So it’s Thanksgiving

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While Thanksgiving is a time for family and gratitude, I think we can all agree that it can be overwhelming at times. Especially for kids with autism. They are used to a daily routine which means Thanksgiving can be very overwhelming and stressful since it differs from their daily routine. They often have to be away from their space and their routine on holidays such as Thanksgiving, and even with the preparation of a separate meal and a quiet place for them, they can still get a sensory overload. All the food choices and decorations can be overstimulating. Lots of family means lots of noise which is another source of too much sensory information.

As these children with autism grow up, they blossom into beautiful young adults and need support as they leave high school. IGNITE is a program that helps young adults with high functioning autism and Asperger’s syndrome enjoy a better quality of life.

For Thanksgiving this year, I am at my uncle’s house in Canton, Georgia. We have a tradition of playing The Settlers of Catan every time we meet. When I first visited IGNITE, I learned that one of the members really liked that game, which got me enthused because I absolutely love that game. When I went to the IGNITE Halloween party, I mentioned that we should play Catan so a couple of Student Council members set it up. By the time we were ready to play, so many people had joined our game of Catan that is was too overwhelming for any of the IGNITE members to actually play. We ended up putting it away and playing UNO instead, but this experience gave me perspective on how some things that seem mundane may be overstimulating to people with ASD.

This Thanksgiving, I am grateful to be a part of Enloe Charity Ball, and I am so excited to raise $200,000 for the Autism Society of North Carolina and help individuals in our community with autism build confidence through the ASNC IGNITE program.

#ECBThanksgiving #AliveWithPurpose #UniteWithIgnite

Roshni Arun

Executive Publicity Officer

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