Choctaw Nation Tribal Early Learning Initiative (TELI) members signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday, April 17, as part of an early childhood “systems of care” effort during National Autism Awareness Month. Rebecca Hawkins is signing the document surrounded by other Choctaw Nation early childhood leadership team members Barbara Moffitt, Patti Rosenthal, Kathy Pruitt, Monona Dill, Brandi Smallwood, Lisa Blackmon, B.J. Robinson-Ellison and Angela Dancer.
Caregivers, teachers, parents, and supporters offer time and resources to better the lives of children and families impacted by autism
By Brandon Frye and Zach Maxwell
Choctaw Nation
Durant, Okla. - It started with a symbolic bubble release and finished on a celebratory note with community gatherings across the Choctaw Nation.
The hope is awareness and understanding of autism will take root in the rural communities within Choctaw Nation as a way to improve the lives of an often overlooked segment of our people: families and children living with autism.
The Nation’s Tribal Early Learning Initiative (TELI) took autism head-on in April, which is known as Autism Awareness Month nationwide. Choctaw Nation utilized a federal TELI grant to kick off its autism awareness activities.
“The Choctaw Nation is one of only four tribes who have received the TELI grant,” said Angela Dancer, Better Beginnings senior director. “We have the infrastructure needed with our child care programs, Head Starts, and the tribal maternal/infant early home visiting program. The directors of each program want to continue to build collaboration and develop a unified application and information system to share.”
The centerpiece of the initiative was a training conference held on April 17 in Durant for around 200 educators and caregivers. Key players in tribal early childhood programs signed a symbolic memorandum of understanding to develop “systems of care” for those with autism spectrum disorder.
Lisa Blackmon, Dallas regional director for the Administration for Children and Families, said the conference is helping meet the needs of providers with education and materials, empowering them to work with parents and children.
“They have all focused their efforts on trying to identify and meet special needs,” Blackmon said. “The Choctaw Nation has taken a successful simple approach of learning what they have available within their own programs and from there working as a network and referral source for those families.”
Under the umbrella of the “Autism Community C.A.R.E.S. Initiative,” Choctaw Nation held a bubble release at the Durant Head Start on April 2, in honor of World Autism Awareness Day.
After words from TELI partners, children filled the playground of the head start and chased after countless bubbles. It was a reminder that all children need care and support to experience such joys as chasing soap bubbles.
According to Kelli Ostman, Autism Advocate and speaker at the event, the group first intended to use balloons, but in an effort to help conserve the environment, they decided to release bubbles in honor of autism awareness, where every bubble represented hope and love for an individual.
Ostman said she is herself a mother of a child with autism and knows first hand what these families are going through.
“When my son was first diagnosed with autism at four years old, we got a pat on our backs and sent on our way,” Ostman said. “There seemed to be nowhere to go for help. Families are handed this diagnosis and they don’t know where to turn, where to go.”
She said finding out your child has autism can be scary, but the Choctaw Nation Autism Community C.A.R.E.S. initiative and its website are offering help, and have been since the group’s beginning two months ago.
“We are saying, contact us and we will help you find these resources,” Ostman said. “We want to let families know they are not alone, even if they feel alone. There will be good days and bad days, but it gets better, especially with the right support and network around you.”
Choctaw Nation communities experienced a variety of autism awareness events during April. These included free autism screenings, resource fairs and community awareness gatherings. These efforts reached a wide audience and gained the attention of local media outlets, including KTEN News that lauded Choctaw Nation for “leading the way in autism awareness.”
But the main message from organizers of this effort: Information, help and hope are out there. For autism information and resources, visit their new website at www.autismcommunitycares.com.