Autism Acceptance Month

As we celebrate Autism Acceptance Month, we are reminded that we can and do accept and love all, we can still provide interventions to help children, young adults, and adults thrive in the world.

At Floreo, we are working hard to continue our mission to provide an evidence-based, accessible and affordable product that improves outcomes for all of our Learners. We use Unity to create our interactive experiences and Floreo was recently featured on their blog as an example of a company using real-time gaming for happier, healthier kids.

We would love to hear how you are celebrating this month!

Suggested reading from Floreo's Chief Medical Officer
FROM JAMA PEDIATRICS

Floreo's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sinan Turnacioglu, is also a neurodevelopmental pediatrician.

In this editorial, Higher Risk of Mortality for Individuals Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Demands a Public Health Prevention Strategy, published in JAMA Pediatrics, leading attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder researchers, Russell Barkley and Geraldine Dawson respectively, address the implications of a current study reviewing the higher mortality rates for individuals diagnosed with each of the above conditions. For ADHD, contributing factors include not only a higher rate of risk-taking behavior leading to accidental death but also adverse health factors influenced by low behavioral disinhibition and poor self-regulation. For ASD, they note the significantly high rate of suicide as well as the contributions of areas of need with social and daily living skills. They highlight the need for preventative strategies particularly in primary care, to support the health of people diagnosed with ADHD and ASD across the lifespan.

Barkley RA, Dawson G. Higher Risk of Mortality for Individuals Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Demands a Public Health Prevention Strategy. JAMA Pediatr. 2022;176(4):e216398.

Other exciting developments
USE FLOREO AT CAMP

Longtime special educator and Floreo poweruser, Ms. Kelly Hargraves, has enjoyed using Floreo in her classroom at Staley Middle School in Frisco, TX. She originally funded her Floreo subscription using DonorsChoose.

Ms. Hargraves let us know that she will be running Floreo sessions at the Texas State University summer camp where she also works! After two years of virtual camp, they are looking forward to welcoming campers in-person this year. If you are local to the area, Ms. Hargraves shared that they are looking for volunteers for camp staff too. tsu camp

We appreciate all that you and your fellow educators do, Ms. Hargraves!

Are you using Floreo at a camp, summer school, or event this summer? Let us know so we can share your event too!

IS FLOREO RIGHT FOR YOU?

We just released a new tool to help you determine if Floreo is a good fit for your family, practice, or school district. Visit "Is Floreo Right For Me?" and walk through the steps to get a personalized lesson plan and suggestions for your Learner. And, as always, you can contact us with details about your situation and we will be happy to talk through the ways Floreo can be helpful for your Learners!

Upcoming Events

LIVE & VIRTUAL EVENTS

Let us know if you plan to attend any of these upcoming events! We would love to schedule time to meet with you!

April 18-20: Floreo Founder/CEO Vijay Ravindran will participate on a panel at the Autism Investor Summit in Beverly Hills.

May 14: Floreo's Director of Therapy Content, Rita Solórzano MA CCP-SLP, will provide an Innovative Technologies Demonstration Session on Mobile Virtual Reality Skill Building for Autism Spectrum Disorder at the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting.

May 28-30: Meet members of the Floreo team at the ABAI Annual Convention in Boston.

We hope to see you soon!

Grant update
FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR SCHOOLS

Attention Schools and Districts in Texas: All Texas local education agencies are eligible to apply for grant funding to increase their capacity to implement innovative programs that effectively serve students with autism ages three through 21. It is a great time to implement Floreo in your district, school, or regional center with the help of this grant! Let us know how we can help support your efforts to secure funding through this grant.

Educators in other states: Our friends at RobotLab compiled a great list of grant opportunities to help you to creatively fund a Floreo subscription. You can use their helpful tool to search for grants by state. As always, if we can help you with wording for a grant opportunity you have identified, please let us know!

Research study opportunity
FROM OUR PARTNERS AT CHOP
Our partners at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia are recruiting participants for a compensated survey about autism and police. Please consider participating or sharing with others who might be interested!

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What have we been reading this week?
NEWS ROUND-UP

Wired Differently - S1E1: My Child Is Autistic
How TikTok helped me become closer to my brother with autism — and educate others
"It's because of his neurodivergence that he's so funny, entertaining, and engaging to be around. "
Ultramarathoner with autism inspiring others

Heather

Heather is Floreo's Director of Customer Success. She makes sure that all of Floreo's customers are comfortable and confident using Floreo. Prior to working at Floreo, Heather worked at Trove (a news start-up) and eBay for Charity. Heather holds an A.B. from Dartmouth College, where she also played varsity basketball (and won an Ivy League Championship) and a M.Ed. from the University of Mary Washington. In her free time she enjoys reading, tennis, skiing, and hiking around Western North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and adorable lab mix, Pepper.