Here’s to 2024!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS from CAAN!
Take a look back on 2023!
As we wrap up another year, I want to thank you for being a committed stakeholder and supporter of the Capital Area Autism Network. The notable progress we have made in 2023 is only possible because of you and the other members of our network.
As we reflect on 2023 and look forward to the new year, I want to make sure that we continue to stay connected with one another. Deepening the relationships that can lead to meaningful advances is imperative to creating a more welcoming and accommodating community.
Before I go into my year-end recap, I want to make you aware of one significant and exciting change regarding CAAN.
For the past year, we have been housed at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Developmental Medicine and Therapy. As we began doing the work necessary to implement the recommendations of our founding study, the scope of the work became more evident. CAAN made the decision to separate fully from the hospital system. Before this separation, I served as the Program Manager for CAAN alongside my work with Our Lady of the Lake. In light of our decision to fully commit to the work of CAAN, the Board of Directors elected to name me full-time Executive Director.
While there were many benefits to working with Children’s Health, stepping out on our own will allow us the opportunity to focus more directly on our mission. We established many connections at Our Lady of the Lake, and these relationships are valuable and ongoing.
With that, let’s take a look at some highlights of 2023!
CONNECTIONS, OPPORTUNITIES, ADVOCACY
Over the last year, CAAN has taken the opportunity to survey the landscape of autistic resources and services in Baton Rouge today. Our founding study was produced in 2016, and since that time, our whole community, and indeed the world, as been through some challenging times.
Through this assessment, we were able to create three main goals: increase connections, promote further opportunities, and make sure the needs of our neurodiverse people are advocated for.
In 2023, we began growing our network through regular stakeholder meetings, advisory committees, and our Autism Certified City initiative. We’ve been in talks with major organizations and small businesses in the Baton Rouge area including BREC, the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health, and the City of Central about becoming certified centers, and I look forward to making significant progress towards certification in 2024.
We’ll also be holding our next stakeholders meeting on March 22, 2024 at the Main Library at Goodwood. Be on the lookout for registration information early in the new year as well as the topic for the meeting.
CAAN has also partnered with Manship Theatre, Playmakers of Baton Rouge, and Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Developmental Medicine and Therapy to supply Sensory on the Geaux bags for both theatres.
This is the first step in our arts exposure program, Come As You Are.
The idea behind this program is to promote inclusive opportunities and access for neurodiverse and sensory-sensitive people of all ages to have enriching cultural and social experiences. One of the recurring requests we hear from families and self-advocates is for more social activities, and I’m excited to develop this program further. In 2024, we’ll look at ways to encourage sensory-friendly performances, expand the organizations we partner with, and work with our partners to develop accommodations.
The third component of CAAN’s work is advocacy. Over the last year, we’ve worked with LSU and BRCC laying the groundwork for a number of projects. Dr. Paul Mooney spoke at our spring stakeholder meeting and introduced LSU’s new Integrative Community Studies program. We’re also partnering with faculty and administrators to develop emergency preparedness plans and identify accommodations to increase the successful outcomes for autistic and neurodiverse students.
Outside of higher education, we met with Louisiana Economic Development to discuss workforce development, the State of Louisiana’s Child Ombudsman, and had Tracy Barker from the Louisiana Department of Health and Paul Rhorer from the Office of Citizens with Developmental Disabilities talk about Medicaid waivers at our fall stakeholder meeting. These meetings allowed us to raise the needs and concerns of our community and to begin working to identify ways to meet those needs.
BUILDING BRIDGES
Looking ahead to 2024, I’m excited for what’s to come. I expect to have our first participants pursuing their certified designation, expand our Come As You Are arts program, develop opportunities to share CAAN’s expertise on autism and accommodations for various audiences, and promote more opportunities for neurodiverse individuals of all ages. We will continue to be responsive to our community and work to bridge the gap between needs and solutions.
You are a vital part of CAAN as a stakeholder and supporter, so, again, thank you!
I hope you have a wonderful holiday and Happy New Year, and I can’t wait to see what we do together in 2024!