The Arc of Grays Harbor

06/11/2026

We have changed the time for our Grays Harbor Parent to Parent monthly "Coffee Chat" this month to Thursday, June 18th at 5:00 pm.
For questions or to RSVP, please contact Teresa Snow, Grays Harbor P2P Coordinator at (360)537-7000.

05/25/2026

Theoden ‘Bubba’ Tom has made it for State for AHS Track. State Send-Off is on Thursday, 05/28/26 at 10:00a at AHS. Bubba has also made it for State for GH Hawks.

Bubba will be participating in state for AHS Track and GH Hawks the same weekend, where AHS 05/28-30/26 and GH Hawks 05/29-31/26. Good Luck to Bubba and the rest of the athletes. 💙🏃🏾‍♂️💛🥎💚

05/21/2026

The Arc of Grays Harbor Parent to Parent program is gathering feedback from parents, caregivers, and family members to better understand the needs of our community. Your voice matters, and this short survey will help us improve resources, connections, and support for local families.

Please take a few minutes to fill it out and share it with others who may be interested! 👇

"What are you looking for?"

04/20/2026

April is National Autism Awareness Month, and we at The Arc would like to do our part in bringing awareness. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a Neurodevelopmental disorder that can affect social developments, cognitive impairments, communication difficulties, and repetitive behaviors.
1 in 44 children have an autism diagnosis, with boys being 4 times more likely to become diagnosed. Not one individual on the spectrum is the same as another. They may have similarities such as, repetitive hand motions or noises, sensory touch needs, difficulty forming words or sentences, aggression, being removed from social activities and other behaviors. However, the causes will vary and not each individual experiences all. One individual may only experience struggling to read social queues while another may be completely non-verbal. Another individual may only eat one/two specific foods while another may eat most anything. Some people may be calm and gentle, while others may not have the cognitive ability to control emotions and may not behave appropriately.
Individuals on the spectrum can be a level 1, which requires little to no assistance, some are level 2 where they require some assistance and some are level 3 where they are high needs and need constant assistance. Intelligence has nothing to do with whether a person is on the spectrum. There are some on the spectrum who are non-verbal, while also being highly intelligent; they simply have different ways of communicating.
We as a community need to do a bit of adapting and meet these individuals where they are. Just like one person with an autism diagnosis is not the same, neither are we as individuals.
It’s okay to be UNIQUE! The time is now to accept, respect, include, support, and love.

04/07/2026

Today is National IEP Writing Day. We want to shout out all the AMAZING special education teachers and administrators who dedicate their careers to providing individualized care to the students who need extra help. Give a teacher who made a difference in your life a shout out in the comments!

Want help preparing for an upcoming IEP meeting? See our toolkit at https://www.autismspeaks.org/tool-kit/guide-individualized-education-programs-iep

03/31/2026

The Arc of Grays Harbor delivers services to the intellectual and developmentally disabled through state funded programs, but the needs of this community and nationwide continue to grow. With your assistance and through your donations, we can expand our programs and reach an even greater number of Grays Harbor and Pacific residents as they navigate life through their unique situations.
If you are able, we ask that you consider donating to The Arc of Grays Harbor to help us help more people.
https://givebutter.com/ArcGraysHarbor

03/31/2026

In 1907, businessman Edgar Allen lost his son in a streetcar accident. Responding to inadequate medical services available to save his son, Allen launched a fundraising campaign to build a hospital in his hometown before founding the National Society for Crippled Children in 1919, the first organization of its kind.
In the spring of 1934, the organization launched its first Easter "seals" campaign to raise funds for its services. Donors showed their support by placing these seals on envelopes and letters.
Public enthusiasm for the Easter "seals" campaign spurred grassroots efforts nationwide, significantly enhancing its reach. By 1967, the Easter "seal" had become so iconic that the organization formally adopted the name "Easter Seals."
Today, Easterseals continues its mission to empower people to live full, independent lives.

03/29/2026

Need assistance getting somewhere that isn't on a public transit route? Grays Harbor Transit has four General Public Dial-A-Rides in small rural areas where bus stops are unavailable for same day service. This service is available to the general public and the Dial-A-Ride vans stay in the city they are designated for. Riders can use this service to get transportation to various locations in their town or bus stops/stations to transfer to a main line bus for transportation outside the service area. The General Public Dial-A-Rides service Elma, Montesano, Ocean Shores, and Westport. To schedule a ride on one of these services, contact Grays Harbor Transit Dispatch (360) 532-2770 option 3 at least one hour before your desired trip.

03/28/2026

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may behave, communicate, interact, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. There is often nothing about how they look that sets them apart from other people. The abilities of people with ASD can vary significantly. For example, some people with ASD may have advanced conversation skills whereas others may be nonverbal. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives; others can work and live with little to no support. This has brought the term of being “On the Spectrum” rather than defining specific traits.
As children with ASD become adolescents and young adults, they may have difficulties developing and maintaining friendships, communicating with peers and adults, or understanding what behaviors are expected in school or on the job. They may come to the attention of healthcare providers because they also have conditions such as anxiety, depression, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which occur more often in people with ASD than in people without ASD.

03/27/2026

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a condition of the nervous system that causes people to have "tics".
Tics are described by the CDC as sudden twitches, movements, or sounds that people do repeatedly. People who have tics cannot stop their body from doing these things. For example, a person might keep blinking over and over. Or a person might make a grunting sound unwillingly.
Having tics is a little bit like having hiccups. Even though you might not want to hiccup, your body does it anyway. Sometimes people can stop themselves from doing a certain tic for a while, but it's hard. Eventually the person has to do the tic.