Local autism community fosters ‘acceptance, awareness’

Group to host sensory walk Saturday

For children with autism spectrum disorder, navigating social settings and forming lasting relationships can pose a unique challenge. When her younger daughter Addison was diagnosed with the condition as a toddler, Lindsay Martsolf knew she had to step up.

Now, eight years later, Martsolf leads the Central Pa. Autism Community, a nonprofit group that provides supportive resources and fun events for people with autism and their families across Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield and Huntingdon counties.

On Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the group will hold its annual Community Day and Sensory Walk at Duncansville Memorial Park. The goal is to spread awareness of autism spectrum conditions, raise money to support future events and celebrate the organization.

"I always say, 'How will our children learn to be in a community, if we don't put them in the community,'" Martsolf said of the walk and other events provided by the group.

The organization, which was originally known as the Blair County Autism Support Group, transitioned to a nonprofit when Martsolf became president after previous leadership departed once their kids aged out of the program.

Martsolf took the opportunity to make changes to the program.

The first iteration of the support group only met once every few months, Martsolf said. She wanted to increase the frequency of meetings and breadth of available resources.

The community strives to "increase acceptance and awareness" of autism by offering a wide variety of programming aimed at helping people on the spectrum better integrate into the community around them, Martsolf said.

This includes "sensory" events, that are intentionally low-noise for people who may get overstimulated with intense sounds, and life skills seminars.

When her daughter was younger, Martsolf said that she would feel nervous that Addison might have a meltdown over feeling uncomfortable going outside into overstimulating public places, such as Chuck E. Cheese or Slinky Action Zone.

That experience made her realize the need for more autism-accessible events.

According to Martsolf, the group now hosts sensory-

friendly holiday events, such as meeting Santa, the Easter Bunny and Easter egg hunts that allow attendees to participate at their own pace.

"My motto is 'Not able to sit still? Not able to be quiet? No problem,'" Martsolf said.

Additionally, the organization partners with the Everett Railroad and Amtran to hold annual seminars for community members to learn how to use public transport.

Attendees receive a free bus pass from Amtran, and then travel around a designated route to complete a scavenger hunt in order to learn the "routine" of public transportation, Martsolf said.

The nonprofit runs a similar program, a library series, where community members learn to check out books and utilize the services at local libraries.

One of the main goals of the Autism Community's programming is to help children with autism successfully transition from a school setting into the broader community, Martsolf said.

While children may have access to one-on-one support while they're in school, that level of care is not as readily available once they graduate, Martsolf said, so helping these kids prepare for a new level of independence is important.

While the Altoona native no longer lives in Blair County, having moved to the Pittsburgh area during the pandemic, Martsolf is still hands-on with the group, coming back at least twice a month to help with events and keep her daughter engaged with the friends she made through the community.

Martsolf now has 11 board members for the organization to help her manage the ever-growing calendar of activities the group hosts. Each one is responsible for either a specific county, or a specific event series, such as the library or transportation series.

"It's tiring, but it's worth it," Martsolf said, "because of the change we're making, you can see the change in the kids when you come and see them year after year."

In her own life, Martsolf has seen this change. Addison, and her older daughter Lucy, have both made lasting friendships through the community.

"Our events are not just for kids (who have autism), but for their families as well," Martsolf said. "These siblings need support too, and to have help with their struggle."

The group even holds events for the siblings of kids who have autism, for them to form friendships and bond over their shared experience.

According to Martsolf, this inclusive approach to raising awareness of autism is paramount, since one in 36 kids are diagnosed with autism every year, she said.

"They can be your neighbors, your coworkers, everyone, and it's not going away," Martsolf said. "We already have the acceptance, now we just need the awareness."

Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 814-946-7535.