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continued from p.21 The Oakville flag-raising ceremony was among many held throughout Ontario at various municipal government offices, schools, recreation centres, libraries and stores -- all as a way to build more inclusive communities for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parents can feel overwhelmed Lisa Mourad, the Halton Chapter's volunteer communications coordinator, says parents can feel overwhelmed when a child receives an ASD diagnosis. Wait lists for funded programs can be three years "They often find themselves asking `Now what? What do I do? Where do I go?,'" she said. Six thousand live with ASD in Halton "About 6,000 people in Halton live with ASD and we find that there is a lack of adequate programs and services. Wait lists for funded programs can be up to three years. Individuals with autism benefit from early intervention and access to learning opportunities, so our chapter hopes to fill the gap by providing these opportunities," explained Mourad. The non-profit organization relies on donations, fundraising, membership dues and the Potential Programme to run its services. These include play date opportunities, sensory friendly movie days and renting out facilities to give families exclusive access to places like indoor playgrounds, swimming pools, trampoline parks or bowling. Other programs include cooking classes, pizza parties and skill-building opportunities. They also provide advocacy at the school board and support groups and socializing opportunities for adults and teenagers with ASD, sibling and parent support groups. "The Chapter Leadership Council tries to choose programs and activities that are needed in the community because they are not offered anywhere else or are not accessible for our community," Mourad said. "We want to ensure that individuals with ASD and their families can be included and accepted." For information on the Autism Ontario Halton Chapter, visit autismontario.com/ halton. 27 | Thursday, June 18, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com ALL THE FUN OF MUSKOKA WOODS IN YOUR OWN NEIGHBOURHOOD. CITYCAMP invites kids in Grades 1-6 to discover their true potential in many locations across the Greater Toronto Area. Confidence grows climbing up Spider Mountain, friendships flourish flying down inflatable water slides and creativity reigns with arts and crafts. All while staying close to home. Register today! climb high. close. MuskokaWoods.com 416-495-6960 stay Let the Sunshine In.... Prune your trees! Feed Your Trees Every Year OAKVILLE FERN HILL SCHOOL AUGUST 10-AUGUST 14 OAKVILLE THE MEETING HOUSE JULY 6-JULY 10 OAKVILLE THE MEETING HOUSE JULY 13-JULY 17 OAKVILLE FERN HILL SCHOOL AUGUST 4-AUGUST 7 905-491-6860 Buy a pair of Prescription Glasses and receive a pair of Sunglass Frames LandScape SuppLieS Get Your Rocks Off us! We Supply ·Top Soil · Compost · Mulch · Aggregates · Armour Stone · Interlock SoiL yourSeLf Join us for a free BBQ friday June 19th at no Charge! * See store for details 4th Line Dorval landscapeelements.ca 905-337-7625 QEW 92 Dunn Street Downtown oakville lebeauoptical@gmail.com www. lebeauoptical.com 450 Wyecroft Rd., Unit 4 905-845-3621