Our Place Nashville’s Family Group usually meets virtually the first Tuesday of the month. November’s meeting has been scheduled for today instead of September 5 to ensure people don’t have a conflict with getting to their polling station.

This evening’s focus is on emotional regulation — how family members and caregivers of loved ones with an intellectual and/or developmental disability can recognize and head off incidents as they are about to arise . . . and how best to manage them when they do.

Celina Turco, the Co=Founder and CFO of LifeConnect Health will speak on this topic and answer your questions. LifeConnect Health connects individuals with the supports necessary to optimize hjealtj and empower individual choice to achieve a fulfilling life. They provide a supportive community where each member receives a personalized treatment planfocusing on individual needs and goals. Their approach centers on Emotion Regulation Therapy using the Skills System by Dr. Julie Brown. Their program teaches nine core emotion regulation tools and three System Tools through DBT-informed group therapy sessions. Primary caretakers, including parents or DSPs, are involved in these sessions.

This group is for families of Friendship House resident friends and for the families of individuals on Our Place Nashville’s waiting list. Organizers will send you the link by email in advance of the meeting.

Our friends over at Empower TN have another amazing opportunity coming up: A Free, Virtual EmpowerCon meeting on Emergency Preparedness.

Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 10 am CT
 
As we have learned in TN, severe weather and other emergencies can happen anytime. Join Empower TN at this upcoming Zoom sessions to create your own, personal Emergency Preparedness Plan and be eligible to receive one of 50 emergency go-bags filled with essential supplies.

Click here to Sign Up

There will be NO OPN Monday Night Class on November 11th because of the observation of Veteran’s Day. See you next week on November 18.

You are invited to join us for a Game Day Special Event - a Friendsgiving Potluck! Thanks to funding from Kiwanis Club of Nashville, AutismTN is providing the centerpiece of our feast with delicious ham and turkey. Attendees are asked to bring your favorite side dish or dessert to share with the group. We will pull out the board games and have Game Day as usual once everyone has eaten and clean up is complete.

If this will be your first Game Day event, click HERE to learn more!

When: November 9, 2024Time: 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Address will be provided in your confirmation email

Registration Details

Please read through these details before registering for this event.

• Registration is required for this event.

• There is a limit of 4 people per registration. (1 main registration + 3 guests)

• Space for this event is limited to 50 people total.

• Registration will close on November 1, 2024 to ensure we have enough seating and supplies for everyone.

• There will be an additional sign up link in your confirmation email where you will signup for a specific side dish or dessert.

• Please plan to bring enough servings to generously serve 10 to 12 people. We want everyone to enjoy these delicious dishes!

• Anything that needs to be warm will need to be brought in a slow cooker.

• Due to the nature of this event, we cannot guarantee safe options for those with food sensitivities or allergies.

If you have any questions, please email Ashley Lira-Rivera: ashley@autismtn.org or Sam Long: sam@autismtn.org

Autism Tennessee Connect — the organization’s social networking group for adults — is holding an in-person Fall Festival at Discovery Stable, an equine-assisted growth and learning facility located at Cumberland Bend Farm in Madison.

Participants will spend time together at the farm, enjoying a hayride, bonfire, and connecting with the horses, donkeys, goats, and turkeys. This event is a great opportunity to relax, spend time with community members, and embrace the fall season in a supportive, neurodivergent-friendly environment.

If you’re interested in attending, you can register here. Contact Casey Davis with any questions you might have about Connect.

Christ Presbyterian’s Special Needs Ministry invites kids and adults with special needs (and their siblings) to enjoy an uplifting time of Bible stories music, and crafts.

This group meets monthly. Mark your calendar for upcoming Special Saturdays the rest of the 2024-2025 academic year: December 1, January 11, February 8, March 1, and April 12. Contact Gigi Sanders with any questions.

Empowered Gents is a social group that gathers to learn about assistive technology and other resources that increase the independence and confidence of men with disabilities. Participants share experiences and life hacks with their peers. Participation is free. Topics vary. 

When? Monthly on the 1st Thursday, 4:00 - 5:30 PM CT (5:00 - 6:30 PM ET), except when otherwise noted.

 Who can participate?

• Nonbinary, Trans, or Cisgender Men who:
  • are at least age 18
  • have any disability

• Participants are primarily located in Middle Tennessee, but eligible men are welcome to attend virtually via Zoom

• New Participants are welcome anytime

Registration is required to join the group and participate in each meeting. Details on discussion topics are posted on the Empower Tennessee Facebook page and emailed to returning participants prior to every meeting. 

Please feel free to contact Quoc "Q" Lam by phone/text at 615-212-9250 or by email at q@empowertn.org with questions or with a specific accommodation request.

Click Here to Register!

If you’ve not yet registered to vote, you must do so by October 7. You can register online at https://ovr.govote.tn.gov/. You can register by mail to vote in Tennessee by printing a voter registration form, filling it out, and mailing it to your local election office. You can also register to vote in person if you prefer at your local election office.

If you don’t know where to vote on Election Day, you can use this Davidson County Polling Place Finder to identify your polling location.

Polls will be open from 7:00 am - 7:00 pm.

WeGo Public Transit will provide free rides all day, for all trips, on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, 2024, within Davidson County to maximize opportunities for voter turnout. No special measures are needed for riders to take advantage of this opportunity: they can simply board the bus and go.

EmployME Chats: Autistic Entrepreneurship

Join us for the EmployME Chats on Autistic Entrepreneurship on November 4th, a 90-minute session featuring five Autistic entrepreneurs sharing their unique experiences and insights. Panelists will explore key topics such as starting and growing a business as an Autistic entrepreneur, balancing neurodivergence with business demands, effective cross-neurotype client communication, avoiding burnout, leveraging Autistic strengths, navigating neurotypical business norms, and marketing and funding strategies. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable advice, learn from challenges, and hear success stories from Autistic entrepreneurs.

Find out more about the four panelists and sign up by clicking here!

Sheree Warrick will be joining us to help our residents learn some fun cake decorating skills! Everyone will have their own cake to decorate, and Sheree will walk us through a few Thanksgiving and Christmas themed decorations to gear up for the holidays. All supplies will be provided. OPN Community Classes are open to ALL Current and Waiting List residents. If you are not on the waiting list but would like to sign up for just the classes, please let us know. Classes are hosted at the Community Room at Friendship House 5 from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm (please note the change of time from previous semesters). Due to the nature of this class, there will not be an option to zoom in.

OPN Community Classes are open to ALL current and waiting list residents. If you are not on the waiting list but would like to sign up for just the classes, please contact Ashley Matthews.

The Metro Parks’ disABILITIES Sports Leagues will be hosting an Indoor Soccer League this Fall. Participants will learn the basics of indoor soccer and how to improve their soccer skills! Saturday Leagues are open leagues for community individuals. Saturday Leagues will include disABILITIES Leagues & Inclusion Leagues. You can register here

League dates are:

November 2, 9, 16, and 23 and

December 7 and 14

For questions or more information, please contact the disABILITIES Program Office at 615-862-8489 or email Jonathan Shelton at jonathan.shelton@nashville.gov.

The Extra Mile is the largest Down syndrome awareness event in Tennessee and is the Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennessee’s awareness event in Tennessee and is DSAMT’s primary source for program funding . . . but you do not have to fundraise to participate.

Whether you know someone who has Down syndrome or just want to show your support, take the first step and donate or register today.

If you have any questions about The Extra Mile, please email Tanya Chavez or visit The Extra Mile’s website.

Join us as we continue to create amazing glassworks with Nashville Glassworks! Our final glass making class for the year will be October 30 when we make holiday ornaments!

Classes with Nashville Glassworks take place on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm at Friendship House 5’s Community Room. Please contact Ashley Matthews if you have any questions.

Please support the amazing artists at Nashville Glassworks by checking out their storefront at 100 Taylor Art Collective - 100 Taylor Street, Suite C13 Nashville, TN 37208 or going to their online catalog.

Tonight’s class will focus on understanding ASL (American Sign Language) and Deaf Culture. Mike Helms oversees adult education and outreach at Bridges, a nearly 100-year-old non-profit organization serving Nashville’s Deaf/deaf and hard of hearing community. Mike will talk with us about the variety of ways they identify themselves. He, for instance, identifies with Deaf culture and uses ASL as a first language. Others may not identify with Deaf culture and language and may use cochlear implants and/or be oral deaf. Hard of hearing people may have mild to profound hearing loss and rely on captions, hearing aids, or other tools.

With residents in our community who are Deaf deaf or hard of hearing, and with people on our waiting list who are Deaf/deaf, this class could not be more timely, and it will empower us to be better housemates and neighbors.

OPN Community Classes are open to ALL current and waiting list residents. If you are not on the waiting list but would like to sign up for just the classes, please contact us.

Classes are hosted at the Community Room of Friendship House 5 from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm . Some classes also will have a virtual option for those who are unable to join in person. Just click here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2593782809.

Join Metro Parks’ disABILITIES Program for a Community Day at The Belcourt Theatre. Doors open at 9:30 am and the movie will begin promptly at 10:00 am. This event is for individuals with Intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers.  There will be no cost to attend this movie, however you must have a ticket to attend.  Reserve your tickethere.

For questions about this event or any Metro Parks’ disABILITIES Program’s offerings, please email Glen Adkins or call the Metro Parks disABILITIES Program’s office at 615-862-8489. The movie title will be available the week before the showing, you can all MPDP’s office for the movio selection.

Community Days are programs and/or activities designed for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to attend with their caregivers/staff. There will be MPDP staff onsite to help facilitate the activity/event, but it is not the staff’s responsibility to care for individuals participating in Community Days. 

Upcoming Movie Dates:

• November 25

• December 16

The Ascent is a group that meets twice a month on Sunday evenings with a time of fellowship, amazing worship, a fun activity, and a message geared toward adults with special needs. Please register so that they will know if you will be joining them for dinner to ensure they have enough food for everyone! You can register here.

Mark your calendars for all the Ascent events for the 2024-2025 year: October 27, November 10, December 9, January 12 and 26, February 9 and 23, March 9 and 23, April 13 and 27, and May 4.

For more information, contact Gigi Sanders. There is no cost to Ascent participants.

The Metro Parks' disABILITIES Sports Leagues will be hosting a 7-week Corn Hole League at the Centennial Sportsplex. League Games will be played on Fridays through mid-December. Upcoming Dates for the Corn Hole League are:

October 25

November 1, 8, 15, and 22

December 6 and 13

There is no fee to participate, but all athletes must have a valid Sports Physical and Sports Waiver.

For questions about MPDP’s Sports Leagues, please contact the Metro Parks’ disABILITIES Program’s office at 615-862-8489, email Johnathan Shelton at johnathan.shelton@nashville.gov or email Glen Adkins at golden.adkins@nashville.gov.

You can register to participate in this free activity here.

Did you know that items like Play-Doh or slime can be used as tools for stress relief, self-regulation, and even creativity? Jordan H., a resident at Our Place Nashville, teaches high school science clubs around Nashville. This evening, Jordan will be helping our friends make their own slime and explaining how it can benefit both our brains and emotions.

OPN Monday Night Classes are an opportunity for all of our residents from all five Friendship House communities to join together for an evening of learning, socializing, and fun! Each week, we learn a skill, tackle a life skills topic, or invite guests to lead a class in a fun activity or hobby that can potentially make our lives better!

OPN Monday Nights are open to ALL current and waiting list residents. If you are not on the waiting list but would like to sign up for just the classes, please contact us.

Classes are hosted at the Community Room of Friendship House 5 from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm . Some classes also will have a virtual option for those who are unable to join in person. Just click here. Contact Ashley Matthews for more information.

The KBK Project Initiative invites individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities to come to a Halloween Costume Party at Progress Inc. A family member or caregiver can accompany the partygoer.

The cost is $5/person and the event will include food, beverages, music, and a fun, interactive environment.

For more information, call 615-497-6400 or email thekbkproject@gmail.com.

MOVE Inclusive Dance offers a free Latin Dance Class every month. This class is a great workout, a fun way to meet people, and accessible for all ages and ability levels. Join in for an exciting and energetic class that combines fun, fitness, and the infectious rhythms of salsa, merengue, and Bachata.

No previous dance experience is required. You can register for the class here. To make the most of your Latin Dance experience, MOVE Inclusive Dance suggests bringing a water bottle and wearing comfortable shoes for dancing. Sneakers work great and provide the necessary support for the energetic movements involved. Get ready for a workout that not only benefits your body but also uplifts your spirits.

For more information, call the studio at 615-582-4993. Next month’s Latin Dance Class is scheduled for Saturday, November 9 at 12 noon.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Dietetic Internship Program and Our Place Nashville are partnering for a seventh year with dietetic interns teaching Friendship House residents about cooking — how to make it easy, tasty, healthy, and inexpensive.

These classes are among our most popular and are earmarked for Friendship House residents; if there’s enough room, individuals on our waiting list are welcome.

This final class for the spring semester will meet at Friendship House FIVE. Please let Ashley Matthews know if you plan to come and she will reserve a spot for you.

Empower Tennessee welcomes you to join a free online support group for LGBTQ+ young adults with disabilities. The program is open to adults ages 18 through 28 who live in Tennessee, who self-identify as having a disability and as being in the LGBTQ+ community.

There are two versions of the Empowered Rainbow Crew. You may participate in either or both. The groups are facilitated from a neurodiversity affirming perspective by a licensed mental health provider who self identifies as LGBT.

In the private, therapeutic support group, we meet weekly for 8 weeks to learn about mental health, build community around our identities and experiences, play games, and make art. 

In the ongoing, monthly peer support group, we meet on the 3rd Thursday from 12:30 - 2:30 pm Central. Our next gathering will be held virtually on October 17th, 2024.
To sign up for either group or to learn more, contact Dan Dumont, LCSW at dan@empowertn.org or simply reply to this email.

Note: Zoom Meeting details for Empower Tennessee Peer Groups will only be provided to those who register to protect the privacy of all participants.

Metro Parks' disABILITIES Program is happy to offer an opportunity for adults with special needs to learn, socialize, assert their independence and find their place in our library community. Join in for a fun, interactive program filled with books, music, and activities designed for adults — regardless of reading ability-- and their support person. Caregivers are encouraged to participate.

Stories for Everyone meets at the Coleman Park Community Center and meets on Thursdays through

November 14.

Upcoming dates:

• October 24 and 31

• November 7 and 14

Call the disABILITIES Program's office at 615-862-8489 for more information.

Our Place Nashville’s American Sign Language class resumed earlier this month after a summer hiatus. The class is small and students are at the beginner/intermediate level. The group meets virtually on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm. Instructor Marsha James is a Washington, D.C.-based television producer who learned ASL at Gallaudet University. Her enthusiasm is contagious and class participants learn and have fun simultaneously!

Please contact Carolyn Naifeh to register or if you would like more information. You should be at least at the advanced beginner or intermediate level if you would like to join in. This class is free for current and prospective Friendship House residents. Zoom information will be provided to people who sign up for the class.

October’s remaining classes are scheduled for October 22 and 29.

Over the summer, Empower Music Therapy completed a six-week course in music therapy with a small group of our OPN residents. We are excited to have them back for a Monday night class- this time for the whole community!

Anna Laura McAfee is a certified music therapist whose favorite part of her work is “witnessing her clients open up and blossom into their true selves.” She uses music to help others build awareness, autonomy, and self-determination through improvisation, art-making to music, playlist creation, and songwriting. Anna Laura will lead our friends in a community songwriting class with a compassionate and inclusive approach!

OPN life skills classes are open to ALL current and waiting list residents. If you are not on the waiting list but would like to sign up for just the classes, please contact us.

Classes are hosted at the Community Room at Friendship House 5 from 6:00 pm-7:00 pm (please note the change of time from previous semesters). This class will also have a virtual option for those who are unable to join in person. Just click here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2593782809 

Autism Tennessee Connect In-Person is offering two one-hour intro self-defense classes at Executive Martial Arts, When you register, please indicate your preferred class time (6:30 pm OR 7:30 pm). Please note that registration for each class is limited to 15 people, and there is no cost to attend. You can register for this class here.

Executive Martial Arts, a school led by Grandmaster Chris Garland, is "a school of Neurodivergent people" that offers traditional Hapkido training for all ages, genders, and skill levels, including a program specifically for Neurodivergent students. In this introductory class, participants will learn beginning hand techniques, wrist breaks, and how to escape from a potential threat. 

Martial arts can benefit Autistic and other neurodivergent people of all ages by offering structured learning environments, clear and logical instructions, measurable goals, and a supportive community atmosphere. It provides skills in self-defense and conflict resolution, self-regulation techniques, and even the potential to develop a new Dedicated Interest!

AutismTN Connect In-Person is a welcoming space for Autistic adults to come together in-person and share their experiences, challenges, and triumphs.  If you have questions about Connect In-Person, please contact Casey Davis, the Connect Facilitator (and an orange belt in Kempo Karate). 

The National Disability Rights Network is premiering "Accessing Democracy," a documentary about voting access for people with disabilities.

The film follows Monica Wiley as she interviews disabled voters about barriers they face in civic participation. It explores how politicians often overlook this large minority group and what disabled voters want from elected officials.

Join the online premiere and Q&A panel with the filmmakers. Register here for the online premiere. You can watch the trailer here.