When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.
-William Arthur Ward
The people we admire inspire us to believe in ourselves, to reach further and strive to be our best. We asked SEEDs participants to write about the people they look up to and identify the qualities they have in common.
SYDNEY The person I admire is Lady Godiva because she didn’t hesitate to challenge unfair taxes in the eleventh century and she did it by riding naked on a horse. We both like to challenge ourselves to be courageous and to not take no for an answer.
CAMILLE I admire my friends Jesse and Nathan, because they have the same interests as me and play video games. They are so kind and friendly, and that’s how I am too.
JAKE M. One of my favorite athletes of all time is Roger Federer. He is the most successful male tennis player of all time. His character is exemplary on and off the court. He is a hard worker and leaves everything on the court regardless of the final result. He also has his own charity called The Roger Federer Foundation.
I can relate to Roger in two ways. The first being, we both pride ourselves on giving back to the community. Like Federer, I too put 100% effort in everything I do. Athletes like Roger Federer don’t come around very often.
CHRISTIAN
I admire my grandfather John Caulfield because he was brave and I am also brave.
Last month, our Comics, Cartoons and Stop-Motion Animation workshop provided a wonderful opportunity for adults on the autism spectrum to express themselves creatively, explore their talents and practice social skills together. Sharing this popular area of interest with others created a positive, encouraging environment where participants could engage with their peers, build friendships and GROW! We asked some of the attendees to share their experiences with us.
BRANDON (Assistant Media Lab Instructor, former SEEDs participant)
Instructing at a community event does raise the bar when you are learning to be a teacher. Given that I was teaching stop motion animation at our Comics & Cartoons Workshop, it was quite a surprise to see participants take part in the class. Seeing seventeen guests coming to the event and feeling excited about animating sure was a challenge as most were not familiar with the medium.
It was an honor having Scott Pfister (Media Lab Instructor) aboard and a big help with Jake and Ethan. In my experience with the pair, Ethan is quite a tech wizard and Jake has the potential to become a director. Our crew was wonderful given that we were sparking creative fires for the visitors of our workshop. That itself was a success, and that the individuals that joined us had a hand at making a short video with the figures that were used for the set portion. The intent was that they were to have fun and learn something new, itself being quite an accomplishment. Overall, the event was successful and I hope to do more teaching on the medium.
JAKE M. (Workshop Co-Facilitator and SEEDs participant)
On Saturday February 16th I co-led the Stop-Motion Animation Workshop event at Seeds for Autism. I taught the participants how to build a set for stop motion-animation. Other instructors included Brandon, Ethan, and the Seeds Video Lab Instructor Scott. In addition to set building, participants got hands on experience with handling lego characters and moving them through a sequence in order to create a movie. Students also got to see a demonstration of the editing process. Being a leader felt good because I got to show people an interesting movie making skill which is also an art form.
CHRIS M.
I went to the Comics, Cartoons and Stop-Motion Animation Workshop on Saturday, the 19th of February. In the Comics section, I helped show my group how to tell a story in comic strip form. Then we made our own comic strips. I recreated a scene from the new HellBoy movie that is coming soon. Next, in the Cartoons section, we did paintings of pop art sound effects. My painting was a lightning bolt with the words “Thunder Strike”.
And finally, in the Stop-Motion section, we learned how to make animations using toys and puppets. I was helping Brandon the instructor with doing an animated short with LEGOs while everyone else was learning from the videos. The workshop overall was pretty neat and I look forward to what they’ll come up with in the next workshop.
JEFF
I was at the Comics workshop. I participated in all three events: comic strips, pop art and stop motion animation. I especially enjoyed the beautifully done “Mer-Mom” short shown as an example. All together I’d say this was a pretty educating experience. I can’t say what I learned in words but doing it helped me, let’s say, flow with it.
JOEL
I went to the Comics, Cartoons and Animation workshop. I drew backgrounds and made stories with cartoon characters. I made a painting that said POW! I made LEGO animation. I had fun.
SONJA
Last month I attended a Seeds for Autism workshop that was about the art of making comics, cartoons and stop motion. I started with how to create a comic strip and how to set up a scene adding in the characters you want to use and how to make a smooth transition from panel to panel. The next class was a painting class. We were painting the sound effects that writers in comics used to emphasize the weight of the situation to get the reader more attached to the characters they love. Finally there was the stop motion class where I learned how to manipulate the model to get the exact shot you want and how it takes patience, time and effort to make your stop motion film the way the creator intended it to be. The classes were really fun and I enjoyed myself a lot. I hope to do more workshops in the future.
At SEEDs for Autism, our ongoing series of workshops provide new opportunities to empower our participants and encourage them to GROW. These talented young adults gain confidence interacting with the community as they assist our staff during these educational and inspirational events. We hope you will join us this Saturday to explore your creativity, make new friends and be part of this life-changing experience!
Click HERE to purchase tickets and reserve your spot today!
SEEDs for Autism is happy to provide organized recreational activities to empower those on the autism spectrum to explore their creativity, share new experiences, connect with others and GROW! At ALOHA DAYS, friends and family came together as a community to celebrate summer, learn about Hawaiian culture and have FUN! We asked some of our participants to share their experiences from this joyful and educational event.
CHRIS M
I went to Aloha Days at SEEDS with my parents. I spent my morning time playing “Topple” with Jeffery. I enjoyed playing, even though I was new to the game. Then my Mom convinced me to take part in one of the hula dances. I did try out the dance moves to make her proud. Then we got ready for Aloha Day lunch, which included teriyaki chicken, steamed rice, and fruit donuts. Overall, I had a nice time.
SONJA
Saturday the 11th of August I went to an event at Seeds for Autism called Aloha Days where we got to learn about the Hawaiian culture and dance the hula. My favorite part was doing the hula dancing. I loved how each dance tells a story about life and love. I got to eat a delicious pineapple donut and rice topped with chicken. I enjoyed myself a lot being able to hang out with friends and learn new things I didn’t know. I can’t wait for the next event coming soon!
DANIEL CH
I had fun at Aloha Day. I played volleyball with a Beach ball. I learned how to dance the Hula. My mom came and she ate Hawaiian food. I wore a Hawaiian shirt and played games. I made a sand castle and saw my friends at Seeds.
BRIAN
What I did at Aloha Days is relax and eat food and listen to music and play games.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”– Helen Keller
Cooperation builds communication skills, boosts self-confidence and teaches us to work together as a team. At SEEDs for Autism, we understand that learning to cooperate with others is an important skill that promotes higher achievement and cultivates positive relationships in all areas of life. We asked SEEDs participants to share their thoughts on this important topic.
CHRIS M.
When you decide to cooperate with another person on a big project, you two are helping each other with putting the finishing touches on that same project. Whenever you see someone in need of getting the job done, you help that someone finish up whatever task they were given. When you are finished with helping that someone with some task, that would make you supportive.
MATTHEW
Sometimes it’s not enough to do something on your own. Maybe it takes more than one person. Maybe you’re stuck in a tight situation and need help. Sometimes the problem can be solved before it even happens. These are only some of the many reasons why cooperation is important in a working environment. It may not always be easy, but it’s worth putting in the effort to get the job done faster and in much better quality. The more times people cooperate, the more they will trust, understand, and rely on each other for help.
BRIANNA
It is important for you to cooperate because when you work together it makes it easier, and not only that, the project can be done a lot faster. When nobody cooperates, it makes the task a lot harder than it needs to be.
SAM
Cooperation is very important because humans are social animals. Without cooperation things like society, languages, and basically everything that makes up our daily lives would not have been created. Some people like to brag about how they never needed help from anyone or say it’s “every man for himself”, but that is never true. They were raised by people who cared for them when they were young, went to schools taught by people who were in turn taught by other people, they eat food bought from stores which were bought from farms, the very concept of buying something came from our society’s decision to place a specific value on pieces of otherwise useless paper. Everyday we cover the weak points of other humans while they help us cover ours, in large ways like with doctors treating patients to small ways like helping someone carry a heavy object. While you do not have to cooperate with everyone, to refuse to ever cooperate is to devalue all the effort put forth by other humans both currently living and in the past.
Join us for a Hawaiian themed summer celebration of family and friends at Seeds for Autism!
This special Saturday event is open to those on the autism spectrum, their families, friends and the community!
Put on your Hawaiian shirts and get ready for a fun filled family event celebrating ALOHA DAYS at SEEDs for Autism!
At SEEDs for Autism we are happy to provide organized recreational activities in a structured, supportive environment where we can come together as a community, celebrate summer and have FUN! This family friendly event is a wonderful opportunity to empower those on the autism spectrum to explore their creativity, share new experiences, connect with others and GROW! Join us for ALOHA DAYS, make new friends, create lasting memories and be part of the celebration!
At SEEDs for Autism, our ongoing series of workshops provide new opportunities to empower our participants and encourage them to GROW. These talented young adults gain confidence interacting with the community as they assist our staff during these educational and inspirational events!
Intro to Jewelry Making: Mixed Metal Earrings
The Intro to Jewelry Making class on Saturday was a great success! By providing step-by-step instructions and live demonstrations, Gloria (instructor) and Justin M. taught workshop attendees how to create a beautiful pair of mixed metal earrings!
Workshop attendees pay close attention as Justin and Gloria work together to demonstrate each step
Justin SHINES as Gloria’s star pupil in the Jewelry department at SEEDs. Due to his high quality work, attention to detail and delicate touch, Justin is the only participant entrusted to work with more expensive materials such as silver. This workshop at SEEDs for Autism gave Justin the opportunity to take a leadership role and share his talents and skills with the community!
Justin provides one on one instruction
Justin demonstrates how to use the drill
Justin supervises while his student drills
SCENES FROM THE EVENT
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If you would like to learn more about this life-changing program please visit our website
Animals and Rainbows by Camille
“The drawing is really cool because it’s vibrant, creative, and cute.” Brianna
Developing social skills is an important area of focus at SEEDs for Autism. One of the creative, yet practical ways we practice these skills is by conducting interviews. Participants make eye contact, utilize active listening and focus on the speaker to gain information. Brianna put these skills into ACTION by interviewing one of her peers about her love of drawing.
INTERVIEW WITH CAMILLE:
Question: What are your favorite things to draw?
Answer: Nature, landscapes, travels, and animals.
Question: How long have you been drawing?
Answer: I started when I was little.
Question: How did you learn to draw so well?
Answer: By looking at pictures, illustrations, cartoons and different shapes or something to get ideas.
Question: Why do you like drawing?
Answer: Because it’s fun, relaxing, it makes me happy, and it’s my hobby!
Interviewer: Brianna
Self Portrait by Camille
“I like this drawing because it’s pretty abstract.” Brianna
Jennifer Espinoza, BCBA/LBA working with families at SEEDs for Autism
SEEDs for Autism is proud to be one of the leading Phoenix resources for autism support, information and connection. We offer monthly educational lectures for parents/guardians of adults on the autism spectrum to learn more about topics related to autism.
February’s Educational Lecture & Workshop: Using Positive Behavior Support Strategies to Increase Your Adult/Young Adult’s Motivation
Jennifer Espinoza, BCBA/LBA worked with a group of parents/guardians for a unique and educational experience at SEEDs for Autism. During the lecture, Jennifer provided valuable insights and demonstrated useful tips on how to use positive behavior support strategies to increase their child’s motivation. These research-based methods are empowering for those on the autism spectrum: providing choices which result in a greater sense of independence and engagement.
Afterwards, Jennifer spent time with each family as they worked together on an art project: creating a family banner. This provided an opportunity for parents/guardians to practice these behavioral support strategies in a real-life situation.
Participants at SEEDs for Autism Share Their Thoughts
My experience at the SEEDs workshop was a really great one! I got to work on this really cool project which was a custom family banner with hearts that had all our family members on it, decorated with stamps and other add-ons. It was a little difficult at first, but as soon as me, my mom and sister got working hard together on it, we got the hang of it, and I started to enjoy the project even more! The banner turned out awesome in the end! I liked it! -Brianna
David and his parents
I created a red and purple family banner that has our family’s name on it. My red and purple family banner also has the names of my twin nieces. I had to cut 3 hearts and pinned 2 of the hearts but sewed the 3rd to the banner. I also had to sew the top of the banner around the wood dowel. My family helped me create the family banner by helping me sew the hearts and the top onto the banner around the wood dowel.
-David
While parents/guardians attended the lecture, their loved ones participated in an engaging session of Improv with their peers led by SEEDs instructor, Amy.
I had fun. I pretended to drink hot cocoa. I was a tree and played catch with an invisible ball. Then I made a banner with my mom. I used scissors to cut out hearts. -Daniel Ch.
Daniel and his mom
SEEDs for Autism exists to serve our local Phoenix autism community. These monthly educational lectures are intended for parents and guardians in our autism community and are an opportunity for us to help provide resources and education.
If you would like to learn more about this life-changing program, please visit our website:
JEFF
seedsforautismblog.wordpress.com 