Emerald Coast Exceptional Families

06/18/2026

Today is Autistic Pride Day!

Autistic Pride Day is all about celebrating our unique identity and the diversity of the human experience. Let’s embrace our differences, promote understanding, and make the world a more accepting and inclusive place for everyone.

We are proud to partner with and support our autistic members!🩵

To learn more about Autistic Pride Day, please visit: https://autisticprideday.org/

06/17/2026

June 17 is International CDKL5 Day! This month is CDKL5 Awareness Month. Today, and this month, we wear green to support awareness of CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder.

CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder is a rare x-linked genetic disorder that manifests itself in the first few weeks or months of life with early-onset seizures.

There are estimated to be several thousand cases in the world, but that number changes frequently, as improved genetic testing has evolved and population studies are undertaken.

CDKL5 Disorder is a neurological disorder that causes treatment-resistant seizures and often severe developmental and cognitive impairments.

Children born with this disorder have impaired CDKL5 protein in the brain.

We are proud to partner with and support our families experiencing CDKL5. 💚

To learn more about CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder, please visit: https://www.cdkl5research.org/what-is-cdkl5

06/16/2026

ECEF is honored to partner with Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office FL and Santa Rosa County Emergency Management in the creation of the SAFE program. This program will assist our first responders to handle our special people with special care! For more information, visit https://santarosasheriff.org/safe-program/

Already enrolled and need to update with a recent picture? It is recommended to update pictures once a year for those participants 18 years old and younger. Please follow this link: https://santarosasheriff.org/update-safe-enrollment/

We are so thankful to have this partnership to further the safety of all!🩷

06/10/2026

Our friends at Navarre Beach Lifeguards are having an Adaptive Beach Day! Be sure to email them to sign up as spaces are limited!

06/10/2026

Anything is possible! 🚀🧑‍🚀

A former Paralympian is on track to become the first person with a physical disability to enter orbit.

06/09/2026

Way to go Blues Clues!

Blue’s Clues introduced its first autistic character, and the team made sure to get it right.

Her name is Lavender, a purple koala who loves bird-watching and dreams of earning her very own bird badge. To shape her authentically, the show brought on a disability authenticity consultant who is autistic themselves.

That lived experience showed up in the details. During a review of a scene where the characters build a tent, the consultant noticed Lavender’s face stayed still as she worked, and flagged it. Many autistic people show focus and joy differently, and that small note made the character truer to life.

It is a reminder of why authentic representation matters. When autistic people help tell autistic stories, the result is something children actually recognize themselves in. 💙

SOURCE: HuffPost

06/08/2026

Free meals for kids 18 and younger!

Students 18 years old and under are welcome to join us for breakfast and/or lunch this summer in our cafeteria, Monday through Friday. Meals will be served in a grab-n-go style and are FREE to students.

Come enjoy!

06/07/2026

Today is Tourette Syndrome Awareness Day! Tourette Syndrome (TS) is part of a spectrum of hereditary, childhood-onset, neurodevelopmental conditions referred to as Tic Disorders. These conditions affect both children and adults, and cause sudden, uncontrollable movements and/or sounds called tics. TS and tics can be emotionally, physically, and socially debilitating.

We are proud to partner with our families experiencing Tourette Syndrome. 💜

For more information on Tourette Syndrome, please visit: https://tourette.org/about-tourette/overview/

06/07/2026

Enjoying our night at the Wahoos!! A little rain at the start but it turned out to be a nice cool evening out!!

06/03/2026

The time to learn is now! Check out this great opportunity!

💜 Parent Advocacy Support Group 💜

Parents and caregivers of children with disabilities—join us for a special workshop on ABLE Accounts & Special Needs Trust Planning with Attorney John Stokes.

As parents, we may not know what the future holds, but we can prepare today. Learn how these important tools can help protect benefits, secure assets, and support your child’s long-term success.

📅 Saturday, June 20
🕝 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM

📍 Fort Walton Beach Library
💻 Virtual Option Available

Come c***ect with other families, gain valuable resources, and find encouragement from a community that understands.

💜 You are not alone.

Hosted by Beyond Disabilities Foundation
✨ Igniting Hope. Empowering Lives.

💜