CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – On Saturday, April 27 at 8:30 a.m. family and friends of children on the Autism Spectrum will line the halls of Westdale Mall for the 6th Annual Autism Walk. Four Oaks supports this event as children served by the agency, such as Dallas Dircks, benefit from the work of the Eastern Iowa Autism Society.
The Autism Walk will include a silent auction, kid zone, photo booth, entertainment, autism-related vendors and an appearance by Miss Iowa. The event raises funds to directly support local families with scholarships to programs that treat Autism Spectrum disorders. One such program is Four Oaks Asperger’s Program.
Diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum disorder, Dallas Dircks along with his parents, Cindy and Randy, have benefited from the resources provided by the Four Oaks and the Eastern Iowa Autism Society. Over the three years that Dallas has been in the Four Oaks program, Cindy and Randy have witnessed consistent results. Cindy highlights one moment in particular that made her step back in awe of her son’s development. The family had just arrived at the bowling alley on a cold and windy evening. Instead of walking directly into the establishment with no awareness of anything or anyone around him, Dallas stopped and held the door open for a woman that was coming in after him. This is a significant achievement for children like Dallas who struggle with normal daily social interactions.
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The Eastern Iowa Autism Society advocates for the use of services, such as those provided by Four Oaks, that work with children on the Autism Spectrum to improve their social skills, thereby removing a key barrier. Four Oaks appreciates the community partnerships that enable children with Autism Spectrum disorders to succeed.
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Four Oaks, a nonprofit child welfare, juvenile justice, and behavioral health agency founded in 1973 and headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, offers services to children and families in all 99 Iowa counties. Four Oaks, and its affiliates, serve more than 14,000 people annually throughout Iowa.
The agency has offices in 13 Iowa cities including Altoona, Ankeny, Bertram, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Dubuque, Independence, Iowa City, Mason City, Monticello, Newton, Vinton and Waterloo. Four Oaks carries out its mission to "assure children become successful adults" by providing holistic prevention, intervention, and treatment programs and services.
Four Oaks is nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children, Inc.
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The Autism Society of East Central Iowa (EIAS) exists to be an advocate for all those affected with Autism Spectrum Disorder. EIAS does this by increasing public awareness about the day-to-day issues faced by people on the spectrum, advocating for appropriate services for individuals across the lifespan, and providing the latest information regarding treatment, education, research and advocacy.
The local chapter is headquartered in Marion, Iowa and serves the Grant Wood area.
Contact Information:
Anna Patty, Four Oaks
Office: 319-784-2021
apatty@fouroaks.org
Cindy Dircks, Eastern Iowa Autism Society
Office: 319-310-2687
cindy@ecias.org