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Starting a new school year can be a time of excitement for your child. However, returning to school after a long summer break can be a challenging adjustment. Start the year off right by using these SARRC teacher-approved back-to-school tips:

Start a special school time schedule. Go to bed and wake up on a designated “school time.” If you wait until day one to switch you or your child’s schedule, everyone will be groggy and out of practice.

When Euan Campbell was 2-years-old, his parents, Chad and Elana, began to notice some red flags and delays with his development. They began early intervention services — speech therapy and occupational therapy for him — “but I constantly felt like there was something missing and that we weren’t doing everything that we could do,” Elana shares.

Then in 2015 the family moved from Chicago to Chad’s hometown of Phoenix. Euan was turning 5, which made him eligible for kindergarten.

As Tyler Hubbard was growing up, his parents suspected he might have autism. “Over the years, it just became more and more obvious,” says his father, Bob Hubbard.

Summer can be a difficult time for those with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Routines are different, and though camp sounds fun, finding the right fit can seem overwhelming.

Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center’s (SARRC) Summer Camp program eases the process, partnering with several summer camps in Arizona to provide inclusive programs for campers from infants through age 26.

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SARRC's 2018 Phoenix Stories Submission

When Harlow Richard turned 18 months old last August, her parents, Kimberly and Samuel decided to enroll her the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center’s (SARRC) Community School.

“It was a big change for us because she had been at home with babysitters and family before when we worked,” her mom shares. “But we had heard such great things about SARRC and the Community School and we wanted to be a part of that.”

Raceway Car Wash, which has 30 locations throughout Arizona, Nevada and Southern/Central California, is thriving—in part, due to the skills and talents of two of its recently hired employees in Arizona, both of whom are on the autism spectrum.

“Autism is something that is really close and dear to me,” explains Marc Mattfolk, regional manager who heads up the operations for the Arizona market. “I have a step-brother who has autism and a niece who has autism, and I see how they struggle.”

In 2008, two years before my nephew Elijah was born, I began helping families who were seeking immigration relief in hardship cases. I spent a great deal of time researching and interviewing applicants about special needs awareness in other parts of the world. This is when I was first introduced to autism.

Christophore Wang was around 2.5 years old when he received an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. His parents, Ying and Jim, felt overwhelmed. Where could they turn for help? How did they navigate the insurance portion? What preschool should he be at?
Their diagnosing psychologist provided the family with a list of services and places that could help, and Ying sat down to begin her research.

One of the places mentioned on the list was Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC). 

“I saw the JumpStart program,” Ying shares.