AUTISM ASPERGERS FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY OF CALGARY

In 2004, seven (7) families with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), saw the need for their children and others to have the chance to be kids and have fun.
These children were enduring stressful days. Nothing but school and therapy.

The Autism Aspergers Friendship Society of Calgary (AAFS) was founded to provide this opportunity. From seven (7) families to over 800 in January 2019 and we welcome new families & members every week.

There is a misconception that individuals with autism can’t have or don’t want friends and relationships. That is so wrong! They want friendships, they want experiences. They just need support in making these things possible. What’s missing for them? Opportunity and that’s where AAFS comes in.

One of our first members experienced anxiety and fear in new situations or place. Over the years, through experiential learning, places that once invoked these feelings became places of success triumph. Environments once thought impossible, like the Saddledome, became places he could not imagine his life without. As a matter of fact, he is now a cameraman for the Flames & Stampeders organizations.

We have hundreds of story like this and with your support, we will have thousands.

In 2004, we provided two (2) simple activities, one weeknight and one on weekends. On the weeknights, we would meet at the Autism Calgary office and enjoy nights between video game, board and card games and art nights. On the weekends, we would enjoy activities like swimming, bowling and movies. Our focus was on getting kids out together with like minded people and having some fun.

Over the years, we have significantly increased the scope and reach of our activities because our members would say things like, "I want to make a movie", "I want to learn how to design video games", "I want to go to a Monster Truck Show", "I want to go on a real camping trip."

We began to do what our members asked for. It was important to us that anything we started to do was because a member of ours asked for it and that nobody else was doing it.

We have always operated from a very simple base, bring members together, empower them, accept them, allow them to take risks, and learn naturally whenever possible. As much as the adult world wants to 'structure' how children learn certain things, EVERYONE learns how they learn.

AAFS' programs consist of:

Community Outings - When AAFS began, one of our main goals was to immerse our members in the community around us. Over the years, AAFS members have had a chance to do everything there is to do recreation wise in the City of Calgary and surrounding areas. The community is the largest classroom in the world and AAFS takes full advantage.

A Community Outing can be anything out in the community, swimming, bowling, Flames/Hitmen/Stamps games, laser quest, paintball, sledding, skating, movies, anything!

Clubhouse Nights - These are evenings at the AAFS clubhouse are where many important lessons are learned. Turn taking, sportsmanship, sharing, hanging out. We were told by one of our youth that how to just "hang out" was definitely a skill he needed to learn. These nights are on a more 'drop in' basis and rotate through our schedule according to requests from our members. Some examples of popular clubhouse night activities are video games, board games, movie night, holiday specials and more.

AAFS Specialized Programs are programs that take place over 4-16 weeks with a specific focus. These programs are an opportunity to engage our members in their special interests and present an opportunity for possible future vocations. Some examples of our specialized programs are:

Movie Project
12-18 members with ASD collaborate on the writing, filming, editing, acting and everything else to do with movie making. They have taken us into a world of vampires with Amulet of Dracul, been sucked inside a Video Game world with "6- The Movie", watched a group of misfits save the world from a Supersonic Fart in "2012- A Fart Odyssey" and watched a group of students become Super Heroes in "The Hero Initiative: Unexpected Heroes"

Outdoor Pursuits
Each year (May through September), we take groups of up to 25 members on a number of camping trips in traditional camping style. They set up the tents, cook their own food, light fires, canoeing, and do everything one does when camping. One of our participants, when asked why he enjoyed our camping trips so much said, “Because I get to go camping. I am not going to a camp.”

During May to September, our members also enjoy hiking and fishing trips. We travel all around Alberta and BC. Wherever the road takes to explore or to a place where the fish are biting, we will be there!

Intentional Mentorship Program (Buddy Club)
An avenue for our members (youth with ASD) to start volunteering once they become comfortable enough with their social world and during this volunteer time, mentor them on what it takes to become a staff member at AAFS and eventually move them to staff. We just recently hired our 8th former ‘member to come on staff. We are extremely proud of this because as much of the ASD community is trying to find ways to find people with ASD employment, very few (if any) are actually employing anyone with ASD.

The Buddy Club is a volunteer program that allows youth and young adults the opportunity to volunteer their time and help assist the AAFS in respite activities in the community, the clubhouse, and around the office. The program receives its title from one of our oldest members who has basically grown up in AAFS and lovingly refers to staff as his buddies. The idea of being a “buddy” or friend to children, youth, and young adults within the autism spectrum is at the core of the volunteer program.

GO Group
A purely recreation/social program for adults who do not qualify for PDD funding. Once a week, participants meet up and decide on a group activity to do in the community. We run GO Group in partnership with Autism Calgary.

AMPed
The AAFS' Movie Project has been running for five (5) years and a number of our members have become talented storytellers, camera operators, film editors and producers. AMPed will give experienced members of the Movie Project the opportunity to use those skills and gain valuable work experience. It will be an avenue for them to market themselves and learn about the industry.

AMPed can be hired out for your event, documentary or any film project.

MagAAFSzine
The rate of unemployment for ASD individuals is about 90%. There is a lack of vocational employment programs for ASD youth. This program will provide participants the skills to design, create content, schedule, upload, and maintain a digital on-line magazine. The goal of this program is to make the on-line magazine a quarterly publication. Participants will learn and develop valuable vocational/employment skills and behaviours. All of our youth want to be more involved in their communities. Storytelling, interviewing, informing others about the ASD community, and having a platform to voice their views will have a tremendous impact. The ASD community has much to offer - if we only took the time to listen and hear.

Extreme Sports- Skateboarding, Parkour, Rock Climbing
If you are a bit of an extremist when it comes to sports, then you will love these programs! We have an amazing skateboarding program, paired with our friends from Calgary Association of Skateboard Enthusiasts, to teach you some skateboarding basics, and for those more advanced some fancy tricks!

Parkour program, the art of movement involving running, jumping, climbing, vaulting, rolling, flipping is facilitated through Calgary's own Breathe Parkour at the North and South locations.

Stepping Out
Developed by Olympian Hayley Wickenheiser for her Master’s Degree, Stepping Out empowers individuals with ASD to make physical activity part of their daily lives and improve their on-going health. Simply stated the goals are: 1) Improved fitness and nutrition; 2) Reduction of obesity; 3) Increased mental well-being and quality of life; and, 4) Work and recreation preparation.

Therapeutic Riding
Partnering with High Country Equestrian Centre, our riders Improve gross and fine motor skills. There is an improvement in balance, muscle strength, coordination, faster reflexes, increased muscle control, improved postural control, decreased spasticity, increased range of joint motion, stretching of tight or spastic muscles, increased endurance and low-level cardiovascular conditioning, improved visual-spatial perception and improved discipline. Riding forces the rider to make use of the entire body to steer, control, adjust the horse, and maintain balance. In some cases, non-verbal children have started to talk to their horse, while children with sensitivities to touching and being touched have shown physical affection towards horses in the form of hugs and kisses. Children learn to care for the horse, creating an emotional connection many parents don’t even realize is possible. Over time, feelings of empathy are fostered, which is something many experts previously thought ASD individuals were not capable of learning.

Chefs Anonymous
In partnership with the ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen, Chefs Anonymous is an all-encompassing program taking participants from planning menus, learning the benefits of different foods, basic knife skills to preparing and eating a meal. Throughout this program, participants are encouraged to try a wide variety of foods prepared in a variety of different ways. Experimenting with flavours and textures leads to a diverse diet. During prep time, eating and clean-up, discussions are held on the benefits of exercise and everyone is encouraged to find an activity they enjoy. Their last session, ends with a meal to take home to share with their family.