Putnam County School District to host autism resource fair April 2

Putnam County School District Superintendent Rick Cerny announced during The Pulse podcast that the district will host an autism resource fair on April 2 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the C.L. Overturf cafeteria to mark National Autism Awareness Month.

The event is designed to gather diagnostic and intervention services, community organizations and practical supports in a single location so families can find resources more easily, Andy Bernett, the district's ESC director, said. "There's so many different resources out there for parents," Bernett said, and the fair will let families "go to different booths where we have organizations that explain the services they offer."

Kesha Davis, who identified herself as chair of the autism committee and a member of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority, said families have faced local gaps in services. "Autism affects one in 31 children," Davis said, and the fair aims to connect parents with intervention services, everyday safety tools and community programs so children can receive diagnoses and help earlier.

Organizers said the fair will move into the C.L. Overturf cafeteria to give vendors and families more space than last year. Kimetta (Kim) Hardy, a staffing specialist with the district, said the event will include sensory tables for children, raffles and light refreshments to lower barriers to attendance. "We've tried to think about everything so parents don't have to not be able to come," she said.

Attendees can expect tables from local and regional providers mentioned on the program: UF CARD, Project Atlas (involved in diagnosis), the Ark of Putnam County (an adult-services organization), ABA therapists and Golden Care Therapy, among others. The hosts said the fair will also include parent speakers and a table listing low-cost tools families found useful last year — items such as stove-knob covers and door indicators intended to reduce safety risks for children who elope.

Bernett urged parents to engage with their child's individualized education program (IEP) team, noting that supports are determined case by case: "We're supposed to look at the student individually," he said, "because ASD is a broad spectrum." Davis — a parent of a nonverbal 13‑year‑old who received services outside the county when he was younger — described the fair as a way to share practical solutions she uses at home and to reduce families' need to travel outside Putnam County for services.

Organizers said more information may be posted on the district website; a contact string in the episode transcript appears as "zmzdv1gmail.com," which could not be verified from the recording. Hosts also noted that the cafeteria is off Mosley Avenue and that parking is available on site.

The district encouraged anyone interested — not only parents of children with disabilities — to attend. The episode closed with a reminder of the date and time and a request that listeners check the district's channels for further details.