• Hats Off To Columbus Area Support Group and Bartholomew Community School Corporation: Partnership
• Hats Off To Hamilton-Boone-Madison Special Services Cooperative: Movie Day
• Hats Off To South LaPorte County Special Education Cooperative and Autism Society of Central Indiana: Start a Walk in Your Community
• Hats Off To M.S.D. of Wayne Township: Creating Building Level Autism Teams
• Hats Off To Johnson County Special Services
• Hats Off To Switzerland County Middle School Autism Team
• Hats Off To MSD of Lawrence Township: Training via District Website
• Hats Off To MSD of Warren Township: S.A.F.E. Supporting Autism for Everyone
• Hats Off To MSD of Martinsville: Camp Discovery: A Place for Kids to Have Fun!
• Hats Off To An Autism Team Working in Indiana: First Responder Training
• Autism Teams: Building Capacity Across Indiana
• Hats Off to Noblesville Schools for Creating Training Classrooms: Using Evidence-Based Practices of Visual Supports and Work Systems
• Hats Off To Asperger Autism Group of Goshen
• Hats Off to East Centeral Indiana Autism Society of America Chapter: Interlock
• Hats Off To Greater Lafayette Area Special Services Autism Team

Hats Off to East Central Indiana Autism Society of America Chapter:  Interlock...Where the Pieces Come Together

Contributed by Melissa Dubie, Educational Consultant

Carol Crokrowicz, Autism Leader at Delaware-Blackford Special Education Cooperative Services, has a high regard for the parent support group in their community of Muncie, Indiana called Interlock.The current president, Ryan Hourigan says the group’s mission is to provide support to families of individuals on the autism spectrum and with different challenges.

The group meets once a month on the first Thursday.There is always a theme for each of the meetings.This school year topics have addressed financial planning and trusts, diets, biomedical therapies, transitions with older adults, guardianship, best buddies organization, various therapists (music, OT), and sensory needs.The topics are generated by both the board and those who attend.The board takes the ideas and tries to find resources and speakers available in the community to support the topic.Child care is provided to parents during the meetings by students who are a part of the Council for Exceptional Children chapter at Ball State University.The parents are required to give prior notice so the group will know how many students will be needed to take care of the children.An additional perk of using the college students for childcare has been the opportunity for parents to connect with the students for long term care providers outside of the meetings.

From some of the suggestions received, subgroups have been created from within the group.One of the subgroups is a cooking group which focuses on casein free and gluten free recipes, and other biomedical supports families can use as resources.A calendar and Information can be found on their website (http://interlockin.org).Another is a swap meet which allows parents to trade or sell weighted vests and other equipment their child has outgrown to other families in need.A theater group was also started in February of 2009 comprised mostly of individuals on the autism spectrum.The group is called the Prism Project (http://prismproject.iweb.bsu.edu) which believes in immersive learning (e.g., learning by doing) with the focus on teaching social skills using music, theatre, and dance.The Prism Project involves students from Ball State University’s music and theatre department to work one-on-one to plan and execute the lessons each week.The BSU students receive some training on how to work with individuals on the autism spectrum.There are 22 children, ages 7-15, performing with the Prism Project.The group meets once a week on Saturday’s.Everyone feels they are learning from one another.A parent shared, “the cool thing is my son feels he has his activities to do on Saturday’s now like his older brother.”

Three years ago Interlock wanted to create an awareness program for people within their community.In addition, they wanted to reach out and make available to other families of individuals on the autism spectrum an awareness of their parent group so more folks would join and become connected with other families.As a result, they decided they needed to create a walk.Belinda Hughes (president at the time) went door-to-door asking for financial support from local businesses to create t-shirts, donate silent auction items, and to provide music and activities for the kids to do before, during, and after the walk.The walk was a success and the group wanted to give the money back to families and educators.Local special education teachers and families submitted “wish lists” for supplies needed for individuals on the autism spectrum (e.g., weighted blankets, vests, and hoodies, fee for participation in Prism Project, camp, etc.).One hundred percent of the funds raised by the walk were given back to the families and educators.

Interlock works hard to meet children’s needs and to support their families within the Muncie, Indiana area.For more information about the group contact Ryan Hourigan at (765) 702-7884 or email him at rmhourigan@bsu.edu.

Dubie, M. (2009). Hats Off To… East Central Indiana autism Society of American Chapter: Interlock… where the pieces come together. The Reporter, 14(3), 10.