Know-How Exchange : Other

I know Autism has such as spectrum so its hard to say what would appeal to most of the kids and their families. (I am the parent of a son with Aspergers) I think the flower planting is an awesome idea.

You could also consider trees if that is permitted. There's a lot of symbolism there. Even the smallest, most unlikely little sapling can grow into a strong, productive adult with the right kind of care. Instead of doing just one kind of tree, I'd do a bunch of different kinds to represent the spectrum.

Melissa

Give every child a cut flower when they arrive for the ceremony. At the appropriate time, ask each child to bring the flower up to the dais table. Have each child put their flower into a single vase.

Live music, along the lines of Rafi. Every Friday my daughter and the other clients can't wait for music. It's definitely entertaining for the clients. It will hold their attention.

For the parents you will want to supply information, perhaps vendors.

As a marketer AND a parent of a child with autism, I think it would be great to tailor the ceremony to the cause, but I would make it short and sweet, since the ceremony is really just for parents, supporters, and providers. Then have activities that are geared to the kids.

For the ceremony, consider having representative major players (ie, a major financial donor, a physician, a therapist, etc) be introduced and then have each bring forward a large puzzle piece to place into a giant standard autism puzzle logo. You COULD have each person hand his/her puzzle piece to a child to place in the puzzle if you can find several children who could do this well.

The I would focus on the celebration and making that autism friendly. Music is an absolute must, whether live or taped. Ditto on sensory activities. Depending on your location, pony/horseback rides in the parking lot would be a hit. For parents, be sure to have handouts with service descriptions and info on subjects like insurance/Medicaid waver procedures, backgrounds on providers, descriptions of any distinct programs (like chiropractic or dietary consultation). Having providers on site to meet parents is great, but once the ceremony is done, a celebration in the style of a carnival or fair (but NO CLOWNS) would be ideal. Good luck with this!