SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: AUSOME INDY

Ausome Indy is a volunteer led, public nonprofit providing life changing access to resources for children and families with autism in Indiana. Supported by the generosity of individual donors and small businesses, we provide sensory tools, safety and communication equipment, sensory events and experiences, and a safe space for mothers and caregivers to find friendship, support and resources.

Ausome Indy was co-founded by my sister Ellen Miller and me. As we were growing up in the 1980s, our mother taught special education for Indianapolis Public Schools. She was one of the first in Indiana to serve as a Guardian-at-litem (GAL). GALs are individuals who advocate for a child in court proceedings. She was also a foster parent to over a dozen children.

Our mother was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disease, and passed away in 2016. My son, Beau, was diagnosed with autism in 2017 at the age of two and a half. As our family processed his ASD Level 3 diagnosis, we felt our hearts drawn to the many children and families in Indiana who are living at or below poverty level, experiencing unpredictable life transitions such as foster care or kinship care, and the complexity of challenges that accompany keeping a child with autism safe and nourished under those circumstances. As a tribute to our mother’s love for children, her relentless pursuit of the safety and reunification of troubled families, and in celebration of the way Beau perceives the world, we launched Ausome Indy as an official 501c3 organization in 2019.

We currently offer the following program services:

• Ausome Kiddo Referralsindividualized sensory support for children.

• Sensory Kits - small, portable fidget kits for children to use at school, in meetings, during transitions, etc.

• Ausome Experiences and Events - sensory spaces inside DCS offices and sensory friendly events for the public.

• Ausome Moms - connecting and supporting moms and caregivers of children with autism.

We know that children with autism are nearly three times more likely to be in foster care, and they often have longer stays in the system, more housing transitions, and less reunification with family. Here in Indiana, our foster care system is in crisis – with over 10,000 children in foster care and less than 6,000 foster homes available. Children with autism need unique care that considers their sensory sensitivities and needs, a daily routine, and for many, 1-1 supervision at all times.

Gaps in state and federal services often leave these children without critical resources they need to selfregulate, find comfort, and establish routines. When a case manager or foster parent contacts Ausome Indy, they are in desperate need of immediate resources for a child. We are able to fulfill referral requests within 48 hours. We provide communication devices, sensory kits and tools, adaptive seating, weighted blankets, safety equipment and other items as requested. In short, we help Indiana’s most vulnerable children with resources that have a big impact on their ability to communicate and thrive during unpredictable and often traumatic life transitions.

After nearly five years of serving the autism community, we found that connection provides a great sense of empowerment and support for mothers and caregivers. Often, families with special needs children find themselves attending fewer and fewer community events and social outings. This can be due to the child’s behavioral issues, the unkind reactions of strangers, the need to pack special food or gear, and many other factors. For children with autism, sensory overload is also a real concern. Ausome Indy provides Ausome-friendly events that encourage families to connect, celebrate and share new experiences in a safe space, and enjoy activities they already love with one another.

Ausome Moms, a group for mothers and caregivers to find connections, share resources and support, and celebrate their ausome kiddos together, was launched this year. Ausome Moms offers sensory friendly events, activities and social outings for moms, virtual connection meetings, and support and care packages for moms of newly diagnosed children. The more moms that join this group, the more we can form mentorships, friendships and community partnerships to grow a space for mental health and well-being for mothers and caregivers of children with autism. To learn more or to join go to ausomeindy.org/moms.

Ausome Indy is the official ambassador for Autism Travel Club, a national network of autism-ready businesses that have committed to providing staff training to serve families with autism. Recent CDC statistics show that 1 in 36 children will be diagnosed with autism. As the prevalence of autism continues to increase, we know that an even greater number of children will have a sibling or family member who has autism.

Ausome Friendly Indy is dedicated to creating a growing network of “ausome friendly” places for families to enjoy. Life with autism is unpredictable. Many children and adults with autism live with sensory processing issues that make sounds, lights, smells, crowds and environments challenging to tolerate or navigate. Communicating discomfort can be difficult or impossible, resulting in meltdowns as a form of communication. As a result, families often opt to stay home rather than venturing out, leading to decreased quality of life for all the family members. Ausome Indy proactively reaches these families, and those who plan to travel to Indy, with a network of safe, welcoming and accommodating, “ausome friendly” places for their family to enjoy. Learn more or join our network at ausomeindy.org/ausome-friendly.

One of the greatest lessons we have learned while carrying out our mission is that connection between families with special needs is critical to providing hope, dignity and a more healthy and positive life experience for the family. As parents of children with autism, we are lifelong players in this community and finding friendship that offers a safe and welcome space to share, learn and grow together can alter the trajectory of a child’s life and that of their family members.

The best advice we can give is to find joy in connecting with others in the community and lean on each other for resource support, understanding, and hope. Sharing your life (and the life of your child(ren)) with others is a gift and it also takes vulnerability – we hope to encourage a community that embraces connection and encourages sharing and celebration of our families.

Ausome Indy (317) 331-2434

www.ausomeindy.org