Northwest Autism Center

10/27/2026

This week is Akin's trunk or treat!

Akin's Spokane Valley Family Resource Center is hosting our annual Trunk or Treat event THIS THURSDAY, October 29th!
Here's the details...
📅October 29th, 2026 from 4:00PM - 5:30PM
📍2323 N Discovery Place, Spokane Valley, WA 99216
🍬Enjoy the festivities, candy, games, and more!
📲Got questions, or want to RSVP? See our contact info below!
If you are a part of a local organization or business and would like to host a Trunk during the Trunk or Treat, please call or email us! There is still space available 😊
Make sure to put this event on your calendars; your family does not want to miss out on the fun!
RSVP via phone or email!
Phone: 509.747.4174 | Email: [email protected]

10/26/2026

10/25/2026

School support can involve a team. 🧡

As school routines and expectations change, families may notice new challenges with communication, transitions, sensory needs, or classroom participation.

Sometimes, something as simple as moving from a favorite activity to the next lesson can feel incredibly overwhelming. These moments can tell us something important about what a student is experiencing and where additional support may help.

Families, educators, and outside care providers each bring valuable perspectives to those conversations.

💬 Families understand their child's strengths, interests, needs, and experiences.

🏫 Educators see how students navigate classroom routines, learning expectations, and peer interactions.

🤝 Outside providers, including NAC clinicians, may offer additional insight into communication, skill-building, and individualized strategies.

Support can take many forms, from visual schedules and advance reminders to school evaluations and individualized educational plans when appropriate. Not every classroom strategy requires an IEP or 504 plan.

At Northwest Autism Center, we believe meaningful support starts with understanding the individual. With appropriate permission, collaboration between families, schools, and outside providers can help connect perspectives while respecting each team's responsibilities.

The goal isn't simply to help students meet expectations. It's to understand what they need to participate, communicate, learn, and grow with confidence.

Every student's voice, interests, and experiences deserve to be part of the conversation.

Learn more about NAC at nwautism.org

10/22/2026

Hey Spokane Friends, the movie Rise and Shine will be appearing at our local downtown AMC theater starting this weekend!

We love sharing unique opportunities to highlight our IDD community. This film features actors with cerebral palsy, autism, and down syndrome in leading roles, opening nationwide October 23!

The movie is inspired by a true story following a teenager with cerebral palsy who wants what so many teens want: to attend high school, make friends, and belong. Through life's challenges, she and her mother share an unwavering optimism. [SEE THE TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfOf6a53xHI]

Check out local showtimes online:
https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/rise-and-shine-85132

☀️ BIG NEWS: NEW DATE. MORE THEATERS. MORE TIME TO SHINE.

After a sold-out Kansas City World Premiere filled with joy, laughter, tears and incredible support, Rise and Shine is getting more room to shine.

🎬 Coming to AMC Theatres October 23, 2026.

The new opening weekend means more theaters, a longer trailer run and the opportunity for a longer theatrical run.

And there’s another date to mark on your calendar:
💚 Tickets go on sale October 6, World Cerebral Palsy Day.

We can’t think of a more meaningful day to invite audiences across the country to rally around a film that places a young woman with cerebral palsy at the center of her own story.

Fall in love with Terri and Janice like we did, and join them on their journey.

☀️ SAVE THE DATES
🎟️ Tickets on sale: 10.06.26
🎬 In AMC Theatres: 10.23.26

Bring your friends, families, schools and communities. Let’s fill these theaters.
Want to help us keep creating uplifting, empowering stories? Donate to support Just Like You Films at the link in bio.

10/15/2026

Happening tomorrow! This is a free family support event designed around the IDD community. It's a great opportunity to learn new methods and gain more resources so you can feel empowered!

Spokane:

10/15/2026

👟💞

We have no tie shoelaces available at no cost!! Many different colors, and most colors have two packs available. Please reach out to us or DM us to get yours! These are free!

10/11/2026

Families know their loved one best 💞

That knowledge is an important part of care. Families notice what works at home, what feels hard during routines, what helps someone feel safe, and what goals would make daily life more manageable.

At NAC, family partnership means caregivers are included in the process. Your input can help shape goals, guide priorities, and support strategies that make sense for your family.

The goal is not to give families more pressure. The goal is to make support more connected to real life: home routines, school transitions, community outings, communication, safety, independence, and quality of life.

Support does not stop at the clinic door 💙

10/05/2026

You can now submit your applications for the Elevations - A Children's Therapy Resource Foundation grant opportunity! See more details below.

🎉 Grant Applications Are Open!
Ready to apply? Don’t miss your chance to submit your grant application.

📅 Deadline: Friday, November 20
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM

Visit our website for further details: elevationsspokane.org

10/02/2026

Meaningful goals look different for every person because every person is different.

Evidence-based ABA is not one program that everyone moves through in the same order. Care is individualized around a person’s strengths, needs, communication style, preferences, family priorities, and the environments where they live, learn, work, and grow.

The Spectrum, an educational initiative from the Council of Autism Service Providers, notes that strong ABA treatment plans are highly individualized, with goals shaped by each person’s strengths, needs, family goals, and preferences.

For one person, a meaningful goal might be finding a clearer way to communicate what they need. For someone else, it might be learning a safety routine, getting ready for school more independently, asking for a break, joining an activity, or building confidence in the community.

ABA may support challenging behavior when it affects everyday life, but care can also focus on communication, self-advocacy, routines, relationships, independence, participation, and other skills that matter to the individual.
What matters is that goals connect to real life, not a checklist.

At NAC, care is built around the individual, with progress focused on the skills that are meaningful to them and their family. See what NAC has to offer online at nwautism.org/services

09/29/2026

NAC Families and Friends, just sending a kind reminder about the Elevations - A Children's Therapy Resource Foundation Grant Cycle that opens NEXT MONDAY, OCTOBER 5!

💙 Elevations supports Spokane County children ages 0–18 who are currently receiving therapy services. Funding may help with out-of-pocket costs such as copays, deductibles, uninsured or underinsured therapy services, as well as therapist-recommended sensory, communication, mobility, daily living, and other therapeutic equipment.

📃👀 Carefully review application requirements ahead of time so you can be ready right away!

Find all application info and grant details on their website at

Elevations currently has three grant cycles per year – March, July, and November. This is for families of children with special needs to apply for assistance with out-of-pocket therapy services costs for their child.