Montgomery County departments and cooperating agencies are joining together to celebrate April as Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month. Throughout the month, there will be engaging programs, activities and mini-events as part of the “Shining Brighter Together” celebration.
Agencies participating in the celebration include Montgomery Parks, the Montgomery County Department of Recreation, City of Takoma Park Recreation, City of Rockville Recreation and Parks, City of Gaithersburg Parks, Recreation and Culture, ArtStream and the Montgomery County Public Library system.
Creative programs will focus on sharing positive, respectful and accurate information about autism while informing the community about the variety of resources available in the County. Montgomery Parks is offering a “Creative by Nature” program at Black Hill Nature Center and a “Sensory Sundays” program at the Agricultural History Farm Park in Derwood.
“Sensory Sundays is a fun event for youth and their families to experience hands-on learning, meet the animals at the farm, experience outdoor exhibits and explore tactile activities and crafts,” said Lisa Berray, manager of Interpretation and Visitor Services for Montgomery Parks.
The full list of activities offered are available on the Shine Brighter Together event page. Families can choose to participate in more than 20 events throughout the month. Many of the family friendly programs are virtual. However, there are several opportunities for in-person engagement and learning.
Montgomery Parks welcomes individuals with all abilities to participate in programs and activities of their choice. The department’s Program Access, also referred to as “Inclusion Services,” provides modifications, accommodations, support staff, sign language interpreters, auxiliary aids and trainings to promote awareness and sensitivity to enable and ensure an individual’s successful participation and accessibility of programs and services throughout the County.
