Countdown to Global Neuroscience Conference

"My daughter, Lily, is a happy and healthy 6 year old with autism. I take comfort in knowing that programs like this exist to help make her life easier." - Alison G.

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October 14, 2022

LESS THAN 1 MONTH AWAY:

LIMITED IN-PERSON SEATING,

FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED!

We are less than one month away from our HYBRID Global Neuroscience Conference on FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH, 2022!

This annual conference is a day-long collaboration that showcases cutting-edge findings and innovations in the field of Neuroscience and Autism. This year's hybrid conference will feature a world-renowned keynote speaker, mix of new neurodiversity research, a panel discussion on a groundbreaking Autism at Work initiative in San Diego County, a panel discussion on Understanding Diversity in Autism Research, and a Living Autistically panel featuring successful autistic individuals speaking about representation of Autism in Hollywood.

It is free to attend, but there is limited in-person seating available - first come, first served!

The Global Neuroscience Conference is chaired by Alysson Muotri, Ph.D. of the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine and moderated by Roger Bingham of University of California San Diego.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW CONFERENCE AGENDA

$40,535 RAISED AT 2ND ANNUAL AUTISM TREE ROCKS! GOLF TOURNAMENT WILL HELP US CONTINUE TO SERVE HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES WITH AUTISM AT NO CHARGE

We are beyond thankful to Autism Tree Board Member Phil Senescall for hosting an incredible 2nd Annual Autism Tree Rocks! Golf Tournament raising over $40,535 for Autism Tree! Special thank you to all our golfers, sponsors, volunteers for their support and big hearts and love for our families! We are very blessed and grateful to each and every one of YOU!

To view over 200+ photos in our golf tournament album, click here.

PROGRESS TO DATE

Funds Raised 2022: $218,680

46% of Autism Tree 2022 Operating Budget

AUTISM TREE NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

NEW! APPLE STORE AT FASHION VALLEY MALL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP

Our Autism Tree Families had an amazing time at our first Art Skills: Sketching Ideas on Notes Class in partnership with the Apple Store in Fashion Valley! Huge thank you to Autism Tree Volunteer and Founder of Revista Autismo , Francisco Paiva Junior who flew here from Brazil and made this event possible for our families!

We are excited to grow this community partnership with Apple Fashion Valley and continue to open new doors for our families!

Learn more about this event and Francisco through his most recent Lunch & Learn here and below in our Intern & Volunteer Highlight!

13TH ANNUAL WINTER WONDERLAND: SAVE THE DATE FOR SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2022

We are so excited for our 13th Annual Winter Wonderland this year happening on Saturday, December 3, 2022 at the University of San Diego campus!

Join Autism Tree Volunteers and our USD Torero Player Mentors for a festive evening with Santa and his elves.

A Message From Autism Tree Mother Olga Esquer on San Diego Gives 2022

AUTISM TREE KICKS OFF 2022 YEAR END CAMPAIGN WITH SAN DIEGO GIVES

Thank you to everyone who helped with our first Inaugural San Diego Gives Telethon! Big hugs to our 31 Autism Tree families who helped us raise $3,585 on San Diego Gives!! We feel blessed to have officially launched our year end campaign.

SAVE THE DATE FOR 9TH ANNUAL GIVING TUESDAY: NOVEMBER 29, 2022

Save the date for our 9th Annual Giving Tuesday Telethon on Tuesday, November 29, 2022! Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving and unity. Autism Tree has served one family at a time since 2003. November 29, 2022 is an opportunity to continue paying it forward!

PAY IT FORWARD

NEW! CIMARRON-MEMORIAL

HIGH SCHOOL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

Thank you to our new Community Partner Cimarron-Memorial High School! Alumni Autism Tree USD Football Player Mentor and Coach Shane Kanie and his football players held an incredible first meet & greet in August. Jessica Whitley, Director of Special Education, is introducing this new mentor program to the 300 Special Education students at Cimarron-Memorial High School.

We are so proud of Autism Tree International Ambassador & Spokesman, Joel Anderson for doing a phenomenal job speaking to the entire student body of 2,500 high schoolers at their homecoming pep rally on Friday, October 7. Joel spoke at 2 separate school assemblies on standing up to bullies and being a friend to someone with special needs.

International Ambassador Joel Anderson at Cimarron-Memorial High School

View Playlist Here

LUNCH & LEARN

WEEKLY SERIES

We have now hosted 98 Weekly Lunch & Learn events to date. Special thank you to all of our amazing guest speakers for sharing their stories with Autism Tree!

Join us at our next Lunch & Learn with Jay Bariuan on Wednesday, October 19th at 12 PM PST.

You can access all our Lunch & Learn recordings and follow up emails with guest speaker resources on our YouTube channel.

THANK YOU TO AUTISM TREE LUNCH & LEARN SPONSOR: CalABLE

CalABLE is a groundbreaking financial and investment state program that helps you save money – tax-free – to pay for disability-related qualified expenses. Anyone whose disability occurred before age 26 is eligible to open a CalABLE account.

Meet the 2022 CalABLE Ambassadors; each Ambassador shares their own story and CalABLE experience.

Ashley Mannheim

Ashley Mannheim is a mother to her son who has autism. Ashley shares her story about how she was able to use the funds in his CalABLE account to purchase a new car.

Watch here: https://youtu.be/Tm9hO761YC0

Stephen Bell

Stephen is a father to Bradley who has autism. Stephen shares his story about how CalABLE helps Bradley pursue his goal of independence.

Watch here:

https://bit.ly/3l8UhYU

COMMUNITY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT:

Welcome to the AT Community Spotlight, where our team will highlight outstanding members of our AT programs, community partners, and others worthy of recognition.

Our Community Spotlight was founded by Jon Hickey (left), Volunteer Director of the AT-USD Athletics Programs.

THANK YOU TO TICKETS FOR KIDS CHARITIES & THE SAN DIEGO PADRES!

Huge thank you to Tickets for Kids Charities for providing our Autism Tree Families over 730 tickets to the San Diego Padres games for the 2022 season! Since 2013, the San Diego Padres and Tickets for Kids Charities have donated more than 3,500 tickets to Autism Tree children and families to date!

THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY PARTNER NCL SAN DIEGO & DEL SOL CHAPTER!

Huge thank you to our Volunteer Community Partners National Charity League San Diego Chapter and Del Sol Chapter for your big hearts to support our mission, children and families! NCL San Diego & Del Sol Mothers and Daughters have been actively volunteering in our Adaptive Art, Adaptive Dance, LEGO Playgroup, Musical Playgroup Programs and many more family events to help improve the social confidence, language and communication skills of our autistic children. Special shout out and thank you to our NCL San Diego Liaisons Kaari Beluja and Alicia Fu, and NCL Del Sol Liaison Jola Sonkin for their help in coordinating NCL volunteers at our events this year!

INTERN & VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHT

A huge thank you to Autism Tree Volunteer & Father Francisco Paiva Junior!

Francisco is Autism Tree's unofficial "United Nations Liaison", bringing people from all over the world to volunteer with Autism Tree since 2016. It was a special treat to spend time with Francisco at our Q3 Board Meeting and Lunch & Learn last month, when he first flew in from Brazil. During his short time in San Diego, Francisco acted quickly and facilitated a brand NEW community partnership with the Apple Store in Fashion Valley Mall by planning an Art Skills event for our children and families! Francisco had previously done an event with an Apple Store in Brazil and wanted to bring that opportunity to our Autism Tree families! THANK YOU FRANCISCO!

VOLUNTEER

WITH AUTISM TREE!

With over 200 calendared events annually, Autism Tree is always looking for quality volunteers with a heart and passion to serve our kids and families!

Visit our website event calendar to learn more and register as a volunteer for our upcoming program events.

Email Lupe@autismtreeproject.org to receive our weekly volunteer newsletter with links to sign up for events!

SAVE THE DATE & RSVP TODAY:

UPCOMING PROGRAM EVENTS

SAT, OCTOBER 15

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Virtual Coding Class