Events

past Event

Autism Welcoming Center Ribbon Cutting

• September 19, 2024

Advocates, a nonprofit human services provider, and its Autism Alliance program on Sept. 19 (3-5pm) will celebrate the grand opening of an Autism Welcoming training center at the Natick Mall (Natick, MA, USA).  This new 2,700-square-foot, sensory-friendly space will provide Autism Welcoming certification opportunities for businesses along with resources and social recreation activities for individuals living with autism and their families.  The center was renovated and donated by the Natick Mall, with funding support from the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation and the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services.

past Event

Disability Task Force: MRC's new initiatives to address the employment needs of individuals with disabilities

• June 11, 2024

On June 11^th the Disability Task Force (DTF) hosted MRC Commissioner Toni Wolf, along with Manel Desvallons, MRC Family Partnership Coordinator, Ferdosa Hassan, MRC Family Inclusion Ambassador, and Lola Akinlapas MRC Director of Strategic Initiatives who discussed Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission’s (MRC’s) new initiatives to address the employment needs of individuals with disabilities.Disability Task Force June 2024 meeting summary

upcoming Event

Simons Center for the Social Brain at MIT Colloquium Series

• September 11, 2024

Nancy Padilla-Coreano, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida) and Michael Frank, Ph.D. (Edgar L. Marston Professor, Director, Carney Center for Computational Brain Science, Laboratory of Neural Computation and Cognition, Brown University) will be the next two speakers in the Colloquium Series hosted by the Simons Center for the Social Brain at MIT. These events are free and open to the public. Participants may attend in person (Cambridge, MA, USA) or via Zoom. For more information, please visit: https://scsb.mit.edu/events/category/simons-center-colloquium/

past Event

The Structural Biology of Autism: Chromatin Remodeling and the Control of Transcription in the Context of Autism

• June 27, 2024

On June 27, 2024, the NLM Family Foundation hosted a Boston Club meeting titled, “The Structural Biology of Autism: Chromatin Remodeling and the Control of Transcription in the Context of Autism.” The meeting was chaired by Prof. Clarence E. Schutt, Director & Chief Scientific Officer of the NLM Family Foundation.

past Event

Disability Task Force Meeting on the Impact of the Workforce Shortage and Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission’s New Initiatives

• October 18, 2023

On October 18, 2023, the Disability Task Force (DTF) hosted Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) Commissioner, Toni Wolf, who discussed the impact of the workforce shortage and provided an overview of MRC initiatives.

past Event

Boston Symphony Orchestra's Holiday Pops Sensory-Friendly Concert

• December 2, 2023

The NLM Family Foundation is pleased to support the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Sensory-Friendly Concert Series. The Sensory-Friendly Holiday Pops show is designed for all families with children or adults with an autism spectrum disorder or sensory sensitivities. This is a shortened 60-minute version of the BSO’s standard Holiday Pops concert, with a flexible, non-judgmental environment. Modifications include relaxed house rules, reduced volume and lighting levels, extra space for movement, available noise-reduction headphones, designated quiet room and support spaces, modified food concessions, and credentialed autism therapist volunteers on site.

past Event

Sensory Friendly Family Concert at Boston's Symphony Hall

• October 28, 2023

On October 28, 2023 from 10 am-11 am, the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is hosting a Sensory Friendly Family Concert at Symphony Hall (Boston, MA, USA) specifically designed for people of any age with an autism spectrum disorder or sensory sensitivity along with their families. For more information, please visit the BSO website.

past Event

Flutie Foundation’s “STARS of the Spectrum” 25th Anniversary Concert at Fenway Park

• August 24, 2023

The NLM Family Foundation congratulates the Flutie Foundation for its fine work supporting autistic children, adults, and their families for 25 years and is pleased to sponsor their “STARS of the Spectrum” 25th Anniversary Concert on August 24, 2023 at iconic Fenway Park (Boston, MA, USA). Almost all performers at this concert will be musicians and artists who have autism or have been touched by autism. Individuals and families affected by autism will attend for free. For more information, visit the Flutie Foundation website.

past Event

June 2023 Disability Task Force Meeting: Hiring Staff with Disabilities

• June 8, 2023

On June 8, 2023, the Disability Task Force (DTF) hosted a panel discussion on successful hiring strategies and the positive impact of hiring staff with disabilities in their organizations.

past Event

Community Inclusion Summit: "How Community Organizations Become Disability Inclusive in Practice"

• May 23, 2023

“How Community Organizations Become Disability Inclusive in Practice”
The Arc of Massachusetts is hosting a Community Inclusion Summit on 5/23/2023 from 10 am-2 pm in Lexington, MA (USA).

past Event

The 6th Cerebellum Gordon Research Conference: “Integrating Cerebellar Neurobiology, Neurocomputation, & Neurotherapeutics”

• August 6-11, 2023

The 6th Cerebellum Gordon Research Conference titled, “Integrating Cerebellar Neurobiology, Neurocomputation, & Neurotherapeutics” will be held August 6-11, 2023 at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.

past Event

'Autism & Grief' featured on Remembering a Life podcast

• April 2023

Dr. Kenneth Doka & Lisa Morgan discussed the ‘Autism & Grief’ website on the Remembering a Life podcast in April (National Autism Acceptance Month) 2023.

past Event

March 2023 Disability Task Force Meeting: Impact of the Workforce Crisis

• March 9, 2023

On March 9, 2023, the Disability Task Force (DTF) met to discuss the impact of the workforce crisis.

past Event

INSAR 2023 Annual Meeting

• May 3-6, 2023

The International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) is a scientific and professional organization devoted to advancing knowledge about autism. The INSAR Annual Meeting (formerly IMFAR) is the Society’s scientific meeting, convened each May, to exchange and disseminate new scientific progress among autism research scientists and their trainees from around the world. The NLM Family Foundation is proud to be a sponsor of the INSAR 2023 Annual Meeting, an in-person event to be held in Stockholm, Sweden on May 3-6, 2023.

past Event

October 2022 Disability Task Force Meeting: Supported Decision Making, An Alternative to Guardianship

• October 20, 2022

On October 20^th the DTF met and a panel of experts discussed Supported Decision Making (SDM), an alternative to guardianship, and addressed what it means for organizations and families.

past Event

COLORS OF PEACE - An Art Exhibit In Support Of Children With Autism In Ukraine

• December 17, 2022

COLORS OF PEACE
An Art Exhibit In Support Of Children With Autism In Ukraine
Saturday, December 17, 2022, 12 to 5 pm
Sunday, December 18, 2022, 12 to 5 pm
Wedeman Gallery at Lasell University
47 Myrtle Ave, Auburndale, MA 02466
In collaboration with Heal Ukraine Group, Autism Unity is raising funds to provide medically necessary, trauma-informed services to children with autism and their parents.

past Event

“From chromatin regulation to synapse development in autism and intellectual disability”

• October 26, 2022

SCSB Colloquium Series Talk: “From chromatin regulation to synapse development in autism and intellectual disability”

Speaker: Anne E. West, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine

October 26, 2022, 4:00pm – 5:00pm

Location: Hybrid, 46-3002, Singleton Auditorium, MIT, Cambridge, MA (USA) + YouTube stream (https://youtu.be/MOpB8i9ItFw)

past Event

Boston Symphony Orchestra's Sensory-Friendly Concerts

• December 3, 2022

The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s sensory-friendly concerts are designed for people of any age with an autism spectrum disorder or sensory sensitivity and their families.

past Event

SFARI workshop highlights challenges and best practices for induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell models in autism research

• March 14, 2022

The Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) hosted a virtual workshop on March 14 and 18, 2022, to discuss the best practices for the development and use of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell models for autism research. A workshop report is available on the Simons Foundation’s website: SFARI workshop highlights challenges and best practices for induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell models in autism research

past Event

June 2022 Disability Task Force Meeting

• June 16, 2022

past Event

March 2022 Disability Task Force Meeting

• March 10, 2022

past Event

Harnessing the Readiness Potential of your Child Through the Identification of Personalized Targets for Treatment: Aiding Therapies with Three Contemporary Revolutions

• May 15, 2022

The 2022 Profectum Spring Conference titled, “Supporting Relational Synchrony” will be held on May 15th and 22nd, 2022. On Sunday, May 15th, join NLMFF Career Development awardee, Dr. Elizabeth B. Torres, for a presentation titled, “Harnessing the Readiness Potential of your Child Through the Identification of Personalized Targets for Treatment: Aiding Therapies with Three Contemporary Revolutions.” Dr. Torres will show different comorbidities common with autism that have known genetic origins and will suggest ways to utilize existing resources to help treatments while identifying preferences based on newly characterized learning modes. This talk will augment the audience’s knowledge with the potential to enhance child-therapist interactions towards faster and more effective ways to learn together.

past Event

Lurie Center for Autism 2022 Summer Clinical Research Internships for Undergraduate Students

• March 20, 2022

The Lurie Center for Autism is seeking undergrad applicants for its new 2022 Summer Clinical Research Internships for Undergraduate Students. The Lurie Center for Autism Summer Clinical Research Internship Program is designed for undergraduates who are interested in clinical and/or research careers related to autism spectrum disorder. Typical undergraduate majors of applicants include psychology, biology and pre-med studies.  The application deadline is March 20th.

https://www.massgeneral.org/children/autism/lurie-center/2022-summer-clinical-research-internship?fbclid=IwAR03X8b1unqJIe42WL0Omd5m6L4r3S9AWqZXgdpHELDN5MR2NX2h21UrFKg

past Event

October 2021 Disability Task Force Meeting

• October 28, 2021

past Event

June 2021 Disability Task Force Meeting

• June 10, 2021

past Event

Boston Symphony Orchestra Presents Calming & Energizing Playlists for the Autism Community

past Event

10th Annual ReelAbilities Film Festival, Boston

• May 6-13, 2021

10th Annual ReelAbilities Film Festival, Boston — May 6-13, 2021

ReelAbilities Film Festival is dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expression of people with different disabilities from a variety of communities.

For more info, visit: www.reelabilities.org/boston/

past Event

Boston Symphony Orchestra Youth Concert 2021

• March 5, 2021-April 30, 2021

The Boston Symphony Orchestra has announced that its newly recorded BSO Youth Concert Stream is now available. Conductor Thomas Wilkins leads the orchestra in “I really thought I couldn’t: A musical look at self-doubt.” The program launched Friday March 5 and is available through April 30 at www.bso.org/now. Mr. Wilkins discusses each musical selection, bringing the music alive and building bridges between the music and listeners. The concert is close captioned and comes with audio description to increase accessibility.

More information regarding how school systems and youth organizations can access the program can be found at WWW.BSO.ORG/YOUTHCONCERT2021.

To preview the concert:

past Event

February 2021 Disability Task Force Meeting

• February 25, 2021

past Event

Virtual Screening and Discussion of "The Reason I Jump"

• January 10, 2021

Join “Understanding our Differences” and the Coolidge Corner Theater on January 10, 2021 at  2:00 p.m. EST for a virtual screening and discussion of the film, The Reason I Jump.

https://understandingourdifferences.org/thereasonijump/

past Event

Greater Boston Disability Task Force Meeting

• October 22, 2020

past Event

New England Yachad Online Recreational Opportunities for Adults with Autism

New England Yachad, in partnership with the NLM Foundation, offers year-round, inclusive, virtual recreational opportunities for adults with autism and related developmental disabilities ages 35+ in the New England area. Individuals of all faiths are warmly welcome. Popular programs include Music & Movement and Art Appreciation.

past Event

MAC Weekly Chat: New state guidance for Summer Special Ed Services: In-person and Remote Extended School Year during COVID-19

• June 11, 2020

For this week’s chat, Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC) attorney Julia Landau will talk about the newest state guidance for providing in-person and remote special education summer services.  This is a chance to learn about the safety requirements and options for providing extended school year services. This chat will be helpful for parents of children with all types of disabilities, including autism.

Thursday, June 11, 2020
8:00-8:45  PM

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/upEtde-gpjsvAo4jWu-a-ciDklDmUBmjuA

You only have to register once for the entire weekly series. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

past Event

ReelAbilities Boston Film Festival

• March 22, 2020

ReelAbilities Boston Film Festival (3/22-4/2/2020) is dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories and artistic expression of people with disabilities from a variety of communities. This year, to keep our community healthy, ReelAbilities is going online! This is an exciting opportunity to make the Festival even more inclusive and accessible to audiences worldwide. In the ONLINE Festival, films will still be screening at their original times followed by live-streamed Q&As with filmmakers, subjects and experts. Registration for online screenings is required. A screening-link for each film will be sent out to registered viewers 2 hours before screening times. All screenings are online and free of charge! Register at https://bit.ly/reelboston-register

past Event

Greater Boston Disability Task Force Meeting

• January 30, 2020

The Greater Boston Disability Task Force (DTF) meeting of January 30, 2020 focused on addressing the mental health needs of individuals with Autism and other developmental disabilities. Dr. Kathy Sanders, the Deputy Director and State Medical Director of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH) provided a presentation highlighting the ways DMH is partnering with the Department of Developmental services (DDS) to provide services to individuals with mental illness and autism, and also discussed meeting the needs of individuals with other developmental disabilities.

Dr. Sanders emphasized that as a result of the Autism Omnibus Law of 2014, adults can now be dually eligible for services from both DDS and DMH.  The agencies developed a consent form that can be signed to allow sharing of information between the two agencies.   Not all individuals with autism who have a mental illness will be eligible for DMH services.  DDS and DMH are working together to provide specialized risk assessment and treatment planning consultation, including a dangerousness risk assessment for individuals with autism who have a mental illness.   DDD and DMH are increasing coordination at the state and local level, and are gathering information to address gaps in services for this population.   All parties agree that it is critically important to advocate for necessary services.

past Event

“Hidden in Plain Sight: Spirituality, Intellectual and Developmental Disability, and Wholeness”

• November 8, 2019 at 10:00 AM

Bill Gaventa, M.Div. delivers the Pyne Lecture on Ministry with Persons with Disabilities
Boston College School of Theology
Corcoran Commons, Heights Room, Chestnut Hill Campus

Unlike the arenas of acute care and psychiatric care, spirituality is often unrecognized and unaddressed as a dimension of care, support, and quality of life in the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Why? This lecture and discussion will discuss some of the reasons, but more importantly, illustrate (1) how exploring the meaning of disability leads to the realm of spirituality, and (2) how spirituality permeates the life cycles of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, issues of care, and quality of life.

Bill Gaventa is currently the Director of the annual Summer Institute on Theology and Disability well as the Collaborative on Faith and Disability, linking a number of University Centers of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities who are addressing spirituality through initiatives in training, technical assistance, research, and/or dissemination. He was formerly Director of Community and Congregational Supports at the Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities, Rutgers University, in New Jersey. Bill’s primary areas of experience and expertise are spiritual and faith based supports with people with disabilities, training for clergy, seminarians and community services staff, aging and end of life/grief issues in intellectual and developmental disabilities, cultural competence, and community building. He served as the President of American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities for 2016-2017.

As a writer and editor, Bill has edited newsletters and several books, multiple articles and chapters, and served as the Editor of the Journal of Religion, Disability and Health for 14 years. His most recent book, Spirituality and Disability: Recovering Wholeness, has been published by Baylor University Press in the spring of 2018.

past Event

The Northeast Arc is accepting applications for the 3rd Annual Arc Tank Competition

• November 19, 2019

The Northeast Arc is now accepting applications for the 3rd annual Arc Tank, a quest to positively disrupt disability services! This year, the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, the NLM Family Foundation and the State of Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities are contributing to The Changing Lives Fund, established through a $1 million donation by Steven P. Rosenthal, to support the effort to positively disrupt how disability services are offered. The event will take place on November 19, 2019 at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum.

past Event

NEW ENGLAND YACHAD RECREATIONAL PROGRAM FOR ADULTS

• MAY 6 - SEPTEMBER 26, 2019

New England Yachad, in partnership with the NLM Foundation, offers year-round, inclusive recreational opportunities for adults with autism and related developmental disabilities ages 35+ in the New England area. Individuals of all faiths are warmly welcome. Popular programs include Music & Movement, Art Appreciation, and bowling leagues in Boston and Norwood, Massachusetts. Yachad’s dedication to low-barrier programming means they will do whatever they can to help enable an interested individual to participate.

Summer Bowling League at Boston Bowl

Monday, May 6th until Monday, August 26^th, 6 to 8 pm

Summer Bowling League at Norwood Sport Center

Tuesday, June 11th until Tuesday, August 27^th, 4 to 6 pm

Music & Movement Program at the Yachad Community Center in Brookline

Tuesday, June 11th until Thursday, September 26^th, 4 to 6 pm

past Event

BOSTON POPS' SENSORY-FRIENDLY CONCERT

• June 1, 2019

The NLM Family Foundation is pleased to support the Boston Pops’ first sensory-friendly concert, designed for all families with children or adults with an autism spectrum disorder or sensory sensitivities. The Boston Pops Orchestra and conductor Keith Lockhart will offer this concert, the family-story matinee Once Upon a Time… on Saturday, June 1 at 11 a.m. at Boston’s Symphony Hall.

past Event

Golf for All is free, accessible golf for veterans, people with autism and more

• MID AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 29, 2019

The “Joy of Golf” program provides adults with autism ages 35+ in the Greater Boston area the opportunity to practice driving and putting under the guidance of a team of PGA pros specially trained in accessible golf instruction. The nonprofit organization Golf For All is offering these weekly clinics at the Leo J. Martin Memorial Golf Course in Weston, Massachusetts for the third year in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and the NLM Foundation.

There are open slots in Tuesday clinics which are held from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm through September 29.