2024 Archaeologists for Autism Saturday, October 12, 2024 — 9:30am - 3:00pm Pavilions 4-6 at Wickham Park in Melbourne Archaeologists for Autism has been providing an annual event for children & young adults on the autism spectrum where they can experience archaeology. Providing an annual event for children & young adults on the autism spectrum where they can experience archaeology. After 10 years we have decided to cease operations effective December 27th due to my health reasons and dropping numbers of participants, sponsors, volunteers, and exhibitors since COVID. It was a hard decision to make but it was readily apparent that AFA is done. I want to thank all of our supporters, sponsors, exhibitors and volunteers. A special thank you goes out to all the families who attended our events the past 10 years. Tom Penders Thomas E. Penders, MS, RPA Founder and President Archaeologists for Autism 3365 Heather Drive, Titusville, Florida 32796 Ph:321-307-0075, 321-307-1314 Website: http://archaeologistsforautism.com Annual Archaeologists for Autism Unlocking their potential through archaeology since 2014 Archaeologists for Autism 3365 Heather Drive, Titusville, Florida 32796 (321) 307-1314 or (321) 307-0075 arch4aufism@gmail.com https://www.archaeologistsforautism.com https://www.facebook.com/archaeologistsforautism/ Important REGISTRATION Dates: Archaeologists for Autism is looking for vendors and exhibitors for our annual event. If you are archaeology, paleontology, history, autism and related disorders related we would love to have you at our event. Tom Penders Tom Penders Archaeologists for Autism Mission: The Archaeologists for Autism mission is to unlock the potential of children and young adults with developmental disabilities. We aim to provide children with autism spectrum disorders and their families a chance to experience archaeology in a fun, low stress environment. Who Can Participate? Has the person in your family on the spectrum ever wanted to excavate actual artifacts (some 8,000 years old)? Excavate fossils? Touch and hold actual artifacts? Learn how prehistoric peoples lived? Do they like prehistoric animals? What about playing with clay to make pots? We have all these activities and more! Our annual event is open to children 6 through 17 and young adults 18 to 22 (including homeschooled) who have one or more of the following diagnosis: Angelman Syndrome, Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Fragile X Syndrome, Lanau-Kleffner Syndrome, Pediatric Auto-immune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated withStreptococcal infections (PANDAS), Prader-Willi Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified, Rett Syndrome, Tardive Dyskinesia, Williams Syndrome 2024: We also accept those with Down Syndrome as well as those with other disabilities (Please contact us prior to registering). Founder Tom Penders with his daughter Becky. Website: https://archaeologistsforautism.com Email: arch4autism@gmail.com       WAYS YOU CAN HELP We are not just looking for monetary donations. Please review our list. We are in need of equipment, educational materials, goodie bag items, replica fossils and real unprovenenced megafauna/Pleistocene fossils, replica and real unprovenenced artifacts, broken replicated pots, etc. Your donation of equipment and supplies may be tax deductible. Please check with your tax professional. If you can help us please email us at arch4autism@gmail.com Thanks!!!!           Tom Penders OUR LIST OF WAYS YOU CAN HELP March 31, 2017 I am happy to present to you the new Archaeologists for Autism logo. We have a more mature and professional design. The logo was cretaed and donated to us. This is now the official look for AFA. The autism puzzle pieces symbolize the mystery and complexity of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Those puzzle pieces have been modified to reflect a pot that an archaeologist might recreate from sherds found at a site. Until the pot is reassembled it is a mystery as to its shape and function. In both cases, we try to reassemble the pieces to have a better understanding. The red-blue-green-yellow colors associated with the autism puzzle pieces have been changed to an earthier version of these colors and might more correctly represent the color palettes that are present in an archaeologist's world. NORTH BREVARD, FLORIDA CONTACTS SERVICING PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL & INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AND THEIR UNIQUE ABILITIES