“As program facilitators, we are so thankful to the Autism Action Partnership for funding the Social Skills Program here at Papillion-La Vista High School. Being afforded this opportunity has not only improved our school-wide understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorders and given our “typically developing” students a sense of leadership; but has most importantly allowed students with ASD the chance to receive increased social and communicative support in a collaborative environment, greatly benefiting them in all aspects of their life! Thanks AAP!“

“I believe that the Social Skills Program has brought a greater understanding and compassion for individuality and acceptance to the students at Elkhorn Ridge Middle School. The groups benefit both target students as well as peer models. I have seen, first hand, how children can be wonderful teachers for social skills training. A number of students have given me very positive feedback about the program, even expressing their interest in participating next year. As the facilitator, I am so motivated to increase the reach of this program!”

“As a consultant, it is often difficult to work in rural areas with limited access to specialists. Rethink Autism’s ease of use and access to watching master teachers is what we need! This program seems to be starting to level the playing field. I have such a love for the kids that I have served for such a long time and to see them get access to great programming with data to support it and data to help advance the program is so rewarding. It makes me feel as if they have a fighting chance to live a quality life of happiness, friendship and independence.”

“I really appreciate the video modeling of each lesson. This ensures that anyone who is working with my student can carry out the lessons consistently. It is also helpful to be able to enter the data for each session online. I think this is a great resource for all teachers who are working with students with ASD and it is also and nice resource for parents to use to continue the work that is being done at school when the child gets home.”

“Autism Action Partnership has been instrumental in helping the Munroe-Meyer Institute develop cutting-edge services for children with autism and educational programs for future practitioners. With the support of AAP, families with limited resources, including those without health insurance, receive scholarships that enable their children to receive evaluative and intensive therapy services. With the dramatic increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism, current resources are unable to meet the needs of many Nebraska children. It has been AAP that has supplied the critical funds needed to expand programs and lower costs for families.

"Thank you so much for your grant which allowed my husband and me to attend the Summit. Our son was recently diagnosed with autism, and your help allowed both of us to learn invaluable information to help our son and others in the community. Thanks to you our hearts are filled with hope for his future."

"I wanted to thank you for the great time Tyler had at camp. It was fun to see how thrilled and excited he was to tell and show us what he had done. It was great for all three of us."

“The creation of our drama classes for students with autism has given so many youth in Omaha the opportunity to feel welcome in a creative environment. Without the generous support of Autism Action Partnership this great program wouldn’t have been available. Parents and students alike keep coming back each week to experience acting and theater, during which social skills and relationships are fostered. This process has spoken so much to the importance of social development for students on the Autism Spectrum, and gives them one of the few outlets for creative expression.”

“Individuals with autism can and do lead meaningful, productive lives. Early diagnosis and effective treatment services and support for children with autism can contribute greatly to life outcomes. Autism Action Partnership has changed the landscape by supporting groundbreaking treatment options and programs to those affected by autism in Nebraska and Southwest Iowa.”

“I have been involved from the inception of AAP and being on the Board has been a privilege. I have seen the awareness of the growing need to serve all individuals with Autism blossom, and hopefully Nebraska can become a leader in services. AAP has and will be a “Champion” for identification, treatment, and research for all individuals on the Autism Spectrum.”

“Thanks to the partnership of Autism Action Partnership, Omaha’s Zoo was able to open our grounds at absolutely no cost to families affected by autism in our region. Their generosity allowed the first “Summer Safari” to be a private and fun-filled evening for nearly 1,000 individuals. In commemoration of the evening, a special work of art created by the children in attendance is permanently displayed in the Wild Kingdom Pavilion at Omaha’s Zoo.”

“With support from Autism Action Partnership, Barkley Memorial Center Autism Spectrum Disorders Project has initiated multi-faceted endeavors aimed to enhance the lives and education of young children with ASD and impact their future special education and early childhood education teachers. We were able to develop Project EXCEED, a new early childhood program for children with ASDs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Project EXCEED has had a positive impact on improving skills of children with ASDs and fostering relationships with their classmates. It has provided ‘hands-on’ educational opportunities and positively influenced over 50 UNL students who will work as general education and special education teachers of young children in child care and early childhood classroom settings. AAP funding has also enhanced our capacity to provide small play groups focused on enhancing social and communication skills with children with ASDs and their peers in preschool classrooms. Our intervention-oriented research would not be possible without the generous gift from Autism Action Partnership.”

“Employment is the area in which opportunities for those with autism are the most disparate from others – yet for so many of us, “our job” is an integral part of defining who we are as people. The emotional and financial benefits of a paid job are intuitive and well-established in research. Unfortunately, the vast majority of young adults with autism are unemployed. Financial support has facilitated the study and development of training and support systems that have been designed to provide the infrastructure for employment opportunities for thousands of individuals on the spectrum throughout the U.S. Without AAP’s financial support we would not have had the resources or opportunity to provide jobs or develop strategies for widespread employment of individuals on the autism spectrum. We are grateful for the opportunity to address such a critical need in the lives of those with autism and their families."

“A deficit in social skills is often a hallmark of a child with an autism spectrum disorder. Unfortunately, these skills are not often addressed in the schools as they are not seen as academically relevant. Additionally, working on social skills in a 1:1 setting does not promote generalization to other settings. Therefore, obtaining funding or insurance reimbursement for social skills groups has proven very difficult for a private clinic. Autism Action Partnership is the only group that has recognized the need to support our Friendship Camp so that we may offer it to families at a greatly discounted price. Thanks to support from AAP, we have been able to assist children in developing the skills to initiate and maintain friendships, attend birthday parties, play better with siblings, and improve skills with children at school. We thank you for your continued commitment to assisting children with a diagnosis on the Autism Spectrum as otherwise these groups would not be able to be implemented due to the high cost for families.”