We are proud not only to have built Star Rooms in schools but also to provide selective support for initiatives that champion inclusiveness and autonomy, reflecting our own objectives.

1. Camp Southern Ground:

Our latest act of support was a $15,000 contribution to a scholarship that enables children with autism to spend a week at Camp Southern Ground in Fayetteville, GA. Founded by musician Zac Brown in 2011, this initiative stems from his belief that his musical gifts should be used to foster positivity in the world. Zac Brown, the GRAMMY-winning musician, invested in 400 acres in Fayetteville, Georgia, to create a premier facility aimed at enriching the lives of young people and veterans. The most spectacular feature of Camp Southern Ground is its commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion among its campers.

Their campers, ages 7-17, are made up of typically developing/mainstream children, neurodiverse children, children from underserved and low-income areas, and children from military families. Their neurodiverse population includes children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), learning and attention issues such as ADHD and Dyslexia, and other social or emotional challenges. Visit www.campsouthernground.org for more information.

2. Meditation Program:

We're proud to announce a $25,000 contribution to the meditation program at Taft Elementary School in Canton, Ohio, aimed at grade-school children. Collaborating closely with school staff, we've tailored meditation recordings to support children with autism, addressing sensory dysregulation during school hours. These recordings, accessed via noise-canceling headphones, guide students through brief meditation sessions, teaching essential breathing and self-regulation techniques. Recognizing the challenges faced by children with autism and sensory processing disorder, our program aims to prevent disruptive behavioral meltdowns, enhancing the learning experience by integrating guided meditations into their daily routine. Additionally, the program empowers students to regulate their emotions independently, fostering a sense of autonomy. Our goal is to extend these programs to more schools committed to inclusive education.

Integrating meditation breaks into children's school days offers numerous benefits, promoting overall well-being and academic success. These breaks allow children to recharge, reset their minds, and return to tasks with renewed focus and concentration. Amid today's fast-paced educational environment, moments to pause and center oneself are invaluable, fostering emotional regulation and resilience. Meditation also improves attention and concentration, addressing challenges for children with ADHD and ASD. By incorporating mindfulness into their daily routine, children develop essential stress management skills and emotional resilience, promoting a positive classroom environment and fostering a culture of mindfulness and empathy.

Meditation provides significant benefits for children with autism and ADHD, aiding in emotional regulation, focus, and overall well-being. By reducing stress and anxiety, promoting focus, and enhancing emotional well-being, meditation cultivates optimal conditions for learning and academic success. Moreover, it empowers children with valuable tools for self-regulation and attentional control, ultimately enhancing their quality of life and success in various aspects of life.

3. Communication for Education:

Communication for Education (CFE) is a collaboration among the Autism and Communication Center at California Lutheran University, Reach Every Voice, and Autistically Inclined. Together, we aspire to empower individuals to choose and use alternative forms of communication to realize their educational and civic potential and to become meaningfully included in school and community settings. In collaboration with dozens of professionals and nonspeaking students, CFE has developed a comprehensive, first-of-its-kind training program to help educators support students using text-based multimodal communication to access curriculum. We believe communication is a basic human right and autonomy is imperative. Our online training program has helped hundreds of parents, professionals, and educators all over the world, bring access to communication and autonomy into educational environments.

4. Autistically Inclined:

Autistically Inclined represents the culmination of a 25-year journey helping autistic individuals engage with the world around them. We specialize in empowering clients with speaking limitations to communicate using alternative text-based tools. The processes we employ have helped autistic people express their thoughts for the first time, connecting them deeply to family and friends after years of frustration. One young man who struggled to get across his thoughts in conventional ways now writes beautiful song lyrics. Another has a budding career as a Hollywood actor. A young woman was able to leave special education and earned her high school diploma! At Autistically Inclined, we see potential where the world too frequently sees limitations.

5. Aromatherapy + The Wellnessed Boutique.

The Wellnessed Boutique was created by Susan Nelson, an autism therapist working with Andrew for the past 20 years. Her work with Andrew and the hundreds of other individuals on the spectrum inspired many of the Wellnessed products. Star Essence by Wellnessed aromatherapy blends and sensory tools are carefully designed to help with the emotional and sensory regulation needs of neurodivergent individuals. The Wellnessed Boutique believes caring for your emotional and sensory well-being should be easy, convenient, and safe. So we create all-natural and non-toxic sensory tools infused with aromatherapy for children and adults. The Wellnessed Boutique has partnered with the Love Andrew Foundation to donate over $5000 of sensory and emotional regulation tools to community spaces like schools and shelters for women and children. These sensory tools provide comfort and care and help to support emotional self-regulation.