Accessible to All: Overcoming Friendship & Disability Issues
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has made some excellent strides in recent years with regard to making sure that schools, parks, play areas, and recreational facilities are accessible to all. Learning how to make friends at a young age is a skill that will last a lifetime. Overcoming disabilities like autism and cerebral palsy can be challenging for some children more than others. Sometimes all they need is a bit of coaching, support, and practice to get it right. Online support services can be beneficial, offering new ways to connect with autistic friends and other youth with similar disabilities in your local area and all across the country. Don’t give up when it comes to friendship and disability. Take advantage of resources like All Friends Network and the AFN Live-Link to meet other kids and young adults who are also looking to make new friends.
What is All Friends Network?
Currently located in Sarasota, Florida, All Friends Network is a non-profit corporation with a mission to help people of all ages with a concentration of young adults with autism, cerebral palsy, and other developmental disabilities. The organization has many resources and planned group activities for members and is currently developing an interactive and fun application that will be called Live-LINK. This app is designed to connect all AFN members in a fun and interactive way. A safe and friendly environment, the focus is on meeting new friends, cultivating relationships, enhancing life skills, and preparing for a more meaningfully independent and productive life.
The good news is that AFN and AFN Live-LINK are both designed to be accessible to all. Designed with users who have developmental disabilities like autism and cerebral palsy in mind, the website and app will allow everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, to interact freely. The application is a safe and secure environment for members to use to add their profiles and start communicating with other members. This is a stand-alone program that is only available to those who join as a member of the All Friends Network. To learn more about this program, click the link on the website or contact our team directly via our contact page.
Communication is Essential
Everyone is unique, and we all communicate with each other in different ways. Communication is an essential part of our daily lives. Some children and young adults with autism or cerebral palsy are able to talk and express themselves without any problems. However, there are some who have difficulty verbalizing their wants or needs. Learning how to communicate in the way that is most comfortable to the individual will go a long way toward helping them to share how they feel, what they like, and eventually, to make friends. When it comes to cerebral palsy, there are certain medical issues that can lead to speech and language problems in more than 50 percent of cases.
People with autism will frequently have challenges with communication and social skills. This can make it challenging to have everyday conversations, and there may be difficulties picking up on social cues. There are many different types of autism, and everyone is different. You might know someone with autism who can talk very well, while there are others who do not talk at all. Regardless of their ability to talk, most individuals with autism will have at least some degree of difficulty in making friends and communicating on a social level. Programs like All Friends Network can be beneficial to help those who want to participate more to gain the confidence needed to meet new people, make friends, and retain friendships.
Take the First Step
The first thing you need to do to get on the road to overcoming issues with friendship and disability is to get involved with a program like All Friends Network. In addition to the AFN-Live LINK application and membership opportunities, there are even more things planned for the future. Online educational training videos, seminars, and one-on-one sessions for members are in the works. These are just more ways for our members to achieve their own personal goals and have the life, friendships, and employment opportunities they want. Contact All Friends Network by calling 941-587-7172 or reach out through our online contact form.