Autism Society Greater Harrisburg Area

08/30/2026

The federal government is proposing sweeping changes to the Head Start program. The public comment period is open now. Please read about these proposed changes and the opportunity to provide comment at the links shared here.

🚨 What does Head Start mean to you?

Your voice matters, and now is the time to use it. The public comment period on proposed changes to the Head Start Performance Standards is open through October 6, 2026. Let's show the impact Head Start has on children, families, and communities every day.

Share your thoughts through a public comment, then drop a comment below and tell us what does Head Start means to you?

Office of Head Start NPRM Information page:

https://headstart.gov/.../notice-proposed-rulemaking...

How to submit a public comment:

- Submit electronically at https://www.regulations.gov/docket/ACF-2026-0595

- Email comments to [email protected] and include ACF-2026-0595 or RIN 0970-AD30 in the subject line.

06/25/2026

We wish to share this great opportunity from our friends at ASERT Autism Resources to take part in a research study on art therapy. Please see the attached flyer for details.

06/19/2026

We want to express our gratitude to the Harrisburg Bureau of Police for their generous donation to the Autism Society Greater Harrisburg Area! HBP officers organized a patch sale in April to support Autism Awareness and raised $1,605! The sale was spearheaded by an officer who has a child with Autism, so this is a very important cause to the department.

ASGHA board member Tom Flynn (in civilian clothes 😉) accepts the donation from Harrisburg Captain Atah Akakpo-Martin. They are joined by Lieutenant Scott Johnsen, far left, and Corporal E. Restrepo, far right.

We thank the officers, staff and friends of the Harrisburg Bureau of Police who supported this cause!

Today the Harrisburg Bureau of Police had achieved a great success through the HPD Autism Awareness Patches.

The department was able to donate a total of $1,605 dollars to Tom Flynn, the Secretary/Treasurer for the Autism Society of The Greater Harrisburg Area. We want to thank each and every individual throughout our agency that made this possible and worked to make this endeavor successful.

06/17/2026

We are sharing this very important statement from the Autism Society of America. Moving special education functions and protections out of the Department of Education will not serve our precious children and youth with Autism. Please note the Action Alert at the bottom of this statement.

The Autism Society of America opposes today’s announcement by the Department of Education to move special education and civil rights enforcement out of the agency. For decades, Congress, across party lines, has kept these programs united under one roof.

Dismantling this system fragments the critical journey from school to employment, putting nearly 1 million autistic students at risk of falling through bureaucratic cracks.
We must protect the rights and futures of our students.

Read our full statement: https://bit.ly/4vhDZiJ

05/17/2026

PICTURES WANTED!! Did you go to the Sensory Picnic today? Show us your favorite pic!

05/17/2026

Thanks to everyone who attended the Autism Picnic today, we had a great time seeing all our friends!! Thanks to all our volunteers that came out to help!!

05/16/2026

☀️We’re excited for the 2026 ASGHA Sensory Picnic!☀️The weather is going to be beautiful!! Sunny, high 85°F. Don’t worry, there’s lots of pavilions and trees, along with that sunshine! Emails went out in the last week. Can’t wait to see you Sunday! 😁

05/12/2026

⭐️2026 ASGHA Sensory Picnic ⭐️
****EDIT: Registration is now CLOSED!****

1. Email sent to all who inquired. (Check your spam folder if you don’t see it.)

2. Email sent to all who registered,
2026 ASGHA Sensory Picnic: Information & Instructions (Check your spam.)

3. Pre-registration and ASGHA Membership are required. DO NOT WAIT! Registration will close soon. (We need a headcount for food.)

05/01/2026

•••••EDIT: Registration is CLOSED! ••••
Emails with instructions & information sent!

⭐️EDIT: 2026 ASGHA SENSORY PICNIC!!⭐️REGISTRATION IS CLOSED! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hurry, we’re only open for two weeks.
Email: [email protected]
to get the registration link and link to join/renew (or check) ASGHA Membership.

It’s fun for ALL ages!!! Bouncy Houses, Big Inflatable fun, Horse rides, Joonie Balloon, DJ,
Raffle Prizes, Therapy dogs, Sensory Stations, Crafts, Bingo, eat hot dogs, just to name a few things going on! It’s a popular event!!!

Sunday, May 17, 2026, 12-4 p.m.
Mechanicsburg, PA
Please bring a covered dish or dessert.
⭐️Please note that pre-registration and ASGHA membership are prerequisites.⭐️

To receive the registration links and join/renew, send an email, including your name and phone number, to: [email protected]

PRE-REGISTRATION and CURRENT ASGHA MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED!! It’s easy, ASGHA Membership and ASGHA Event registration are handled by the same person, in one email.

Note: I work smarter, not harder, so I send out emails when I have multiple emails to send out.

04/30/2026

•••YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS OUT•••

✨It’s that time, 2026 ASGHA Sensory Picnic!!✨REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!
Hurry, we’re only open for two weeks.

Sunday, May 17, 2026, 12-4 p.m.
Mechanicsburg, PA
Please note that pre-registration and ASGHA membership are prerequisites.

To receive the registration links and join/renew, send an email, including your name and phone number, to: [email protected]

PRE-REGISTRATION and CURRENT ASGHA MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED!! It’s easy, ASGHA Membership and ASGHA Event registration are handled by the same person, in one email.