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Message From the President
Welcome!
The Autism Society of the Pikes Peak Region was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1994 to provide support, information, and hope to families, educators, and professionals in the Colorado Springs area. We believe that individuals with autism have great strengths and gifts to share with their neighborhood schools and communities.
Our local chapter sponsors training opportunities for educators and parents in Southern Colorado to learn best practice strategies that will help students with autism be successful in inclusive classrooms and communities. The Autism Society of the Pikes Peak Region is a chapter of the national Autism Society of America.
Through this website, our chapter will:
When my son, Alex, was diagnosed with autism in 1993, I realized I needed to do a lot of research on the disability. I read many books and journals, joined the national ASA, and spoke with countless professionals. I soon realized that what I needed most of all was to meet other families who were experiencing similar challenges. I started a local support group that was tremendously helpful to many of us who have children with autism in Southern Colorado. Our initial founding group worked hard to become a chapter for the Colorado Springs area so that new families in our area would have access to support.
You are on a journey with a steep learning curve. I encourage you to take advantage of the many services our chapter offers. Attend a support group meeting to meet other families, learn from trainings presented by local, state, and national speakers, hear advice from the experts – individuals with autism.
Today, Alex is eighteen and attends our local community college. He still has autism; it’s part of who he is. I am extremely thankful to have had many state-of-the-art professionals who have helped Alex and our family with challenges. Each person who experiences autism is unique and responds to intervention differently. I have been privileged to meet many individuals who have autism and they have been my very best teachers. They show me the importance of having high expectations and honoring difference and diversity. The best advice I have been given to date is from a woman with autism. She told me, “Remember, time is our friend.”
Congratulations! Your family has been given gift; your classroom will be enriched with a fresh new perspective on the world.
My respect,
Alison Seyler
President, Autism Society of the Pikes Peak Region