Check out our many ways to give below…
HANDS in Autism® Interdisciplinary Training and Resource Center is a non-profit organization that provides training and develops resources for professionals, families and individuals whose professional or personal lives are affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and related disabilities. Our efforts are to expand the extent to which individuals across communities are able to practically access and apply best practice strategies in the support of individuals and families in their natural settings. But to do all these, we need YOUR help!
Ways to Support:
- Monetary donations through “Give Now Campaign” for specific services or general support (see Current Needs below):
(click on the image to access) - Sponsor a named area of center, e.g., classroom, training area, as well as dissemination effort, or a specific family/student (see Current Needs below). Contact us for more information
- Donate items for sensory kits that are distributed free of charge. Please note that some items from the wishlist are available on Amazon, while others through Oriental Trading;
- Purchase items at our shop
- Volunteer with us (see options above for general volunteering and student options)
- Sign up for a membership or gift it to a teacher or a family
- Start a fundraiser to help with our Current Needs. Contact us for more information and/or give away ideas/items
Commemorate Your Giving
Honor your family, friends, or special occasion through tribute giving and commemorate their name at our Center!
Explore the Current Needs below for ideas. Contact us at hands@iupui.edu with questions or to request equipment specifications.
Current Needs
The new Center location offers opportunities to have specialized areas to use for training and support of individuals with ASD/IDD/DD, their families, providers, and preservice students, and and to utilize our Center as a demonstration and model site for what is available and should be utilized in the community. However, the original budget provided for the expansion has been limited. The following specialized equipment and resources will provide significant support to our learners with disabilities and their caretakers and providers. Contact us for details and specifications at hands@iupui.edu.
- Sensory space for training and supporting individuals in learning and utilizing self-regulation skills which assist them in having a plan and a mode for calming down when they are stressed vs. resorting to behavior (e.g., visual, tactile and other sensory lights, activities).
- Kitchen and general housekeeping equipment (e.g., vacuum, small appliances) that assist in the training and support of learning job and community living activities.
- Classroom equipment (e.g., curriculum materials, various seating and communication options to accommodate and assist in addressing individualized needs) for training and supporting the learning of academic and functional skills related to work in a classroom setting and adaptable for ages ranging preschool through high school.
- Workplace equipment (e.g., curriculum materials, supplies appropriate to various trade activities such as plumbing, gardening, housekeeping, technology, and office work) to assist with training and supporting the learning of employability skills prior to working with individuals on jobs in the community.
- Playground/outdoor seating and equipment to assist individuals working with us for extended periods and on regular visits as well as for the training of various families and providers how to effectively train all important leisure activity while increasing skills in self-calming, self-regulation, and peer/social engagement.
- Onsite bug in the ear, camera, monitoring, and recording equipment that enables trainers to directly support individuals with disabilities, preservice students as well as mentors in training, professionals seeking continuing education and family members/school or other caregivers in real-time; direct training with coaching and mentoring provides the interactive involvement necessary to fully learn and integrate learning of evidence-based practices, strategies, methods and roles. Such equipment ultimately enables more full understanding and implementation of strategies with increased skills and independence.
- Remote capture and monitoring equipment is necessary as the needs of the counties across the state determine their need but cannot afford or accommodate to the travel of their team or our team to their areas. As such, we have growing need to provide alternative options to serving the individuals, families, and providers in these communities. We can do so quite effectively with equipment and programs that will enable us to provide remote viewing as well as consultations with these more distant and rural communities. In addition, this will enable us to be able to provide supervision while also offsite and be able to provide service and support to more communities in general with a more cost effective option for all.
- Computers to facilitate the evaluation and ongoing tracking of individuals and providers in training much aligned with our Center’s data-driven philosophy and approach towards training and teaching. Such tracking enables us to not only monitor progress, but also to use the information to directly inform the training and support needs across individuals and programs. This equipment is also essential to the roles of our many support staff relying upon the equipment for community, PR and media production. Our trainers in the field require transportable technology to support the collection of data within the field and this is on laptop, IPad, audio recording and other equipment. Our current equipment is beginning to fade and many grants and such do not allow for the purchase of this very necessary equipment.
- Funding to support ongoing research, training, and dissemination efforts
- Individual sponsorships
