Sheldon, Iowa — April is Autism Awareness Month. Village Northwest Unlimited serves many people with autism and they are reminding people of Autism Awareness Month in a number of ways.
Ryan Groeneweg with the Village tells us what autism is.
He says many times they take language literally and would have challenges with statements like, “It’s raining cats and dogs.” But everyone is different.
He says you may not know it, but you may come in contact with people every day who have autism, and it pays to cut them some social slack, so-to-speak.
Groeneweg tells us that their new focus at Village Northwest Unlimited is serving people on the higher-functioning end of the spectrum. He says they’ve served and continue to serve people who are more on the disabled end, but now they’ve got something for the others as well, to help them overcome their adaptive deficits and access their greatest potential.
He tells us about the “Program for Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills” or “PEERS” class that they now have.
If you or someone you know would be interested in that class, Groeneweg says you can call him at 712-324-5417.
Groeneweg tells us about a goal he has for Sheldon.
The Village is encouraging Sheldon and surrounding communities to show their support of those on the Autism spectrum by wearing blue on Fridays during the month of April. Groeneweg says they even have some autism awareness shirts available at Village Northwest.
The Village is also hosting a coloring contest for anyone interested in participating. The entry page can be found and printed on the VNU website or a hard copy can be picked up at the Wansink Center. Entries are due at Noon on Friday, April 20th and winners will be announced that afternoon.
