Sensory-friendly festival in Hilo brings together families with autistic children

A Kailua-Kona-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering Hawaiʻi Island’s keiki with autism and celebrating neurodiversity is hosting on Saturday its second annual sensory-friendly festival in Hilo.

The four-year-old Ava Sofia Foundation, also known as Autism Moms of Kona, supports children on the autism spectrum and their families, so they can thrive at home while integrating keiki into a community that welcomes them with understanding, acceptance and aloha.

“We have determined that organic growth and a threshold of 25 families willing to participate, as well as key individuals to fill roles, were necessary before we could invest in the expansion of our programs and resources,” said founder Jessica McCullum. “Our Sensory Festival is one of the major fundraisers every year, and families in Kona have loved it.”

The festival is enjoyable and welcoming for children of all ages and abilities, whether they are sensory-sensitive, sensory-seeking, or neither.

“During these festivals, parents have come to us in tears of gratitude because they feel that their child’s disability is celebrated more as a neurodiversity,” McCullum said. “They also feel they can relax, because we ensure safety and accommodations necessary for typical autism behaviors and for sensory sensitivities to sound or crowds.”

Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder, is a condition characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a need or strong preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing differences, focused interests and repetitive behaviors.

The Hilo Sensory Festival will be small and manageable with sensory-friendly arts and crafts — lava slime, galaxy playdough and sensory “calm” bottles — which are great for kids who enjoy using their hands.

For keiki who prefer to observe rather than participate, there will be stations with things like mini sensory pools, music and bubbles.

“Typically at resource fairs, organizations are handing out papers and some don’t have options for kids, so I wanted to fasten this in a way that would create a supportive group of parents who understand each other much more,” McCullum said. “Families on the Kona side have grown close over the past years, and it’s partly due to that understanding. It takes a parent of a neurodiverse keiki to truly understand what it is like raising a child on the spectrum.”

Since they have been operating in Kona for a while, parents in Hilo knew what to expect during the first Sensory Festival in Hilo last year. It is a safe space not only for the children but also for parents interested in asking questions and learning more about their child.

“The vision statement for the Ava Sofia Foundation is ‘WE are Special Needs,’ and we strive to support the families raising a child on the spectrum so that they can thrive in the home,” McCullum said.

“Our hopes are to continue to share the journeys of all of our keiki on the autism spectrum within our community and to expand the resources available to meet the needs of all those who are neurodiverse, thereby empowering people with disabilities.”

Along with the festivals, the Ava Sofia Foundation has been able to establish itself in Kona, growing from 30 members to 390 over the past three years. It is involved in numerous projects that could help families across the island, including:

• Creating a hub to connect families within the community
• Providing support services to those who may need them
• Hosting inclusive family-friendly events on the island
• Coalescing groups to support Profound Autism, while also Celebrating Neurodiversity
• Offering awareness and acceptance for Autism
• Incentivizing training programs and sponsoring respite packages
• Encouraging acceptance from all within the community

The second annual Hilo Sensory Festival will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Hilo Daijingu Hall. Tickets are $5 online and $10 at the door. Qualified members of the Ava Sofia Foundation are free with a discount code, and members will have an hour to themselves from 9 to 10 a.m.

For more information about this weekend’s festival, email Anne Jose, the lead event coordinator in the Hilo chapter, at anne@avasofiafoundation.org. The Ava Sofia Foundation and its programs and resources can be found at autismmomsofkona.com.