A profound statement is made when you are faced with the truth that 1 in 68 children are being diagnosed with autism. “I am 1 of you” is the inclusive message of Crystal Academy efforts to remind their neighborhood that their students are part of the Coral Gables community while educating the general public about autism.
The Coral Gales Museum is dedicating its “Community Meeting Room” space, Apr. 2-9, to the Crystal Academy children at the museum event, where throughout the week they will have an Interactive Educational Expo, art exhibits with the main purpose of guiding visitors through the journey of autism.
“It is an honor and a privilege for the Coral Gables Museum to be able to sponsor Crystal Academy with such a unique exhibition,” said John Allen, executive director at the museum. “Our commitment to the community goes beyond the traditional arts and reflects the presence of this special segment of our society. Crystal Academy has been tailoring special programs for autism with trends in creativity getting magnificent results.”
Crystal Academy students range in age from 2 to 15 with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other developmental delays.
“For many of the Crystal Academy students featured in the exhibition, creative expression represents something more than an outlet for an active imagination. Art can provide a source of decompression and a means of communication,” said Mary Palacio-Pike, Crystal Academy founder and president, who is a mother of a 15-year-old with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
The Coral Gables Museum and Crystal Academy invite the general public and families with children on the autism spectrum to join them for this sensory-friendly experience. It will be an encounter designed to better understand the journey of ASD life.
The exhibition will include a unique peak into the souls of family members and their strong love for their siblings, sons and/or daughters with autism. The children at the museum event is part of the celebration of the Worldwide Autism Awareness Day during the month of April,
For more information visit www.coralgablesmuseum.org and www.crystalacademy.com.
