YAWA Experiences

Atlanta Botanical Garden

Atlanta's Botanical Garden was fun under the sun even while maintaining social distancing. Everyone is back and happy to see each other.

Atlanta Zoo

Field Trip to the Zoo, after months of quarantining. Social Distance and Masks still required but at least we have each other.

YAWA at Autism Speaks Walk

Georgia Association for Positive Behavior Support Conference

The GAPBS is a network of the national Association for Positive Behavior Support (www.apbs.org).
The Purpose of GAPBS is to increase visibility of positive behavior support in our state of Georgia.
For Instance the theme of this year's annual conference was "Connecting School, Home, And Community through Positive Behavior Support."
Y.A.W.A was there to show how we promote the expansion and dissemination of positive behavior support in our communities through educational activities and creating home settings.

Barnes & Thornburg Lunch and Learn

During Autism Awareness members of Y.A.W.A hosted a lunch and learn about Autism and the Y.A.W.A program.
Y.A.W.A members gave speeches and got to sit down and eat lunch with professionals at Barnes & Thornburg Law Firm.

Learning to Navigate Around the City Using MARTA & UBER

Members of Y.A.W.A learn how to take the Marta and how to use an Uber.
On the Red Line we went from North Springs to the Airport.
We took an Uber from the Marta stop to BurgerFi to enjoy a nice tasty burger.
Some members even got to take the Marta home.

Christmas at Stone Park

Get into the holiday spirit.
Having fun viewing the lights, shows, and music of the holidays.
Visiting with some of our favorite holiday characters

Funtime Bowling

A chance to fellowship with the group.
Good time bowling a few frames.
Just a chance to be apart of something exciting

Jimmy Carter Center

Everyone got a chance to learn about the former president Carter.
Got to explore the library and see what the the president's office looked like in the white house.
The museum is filled with pages and pages of information, photos, and videos.

Party at the Lake House

Stayed overnight at the Directors lake house.
Went grocery shopping for breakfast lunch and dinner.
Took turns in making meals.
Had a camp fire and made smores.
Went tubing out on the boat.
Was the first time being on a boat for some members.

Night at the Movies

Went for dinner and a movie.
Watched Superpower Dogs
Ate at Luck's Burger and Brew

Botanical Gardens

Enjoying a nice walk through the Garden of Lights at the Botanical Gardens.
Grabbed snacks at the Hot Cocoa Bar.

Midtown Bowl

Enjoyed a fun time out at Midtown Bowl.
Played a friendly game of bowling with new members of Y.A.W.A.

Cirque De Soleil

Watched the Cirque du Soleil Volta perform amazing acrobats and tricks.
The show was based on extreme sports with a game show host named Waz.

Big Apple Circus

Watched award winning acts from around the world.
Acts included magic, acrobats, and many more circus acts.
Big Apple Circus embrace Autism with amazing artistry.
Certain performances include sensory adaptations to welcome ASD patrons and their families. There are also modifications to sound and lighting.

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site

During Black History month we sought out to learn more about one of the greatest of all time activists.
We got to see M.L.K house while he was growing up and many memorabilia's of his house.
We also went inside the King center to walk around and learn what all M.L.K did for his community and the world.

Aquarium

Learned about Life in the Ocean at the Georgia Aquarium.
Got splashed by dolphins as we experienced the AT&T Dolphin Celebration.
After the show we walked across the street to Johnny Rockets to enjoy a nice tasty meal.

Fernbank Planetarium

Experienced a world of adventure filled with dinosaurs and live animals such as snakes.
Also sat down in the planetarium and learned about constellations in the sky.

Bodies The Exhibit and California Pizza

Learned all about our human bodies.
Over 200 actual human bodies and specimens dissected and displayed.
Afterwards we all went and enjoyed some hot oven fresh pizza at California Pizza Kitchen.

Brunch

Breakfast and Lunch? Or better yet we like to call it Brunch!
Tacos and Spaghetti are always yummier when you cook it yourself.
Creating a grocery list, shopping at Sprouts, and making the food with love all took place.

Chefs of Y.A.W.A

Dinner and a Show at Nakato

Experienced what it as like to formally dine at a Japanese Steak House.
Got to watch culinary skills at first hand while enjoying a tasty dinner.

A Night Out at the Alliance Theater

We started with a meal at Tin Lizzy's.
Explored public transportation (Marta) around Midtown. For a couple of the YAWA members this was their first time riding the Marta.
We finished the night with a play at the Alliance Theatre.

High Museum of Art

We saw exhibits Al Taylor, What Are You Looking At?
Amy Elkins: Black Is Day, Black Is Night

Infinity Energy Center

The Grinch meets the Nutcracker, inspired by Dr. Seuss' classic children's story.
This ballet foretells the story of the ultimate Christmas hater, who along the way battles against the nutcracker and many more.