holds their activity and takes pictures during the event.
Churches fill out an evaluation form giving feedback on the initiative.

That’s it!

Our 2016 event was a great success, so I decided to push forward with the initiative in 2017. The energy and excitement from the 2017 event was amazing! I’m looking forward to making this initiative an annual event!

PARTICIPATING CHURCHES

It was wonderful working with such a committed group of ministries for our 2017 Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative! The following churches participated:

Bethesda Church of God in Sumter, SC
Calvary Baptist Church in Rocky Mount, NC
Christian Fellowship Church in Warner Robins, GA
El Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Columbus, MS
First Christian Church in Richlands, NC
Greater First Baptist Church of Cedar Creek in Fayetteville, NC
Harvest Builders Worship Center in Warner Robins, GA
High Praise Orlando in Casselberry, FL
High Praise Panama City in Panama City, FL
Living Word Community of Faith in Hitchcock, TX
Orange Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Durham, NC
Real Faith Church in Leesburg, GA
Smith Chapel Freewill Baptist Church in Fayetteville, NC
South End Missionary Baptist Church in Fayetteville, NC
South Metro Ministries in Sharpsburg, GA
Willow Grove AME Church in Horatio, SC
Word and Worship Christian Center in Sumter, SC

AUTISM AWARENESS ACTIVITIES

Participating churches chose activities to promote autism awareness, acceptance and inclusion. I provided consultation for the churches and access to resources. Here are a few of the church activities.

Church members wore blue.
The Pastor or designated speaker discussed autism facts with the congregation.
Members set up display tables with information about autism and available resources.
Volunteers in the special needs ministry were recognized.
Parents of children with autism shared their personal testimonies.
Autism facts were shared in church bulletins, display boards, videos and newsletters.
Volunteers built a sensory wall for a child with autism.
A youth pastor taught a special lesson about autism.
Special prayer was offered up for families affected by autism.
Handouts and promotional items were given to persons stopping by display tables.
Children’s church taught a lesson to the congregation about autism and respecting differences.

OVERALL IMPACT

The Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative started in 2016. That year, we had 16 churches and 3090 persons that learned about autism at church! In 2017, we had 17 churches and 2485 persons that learned about autism during our initiative! Since 2017, we’ve had 23 different churches participating, with a few that are on their second year of participation. When adding up the number of persons for 2016 and 2017, we have a total of 5,575 persons! There may be duplication in the number of persons that learned about autism since we have some churches participating for the second year. However, it is likely that those persons learned even more about autism this year!

Many churches shared a desire to do even more to make their church special needs friendly, such as reaching out to more special needs families, creating sensory rooms and providing special needs services. Quite a few stated that their members didn’t even know about autism and the initiative made them more aware.

We were blessed to have Jocelyn Green donate three copies of her book: Refresh: Spiritual Nourishment for Parents of Children of Special Needs! Churches receiving these books will share them with parents of special needs children as a means of encouragement. We greatly appreciate Jocelyn’s contribution!

PICTURES FROM THE CHURCH ACTIVITIES

Gale Dollar and Christa Anglin share their experiences at Bethesda Church of God’s Special Needs Awareness Service!

Calvary Baptist Church members Light It Up Blue!

Members of Christian Fellowship Church stand in unity for autism awareness!

The youth of El Bethel Missionary Baptist Church learn about autism at the display table.

Members of First Christian Church celebrate their first autism awareness service!

Pastor Joshua Gay, his family and the members of High Praise Orlando are supporters of autism awareness!

A member of High Praise Panama City shares about her experience as the mother of a child with autism.

The Pastors of Living Word Community of Faith support autism awareness!

Members of Orange Grove Missionary Baptist Church did a great job with their display table!

The children of Smith Chapel Freewill Baptist Church teach a lesson about autism to the congregation!

Members of South End Missionary Baptist Church gather for a picture after their autism awareness service!

South Metro Ministries celebrates autism awareness and inclusion!

Willow Grove members pose for a picture after their autism awareness service.

Pastors Sean and Tawanda Ervin celebrate autism awareness with their members at Word and Worship Christian Center!

FEEDBACK FROM THE CHURCHES

Participating churches filled out an evaluation form that shares their thoughts about the initiative. Here are some of the comments:

“We are so glad to join in with other churches to bring awareness to autism and the need for special needs ministries!” – Gale from SC

“So proud of you for developing and growing this initiative to make churches more aware of how special needs families are impacted when they come to church.” – Jackie from NC

“We are thankful that we can be a part of this initiative!” – Anisha from MS

“Amazing! A perfect way to provide education and promote acceptance through education.” – Vicki from NC

“It’s eye opening because a lot of people weren’t aware about autism.” – Sylvia from NC

“It upsets me that families with special needs often stay at home on Sundays because there are no accommodations. We need to reach them. I hope to have our own service for special needs families.” – Yancey from GA

“Thankful for the opportunity to participate! It’s something we would not have thought of on our own.” – Chelsea from FL

“I love it! You just never have an interest/concern until it hits your house. Now we are all in! There is so much to learn and do.” – Debra from TX

“We are going to do a sensory room and next year, we want to include the children in our program!” – Inez from NC

“Many members had no idea what autism is. This activity provided tools, info and resources about autism.” – Stephanie from NC

“People began to ask how they can get involved in special needs ministry.” – Jennifer from GA

“We have 2 families directly affected by autism and are finding ways to incorporate each child every week. It is a wonderful initiative that is much needed. Jesus cares and loves all of his creation!” – Tawanda from SC

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

The future is bright for the Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative! Please join us for our 2018 initiative and help make our churches more autism friendly! If you are up to the challenge, feel free to leave a comment or send me an email at: Tonya@tonyanash.com.

REFERENCE LIST

If you would like to read more on the studies mentioned above, see below:

Ault, M. J., Collins, B. C., & Carter, E. W. (2013). Congregational participation and supports for children and adults with disabilities: Parent perceptions.Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 51(1), 48-61. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.tufts.edu/docview/1348130922?accountid=14434
Tarakeshwar, N., & Pargament, K. I. (2001). Religious coping in families of children with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 16(4), 247-260. Retrieved from http://journals.sagepub.com.ezproxy.library.tufts.edu/doi/pdf/10.1177/108835760101600408
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Autism Spectrum Disorder: Data and Statistics. 2017. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html.

Original article: Promoting Autism Awareness in Faith Based Communities

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Join Me for an Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative!

Tonya Nash — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 21:15:01 +0000

Did you know that April is National Autism Awareness Month? This annual observance was sponsored by the Autism Society almost 25 years ago to promote awareness, acceptance and inclusion for persons with autism. Since 2013, I’ve been sharing my family’s story about autism and trying to make a difference within my own areas of influence. This year is no different. I’m looking for places of worship to partner with me for a very special autism awareness faith based initiative! Are you up for the challenge?

HOW CAN I HELP?

My request is very simple. I’m asking places of worship to do at least one activity in April for autism awareness month. The possibilities for your activity are endless! Here are a few ideas:

Wear blue on Sunday, April 2, 2017 for World Autism Awareness Day.
Write about autism in the church bulletin or newsletter.
Put up a display table with facts about autism on it.
Do an activity in children’s church that teaches about autism and acceptance of those that are different.
Teach staff members in children’s church and persons in leadership about autism.
Reach out to persons with autism and their families. Ask them how their needs can be better met at church.
Show a video about autism to the congregation.
Start a special needs ministry for persons with autism.
And much more!

This initiative is free and open to places of worship of any size. The initiative is primarily focused on Christianity, but persons from any religion are welcome to participate!

HOW DID THIS INITIATIVE GET STARTED?

I started this initiative in 2016. It was birthed out of my family’s struggle over the years to find a church that could meet the needs of my son with autism. Our lives were forever changed when a church willingly stepped up to the challenge! I wrote a blog series about it here. The series received a response much greater than I ever expected! As a result, I decided to go even further. I used my skills as a public health educator to develop this initiative, teaching churches about autism and helping them to see how they can make a tangible difference in the lives of persons with autism and their families. With the help of my partner churches, we were able to educate over 3,000 persons in 16 churches about autism! I would love to reach even more in 2017! This link gives details about last year’s activities.

WHAT IS AUTISM?

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects the brain, causing problems with communication, social interactions and repetitive behaviors. It is estimated that 1 in 68 children have been diagnosed with autism. Symptoms of autism can range from mild to severe. It can occur in persons from all ethnic, racial, and economic backgrounds. Autism is often diagnosed in childhood and continues throughout adulthood.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

If you haven’t already, it is very likely that you will encounter a family that has a child with autism at your place of worship. Families that have a child with autism often find it difficult to attend worship services because of sensory issues that can make it difficult to sit through a service. Things such as noise levels, crowds, and lighting can trigger meltdowns that are often misinterpreted as bad behavior. The goal of this initiative is for places of worship to become more aware about autism. My prayer is that the awareness gained will lead to a sincere desire to reach out to this underserved population by making appropriate accommodations in worship services. Persons with autism and their families deserve to be included and have a welcoming place to worship!

WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP?

I hope that I can count on you to join this growing movement to make our places of worship autism friendly! If so, please leave a comment on this post or send an email to: Tonya@TonyaNash.com. I will send you an information packet with details to help you get started! I am available to help with information and resources for your activity ideas. Pictures of the activity and comments on the short evaluation form in the information packet will serve as proof that you have completed the initiative. Your pictures and comments may be used on my website and social media networks. Places of worship that complete the initiative will receive a certificate of participation.

I solicit your prayers and support for this initiative. Please feel free to share this post and invite others to participate. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of persons with autism and their families!

Sincerely,

Tonya

Original article: Join Me for an Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative!

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An Airport Tour for Children with Autism

Tonya Nash — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 21:13:30 +0000

Is flying an issue for your child with autism? Are you concerned about navigating through the airport and not having the help needed for a successful trip? If so, I have some wonderful information to share with you that may change the way that you and your family travel!

My boys recently had the opportunity to participate in a program at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport called, “Navigating through the Airport.” It was started by Delta Airlines employees, Sandra Smith and Maren Vargas, to help children with autism become familiar with air travel.

The tour was lots of fun and lasted about 2 hours. The boys went through security, rode the underground train to their gate and boarded a Delta Airlines jet. They also had a chance to play in the new sensory room at the airport.

My boys waiting at the gate to board the plane.

Four other families participated, along with the children of some of the airlines staff. All of the Delta representatives helping with the tour had a personal connection with autism through a family member or friend. I found them to be sincere and very helpful.

Tips for Parents

Captain Erich Ries, father of a son with autism, shared tips on how to prepare our children for airline travel. He is a seasoned pilot and has flown with his son hundreds of times. Here are a few of his tips:

Show your child the date of your trip on a calendar and help them countdown the days.
Take advantage of the TSA Cares program (see further down for information on that).
Allow your child to pack and carry their own bag with a few of their favorite things. Make sure the bag is small enough to fit under the seat in front of them. This will make it easier to access during the flight.
Check-in to your flight online or by using an app. Also, check your luggage with the skycap to avoid waiting in long lines.
Check as much of your belongings as possible so that you can have your hands free to take care of your child.
A window seat close to the front can help your child with anxiety.
If your child is sensitive to noise, avoid getting a seat by the wings. If it is unavoidable, try noise canceling headphones to block out the noise.
Let the flight crew know that your child has autism. Share with them ways in which they can help.
If your child has a meltdown in flight, press your call light and let the flight attendant know what is going on so that assistance can be provided.

It was obvious that Captain Ries is very passionate about making sure that air travel is achievable for parents of children with autism. He even brought his son with him to help demonstrate the appropriate size for luggage and possible items to bring for entertainment.

Next came the boarding process…

An Unexpected Surprise

My oldest son became very anxious when he realized that he was actually going to board a plane. We persuaded him to get on and sit down after several minutes of explaining that the plane would not take off. Despite being seated, he continued to cry and show great anxiety. He had a bad experience with turbulence on a flight many years ago and hasn’t flown since.

Another child on the tour had a service dog. He brought the dog over to my son, trying to help. At first, my son refused to touch the dog. But this service dog knew just what to do! He slowly went up to my son and put his head near my son’s lap. I started to pet the dog because I could feel myself getting anxious and overwhelmed too. My husband was starting to think that we needed to take our son off the plane because he was so upset. But I didn’t want him to miss out on what was ahead and figured that we needed to give him a little more time to calm down. My son is usually afraid of dogs. So imagine our surprise when he actually started petting the dog?! He began to talk to the dog about being scared of flying on the plane. After a few minutes, he calmed down and was able to take part in the rest of the tour!

This service dog was just what my son needed to calm down and enjoy the rest of the tour.

This experience opened my eyes to the benefits of service dogs for children with autism. I never even considered it to be an option for my family, but now I can clearly see the benefit!

Perks for Participants

Delicious snacks were offered to the children after they boarded the plane. In addition, each child had a chance to sit in the cockpit and wear Captain Ries’ hat. The children received kiddie wings and a Delta Airlines coloring book. Parents were given a social story to prepare their child for air travel. Parents also received information on several resources for special needs air travel.

A page from the social story booklet

TSA Cares

Did you know about TSA Cares? I never heard of it until a TSA representative told us about it on the tour.

The TSA Cares help line is available for travelers with disabilities and medical conditions. You can call 1-855-787-2227 with any questions that you may have regarding screening procedures. You can also request a Passenger Support Specialist. Be sure to call 72 hours before your trip for specific information. The hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00am – 11:00pm EST. Help is also available on weekends and holidays from 9:00am – 8:00pm EST. You can also send an email to TSA-ContactCenter@tsa.dhs.gov for more information.

Overall Thoughts

I highly recommend this program with no reservations. It was a great experience that the boys will remember for a long time. Besides, how many children can say that they had a chance to sit in the cockpit of a Delta 767 with an airline captain’s hat on?

If a program like this is not available in your area, talk to someone at your local airport and see how you can get one started. Tell them about other airports that are doing this, such as the airports listed here. You can also ask for an individual tour to give your child a chance to practice for the big day. If needed, ask for someone to assist you on your day of travel from the moment you arrive to the moment that you board the plane. Many airports provide this service, but you have to request it.

Happy Flying!

Original article: An Airport Tour for Children with Autism

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My Experience at the Coastal Disability Ministry Summit

Tonya Nash — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 23:41:53 +0000

I recently had the privilege of attending the Coastal Disability Ministry Summit in Charleston, SC on September 23rd – 24th. It was sponsored by Joni and Friends Charlotte and the Lowcountry Special Needs Network. The event was held on the beautiful campus of Charleston Southern University.

I was invited to attend this summit as a guest presenter with Mrs. Gale Dollar. Our break-out session, “Inclusive Disability Ministry,” explained how the special needs ministry got started at Bethesda Church of God and how persons can start one at their own ministry. If you are unfamiliar with our story, click here to catch up.

The break-out session went very well. I spoke during the first part of the session about why special needs ministries are important from a parent’s perspective. Mrs. Gale finished the session, explaining how to start a special needs ministry. She even had some giveaways for the persons that came to our session!

The conference organizers booked wonderful speakers for the summit. Dr. Mike Beates was the keynote speaker for Friday night. He spoke about why churches need to include people with disabilities. He has an adult daughter with profound disabilities and it was enlightening to hear his perspective on disability. Lori Sealy, a gifted musician who also has autism, led the conference in praise and worship on Friday night and on Saturday morning. Her testimony is amazing and I was inspired to hear about all that she has overcome.

The keynote speaker for Saturday was Emily Colson. She is the award-winning author of the book, Dancing with Max and travels all over the nation speaking at churches about inclusion and advocating for persons with autism. She also is the daughter of Chuck Colson. Her presentation caught my attention right away because she is the mother of an adult son with autism. I could relate to a lot of what she was saying. It’s always great to hear from someone that is a little bit further down the road that you are traveling on.

Break-out sessions were held all throughout the day on Saturday. There were many that I wanted to attend, but you know how it goes. You can only choose 1 out of 4 great options. So the first one I went to was Buddy Ministry Basics taught by Jen McNally. That was a pretty cool session and something that almost any church can implement. Another session that I went to was Sensory Processing Disorder: Tips for the Church by Cara Koscinski. Cara is an occupational therapist and is known as the Pocket OT. She has great practical tips for dealing with sensory issues. And last but certainly not least, I went to Emily Colson’s breakout session: Survival Skills for Parents on the Journey. After the week I had, I knew that I needed to be in that session. Cause guess what? Being the parent of a special needs child can be hard sometimes! But I received some good practical tips that I can use for my family.

Tonya Nash & Emily Colson at the Coastal Disability Ministry Summit

After Emily’s break-out session, I had the pleasure of talking with her! She was very sweet and genuine. She even let me take a selfie of us together!

But you know what? The best part of the weekend for me wasn’t the opportunity to speak at a session. What I enjoyed most was having the chance to meet other special needs parents that are dealing with some of the same things that I’m dealing with. We were able to encourage each other, share resources and lift each other up in prayer. How awesome is that?

Overall, the Coastal Disability Ministry Summit was a blessing ! I enjoyed it so much that I plan on looking for other opportunities like it to connect with and learn from other special needs families.

Original article: My Experience at the Coastal Disability Ministry Summit

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A New Devotional for Parents of Children with Special Needs

Tonya Nash — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 04:00:27 +0000

Are you the parent of a special needs child? Do you have a friend or family member that is new on the journey of raising a child with special needs? If so, I strongly recommend the book, Refresh: Spiritual Nourishment for Parents of Children with Special Needs by Kimberly M. Drew and Jocelyn Green.

Here’s how the book is set up. There are eight chapters, with each title cleverly alluding to the growth process of a tree. Each chapter has about 10 devotions that contain personal, transparent stories from parents of children with special needs. Each devotional can be read in 10 minutes or less, with a prayer and three questions included at the end to allow the reader a chance to reflect even further. A section called “Knowing Jesus Personally” is included at the end of the book, which gives the reader an opportunity to learn more about Jesus Christ and receive Him as their Lord and Savior.

There were several themes and nuggets of truth that I learned from reading this book, such as:

Grief has no time limit.
Healing can’t happen until you are honest with yourself.
The journey of being a special needs parent is more than we can handle…without God.

This book was very helpful to me. I could easily find value in using it as a daily devotional, especially with the prayer and reflection questions at the end. A variety of special needs were featured in this book, from commonly known ones such as autism and cerebral palsy, to less common ones such as Sanfilippo syndrome and Angelman syndrome. No matter what the topic is for the devotional, the path always leads you to encouragement and hope in Jesus Christ.

The authors included a note in the introduction that shares their desired wish for the reader.

“Just as you pour yourselves into your children, we want to pour hope and courage back into you. We want to refresh your spirit by speaking biblical truth directly to the unique aspects of your particular lifestyle.”

I believe that these ladies have succeeded in their mission. Order your copy of Refresh: Spiritual Nourishment for Parents of Children with Special Needs today on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other retail bookstores.

*Disclosure: My family’s story is mentioned in two of the devotionals in this book. Because I was willing to share my personal experience, I received a complimentary copy of the book. However, that has not influenced my review of this book.

Original article: A New Devotional for Parents of Children with Special Needs

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How Sixteen Churches Spread Autism Awareness in a Big Way

Tonya Nash — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 18:18:05 +0000

Hello Everyone!

I have some results that I would like to share with you from the 2016 Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative. This was our first year for the initiative and I enjoyed every moment of it!

Image drawn by Daniel Nash.

Over 3000 persons from 16 churches received information about autism as a result of the initiative. A special thank you goes out to the following churches that completed the program:

Antioch Freewill Baptist Church in Linden, NC
Bethesda Church of God in Sumter, SC
Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church in Sumter, SC
Christian Fellowship Church in Warner Robins, GA
El Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Columbus, MS
Full Life Ahead Community in Charlotte, NC
Greater First Baptist Church in Fayetteville, NC
Harvest Land Ministries International in Newport News, VA
High Praise Worship Center in Panama City, FL
House of Hope in Macon, GA
Orange Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Durham, NC
Real Faith Church in Albany, GA
South End Baptist Church in Fayetteville, NC
South Metro Ministries in Sharpsburg, GA
Willow Grove AME Church in Horatio, SC
Word in Season Ministries in Warner Robins, GA

Each church was allowed to choose their own autism awareness activity. Some of the activities included:

Placing facts about autism in the church newsletter or bulletin
Members of the congregation wearing blue
Choir members holding up blue glow sticks during a song dedicated to special needs families
Display tables with autism awareness brochures, flyers, and giveaways
Guest speakers talking about autism
Surveys to improve faith based services for special needs families
Powerpoint presentations on autism
Church members wearing puzzle piece ribbons
Informational bulletin boards on autism
Autism awareness videos
Discussions with youth groups about autism awareness and acceptance
A Sensory Room Donation Drive for persons with special needs
Autism awareness crafts
Training for children’s church staff on how to engage a child with autism
An appreciation luncheon for workers in the special needs ministry

Here are a few pictures from some of the churches that participated.

The choir at Bethesda Church of God sings a selection dedicated to special needs families while holding their blue glow sticks.

Rev. Leroy Jones of El Bethel Missionary Baptist Church reads information on the display table about autism.

Check out High Praise Worship Center singing praise and worship songs during their Light It Up Blue for Autism Awareness Service.

Here is the display table for autism awareness at Orange Grove Missionary Baptist Church.

Members of South End Missionary Baptist Church pose for a picture after their autism awareness service.

Children at Word In Season Ministries work on an art project for autism awareness.

Members of Christian Fellowship Church discuss autism awareness with the congregation.

Members of Willow Grove AME Church pose for a picture after their autism awareness service.

Full Life Ahead Community members pose after their autism awareness service.

An evaluation form was completed by each church after they completed their activity. The feedback received was overwhelmingly positive! Here are a few of the responses:

“Just wanted to let you know your ministry is working honey. I just had a conversation with my mom about her friends grandson who recently stopped talking. I told my mom that’s one of the signs of autism. Mom said oh yes and boys are more likely to be diagnosed and I read that in my church bulletin from Sunday. I was so excited to hear her say that. It is definitely creating more awareness and making an impact. Keep doing what ur doing!”

“I think this initiative is an amazing way to get the Church involved in something that can be overlooked or mistaken when people don’t understand it correctly. Many individuals in our church knew of someone with autism but did not know what it was or how they can help. Advocating for a special needs ministry is definitely something our church is looking into. Giving these children an opportunity to learn about God while being in a safe environment conducive to them would make such a great impact in our community. You are truly doing a great work for the kingdom!”

“We completed our presentation today. It was awesome! It was unity Sunday on top of that. So it was perfect timing. We gave out ribbons and handouts and did a PowerPoint presentation. Afterwards, I got a call from my son’s Church school teacher, for more information and ways she can better assist him. She’s already doing an excellent job, but today made her want to step her game up even more. To God be the Glory!”

“A lot of people weren’t aware about autism being needed to be considered.”

“We are making autism awareness a part of our annual calendar for the third Sunday in April.”

“I believe people learned and began to ask important questions because of this activity. It has sparked an interest in people in our congregation that work with special needs children to help us in the development of a special needs ministry.”

A special thank you goes out to Autism Speaks of Georgia for providing autism awareness handouts for the churches that participated. I also would like to thank them for inviting me to speak on their behalf at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church for their Light It Up Blue service on April 3rd. Over 500 persons were in attendance! You can view the speech I made by clicking here.

Another special acknowledgement goes out to Bethesda Church of God for inviting me to speak at their church as a part of their Special Needs Awareness Service. Here’s a link to my speech. My son was even a part of the service!

I’m already planning for next year’s events. If you didn’t join us this year, please make plans to do so for next year. I would love to have your church on board! Be sure that you subscribe to my blog or follow me on FB or Twitter so that you won’t miss any updates on this very important initiative.

Be blessed!

Tonya

Original article: How Sixteen Churches Spread Autism Awareness in a Big Way

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