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Optimal Access / Access Academy

Optimal ACCESS is a not-for-profit agency committed to supporting autistic individuals to achieve their maximum potential. TO DONATE!

https://www.zeffy.com/donation-form/donate-to-make-a-difference-6627 Optimal Rhythms strives to:
• Support individuals to achieve rich and meaningful relationships
• Increase access to innovative and evidence-based therapies, trainings, and programming
• Excel in the education of persons with neurological impairments and differences, through competency and strength identification
• Provide educational support/training to family members, caregivers, and professionals regarding NMT and the use of rhythm to support the needs of the individuals they care for
• Promote research opportunities which seek advances in best practice approaches to support individuals with complex sensory-motor differences and communication challenges (apraxia)

03/17/2026

The City of Evansville has officially proclaimed Rethinking Autism Week.

This is more than a moment — it’s a movement.

A shift toward understanding autism through a neuromotor lens,
toward presuming competence, and toward creating real access to communication, education, and autonomy — especially for autistic individuals with high support needs.

Let’s keep rethinking autism. Together.
Registration Link: https://whova.com/portal/registration/go5aTazY1srsLiI93rju/

03/16/2026

🚨 Final Days to Register! 🚨

We’re wrapping up registration for the Rethinking Autism Conference, and we don’t want you to miss it.

Join us for a transformative experience filled with learning, connection, and practical strategies you can bring back to your community.

Registration closes this week! Registration link is in our bio!
Secure your spot now before it’s too late.

03/16/2026

Proclamation: Rethinking Autism Week in Evansville

We are honored to share that Mayor Stephanie Terry has officially proclaimed March 16–20, 2026 as Rethinking Autism Week in the City of Evansville, Indiana.

This proclamation recognizes that autism is a natural part of human diversity and affirms the importance of presuming competence, supporting communication access, and expanding opportunities for autistic individuals with high support needs.

It also highlights the impact of the 2026 Rethinking Autism Conference, which brings together families, educators, clinicians, researchers, and self-advocates to advance compassionate, research-informed, and inclusive practices.

We are grateful to Mayor Stephanie Terry and the City of Evansville for recognizing the importance of connection, regulation, communication, and learning for autistic individuals—especially those who are nonspeaking, minimally speaking, and unreliably speaking.

Together, we continue the work to challenge assumptions, raise expectations, and expand access to communication and opportunity.

Let’s celebrate Rethinking Autism Week and continue the movement to . Join us on Thursday and Friday for the 2026 Rethinking Autism Conference at the University of Southern Indiana!

03/15/2026

Big thanks to

Lily Grace, Jacki Damm, Mariana Gryniv, Diana Dobbs Gray

for all your support! Congrats for being top fans on a streak 🔥!

03/13/2026

Only 6 days to go!

Together we will explore how connection, regulation, and communication work together to unlock learning, especially for nonspeaking, unreliably speaking, and minimally speaking autistic individuals. Expect powerful insights, practical strategies, and meaningful conversations with a community committed to presuming competence and rethinking what is possible for individuals with high support needs!

- Learn from experts and lived experience
- Discover strategies you can apply right away
- Connect with others who are passionate about supporting autistic individuals

There is still time to be part of this important conversation.

👉 Register here:
https://whova.com/portal/registration/go5aTazY1srsLiI93rju/

Tag a colleague, share with a friend, and help us spread the word. Let’s come together and get ready to .

03/12/2026

Session Highlight: We’re honored to welcome Brady Mohr, a speller and advocate for individuals with Down syndrome, to the Rethinking Autism Conference.

Down syndrome, like autism, is often misunderstood. Too often, individuals are underestimated because of differences in speech and motor control, leading others to assume limitations that simply aren’t true. Brady’s story challenges those assumptions and reminds us why presuming competence and providing access to reliable communication matters.

Through spelling-based communication, Brady shares his thoughts, experiences, and advocacy—helping others see that intelligence, insight, and identity are not defined by a person’s ability to speak.

Join us March 19–20 as educators, therapists, families, and advocates come together to rethink connection, regulation, and communication for learning.

Attend in person or virtually.

Register today:
https://whova.com/portal/registration/go5aTazY1srsLiI93rju/

03/11/2026

Session Highlight: We’re proud to feature Mike Kane, a Self-Advocate, Speller, and Student at Optimal ACCESS / ACCESS Academy, as a presenter at the Rethinking Autism Conference.

Mike’s journey is a powerful reminder of what becomes possible when individuals are supported with patience, belief, and the right regulation and communication supports. Once feeling hopeless and misunderstood, Mike is now earning his accredited diploma and preparing for his next goal—college.

Through his lived experience, Mike shares a message that challenges assumptions and shows what can happen when we presume competence and provide meaningful support. His story speaks to the power of connection, rhythm, and relationships in helping individuals find their voice and their future.

Join us March 19–20 as educators, therapists, families, and advocates come together to rethink connection, regulation, and communication for learning.

Attend in person or virtually.

Register today:
https://whova.com/portal/registration/go5aTazY1srsLiI93rju/

03/11/2026

Session Highlight: We’re honored to welcome Diana Pastora Carson, founder of Go Beyond Awareness, as a session speaker at the Rethinking Autism Conference.

Diana brings a deeply personal and powerful perspective shaped by years of advocacy for her brother, Joaquin. Her story invites us to reflect on what true belonging looks like for disabled individuals and challenges us to move beyond awareness toward dignity, inclusion, and self-determination.

Through her journey, Diana reminds us why presuming competence and building supportive communities matters—and how each of us can play a role in creating spaces where every person is valued and included.

Join us March 19–20 as educators, therapists, families, and advocates come together to rethink connection, regulation, and communication for learning.

Attend in person or virtually.

Register today:
https://whova.com/portal/registration/go5aTazY1srsLiI93rju/

03/11/2026

We’re excited to feature Kaitlin Brazina, Behavior Support Specialist, at the Rethinking Autism Conference.

Kaitlin will explore what changes when we begin to understand autism through a neuromotor lens rather than relying on traditional behavior-management models. Instead of focusing on controlling behavior, this perspective invites us to consider the underlying motor, sensory, and regulatory differences that shape how autistic individuals move, communicate, and participate in the world.

This session will challenge long-held assumptions and encourage a shift toward more compassionate, strengths-based supports that prioritize autonomy, dignity, and meaningful participation—especially for individuals who cannot rely on speech to communicate.

Join us March 19–20 as educators, therapists, families, and advocates come together to rethink connection, regulation, and communication for learning.

Attend in person or virtually.

Register today:
https://whova.com/portal/registration/go5aTazY1srsLiI93rju/

03/11/2026

Session Highlight: Tahni Cullen: Presuming Personhood: Nurturing Identity. Not Just Ability

We’re so excited to introduce Tahni Cullen, author, advocate, and mother to Josiah, whose powerful story is shared in the book Josiah’s Fire.

In Josiah’s Fire, Tahni and Josiah share their journey of discovering his voice through spelling-based communication after years of being misunderstood as a nonspeaker. Their story has inspired families and professionals around the world to rethink assumptions about communication, intelligence, and the rich inner lives of nonspeaking autistic individuals.

Join us March 19–20 as we bring together educators, therapists, families, and advocates for two days of learning and conversation focused on connection, regulation, and communication for learning.

Attend in person or virtually.

Register today:
https://whova.com/portal/registration/go5aTazY1srsLiI93rju/

03/10/2026

We’re kicking off our Session Highlights with our featured keynote speaker, Erin Clarelli. Erin will also be leading 2 workshops on Day 2.

Workshop 1: Understanding Your Sensory Profile to Strengthen Co-Regulation Workshop 2: Exploring Sensory Profiles Through Case Studies and Discussion.

We can’t wait for the Rethinking Autism Conference on March 19–20!

Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to learn, grow, and rethink how we support connection, regulation, and communication for learning.

Perfect for educators, therapists, families, and professionals supporting autistic and apraxic individuals.

Join us in person or virtually.

CEUs available for Occupational Therapists, Music Therapists, and professionals with Behavioral Health and Human Services licenses.

Register today:
https://whova.com/portal/registration/go5aTazY1srsLiI93rju/

03/10/2026

FREE EVENT - March is Disability Awareness Month
Encouragement and Hope for Families Affected by Disability:
When the World Says Cope, God Says Hope

Wednesday, March 18
Time: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Place: Crossroads Christian Church - Chapel

Join Tahni Cullen, co-author of Josiah’s Fire, for a candid conversation for parents, caregivers, educators of children with disabilities, disabled adults, and anyone who loves or supports individuals with complex needs.

When the doctors say, “No known cause. No known cure. Lifelong,” where does hope live? After nearly two decades as an autism mom, Tahni invites a shift in posture — from managing a diagnosis to leaning in and discovering the person.

Together, we’ll explore the spiritual toll a diagnosis can carry and how, instead, God’s promises speak dignity, purpose, and future over every life. Because no one is a label — and no life is meant to merely cope, but to live in hope to the fullest and uncover the gifts hidden in each person.

Please SHARE and plan to join us! Pre-registration is appreciated: https://cccgo.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3506424

Address

1003 Old SR 662 W
Newburgh, IN
47630

Telephone

+18124909401

Website

http://optimalaccess.org/, http://www.optimalaccess.org/rethinking-autism-conference/

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