J Steppin' 4 Autism

08/12/2026

We are absolutely speechless and overflowing with gratitude!

What started as our inaugural "Jaxson's Steppin' Into the Classroom" event in Bridgeton, Missouri this past Sunday has officially caught national attention! Because of the incredible local coverage, the story was picked up on the national news wire and even broadcast by KVUE out in Austin, Texas!

Because of YOUR support, the news is spreading about the vital need for sensory-friendly school supplies and tools for our amazing neurodivergent and autistic students. We are so proud of the 100 backpacks we donated and this is just the beginning of our journey to make classrooms inclusive for every child. We know our guiding angels are smiling down on this victory!

Thank you, St. Louis, and thank you, Austin! Let’s keep steppin’ together! 💙🧩🎒

👉 Watch the Texas broadcast here: https://youtu.be/tNR2-9IJM68

08/11/2026

We are sharing First Alert 4’s post because we are still smiling from Jaxson's Steppin' Into the Classroom! 🧩✨

A huge thank you to them for highlighting our mission. Fox 2 and KSDK covered the event as well, we are just waiting on those links to share with you!

Local nonprofit helps prepare neurodivergent students for school

08/09/2026

🎒 Jaxson’s Steppin’ into the Classroom was a success! 🎉

Our hearts are full this evening after an incredible afternoon celebrating and supporting our local autistic youth. We are proud to have sent 100 students off to school fully prepared with brand-new backpacks loaded with grade-specific traditional supplies and sensory fidgets!

A special highlight: our Pre-K through 3rd graders received noise-canceling headphones to assist them this school year, and families were able to grab visual timers and communication cards while supplies lasted. Beyond the essentials, it was a true community party packed with amazing local vendors, a bounce house, snow cones, popcorn, and snacks!

An Extra Special Thank You to Our Sponsors & Partners:Latitude Therapy (Event Sponsor): Thank you for hosting us at your Bridgeton location, sponsoring the book bags, and coordinating our vendors. Your dedication to our families is unmatched!
Steve Vonderkolb of Felix’s Pizza & Walmart Stores: Thank you so much for your incredibly generous supply donations.
Our Community Donors: Deepest thanks to the coworkers, friends, and families who purchased items from our wishlists, and to our founder's little sister for organizing a workplace donation drive!
The J Steppin’ Team & Volunteers: Thank you for working tirelessly to make today seamless and full of joy.
Media Spotlight: We want to extend a huge thank you to KSDK News, FOX 2, and First Alert 4 (KMOV) for coming out to cover today's event and helping us amplify our mission across the St. Louis region!

To every vendor and family who joined us, thank you for making today unforgettable. We are already planning and counting down the days until next year!

Drop your favorite photos from today in the comments below!

07/29/2026

FREE Backpacks + Family Fun! 🎒

At Latitude Therapy, we believe every child deserves to start the school year with confidence. That's why we're proud to sponsor Jaxson's Steppin' Into the Classroom by donating 100 backpacks for children with autism in our community!

Join us for an afternoon filled with fun, connection, and community.

Back-to-School Bash Saturday
August 9 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Latitude Therapy
3859 Fee Fee Rd, Bridgeton, MO 63044

Bring the whole family and enjoy:
* FREE backpacks for the first 100 children with autism who register
* Sensory-friendly activities
* Games and family fun
* Community vendors and local resources
* A chance to connect with other families

If your child could use a backpack to kick off the school year, we'd love to see you there!

Reserve your FREE backpack today:https://forms.gle/ozmQWouokAKuJtgj6

We can't wait to welcome our Latitude families and our community for a fun afternoon together. See you August 9! 💙

07/24/2026

Beyond the Meltdown 💙

I just published a new blog that comes straight from my heart as both a mother and an autism advocate.

Meltdowns are often misunderstood. They're not simply "bad behavior" or tantrums—they're a form of communication when a child is overwhelmed and their nervous system can no longer cope.

As the mother of an autistic son, I've experienced the difficult moments, the tears, the exhaustion, and the incredible moments of reconnection that remind me why compassion matters so much. I've learned that instead of asking, "What's wrong with my child?" we should ask, "What is my child trying to communicate?"

That simple shift in perspective can change everything.

In this blog, I share my personal experiences, why I believe understanding should always come before judgment, and why patience, connection, and communication are far more powerful than punishment.

If you're a parent, caregiver, educator, family member, or simply someone who wants to better understand autism, I hope you'll take a few minutes to read it.

💙 Every meltdown tells a story.
💙 Every behavior has meaning.
💙 Our children are so much more than their hardest moments.

Read the full blog here: https://www.jsteppin4autism.org/post/beyond-the-meltdown-understanding-autistic-children-through-patience-and-compassion

I'd love to hear your thoughts after you've read it. If this message resonates with you, please like, comment, and share—it may help another family feel seen, understood, and supported.

07/23/2026

🌟AMAZING NEWS FOR OUR COMMUNITY!🌟

We are so excited to see our friends at the St, Louis Arc launching The Nexus! This incredible new independent living community is exactly what our neurodiverse young adults need to thrive, build independence, and achieve their dreams.

Check out their post below to learn more about this beautiful milestone coming to the St. Louis area!

Coming Soon: Discover the Future of Independent Living at The Nexus

Virtual Q&A: Tuesday, July 28 from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Join us on July 28th to learn more about The Nexus, the St. Louis Arc’s bold, first-of-a-kind bridge to independent living scheduled to open in 2027. Located in Richmond Heights, The Nexus is an immersive learning experience within an apartment community designed to help neurodiverse young adults build skills for independence. Many young adults find themselves at a "services cliff" when they age out of school-based programs, and The Nexus is one of a series of solutions designed to help bridge this gap. Residents eager to learn, practice and master skills to live independently will reside at The Nexus for one to three years, depending on their individual needs. If you or a loved one are ready to take the next step toward independence, please join our Q&A to learn more and discover how to call this vibrant new community home.

Click below or in our bio to register for this webinar. All registrants will receive a follow-up email that includes a link to the recording as well as any resources shared during the webinar.

https://slarc.zoom.us/webinar/register/6817756658613/WN_gIEihMWNQzOWIYcxLXEmNg #/registration

07/18/2026

🚨 WE ARE GETTING CLOSE! HERE IS EXACTLY WHAT IS LEFT TO FILL 100 BACKPACKS! 🎒👇

We are putting the final touches on our upcoming Jaxson’s Steppin’ Into the Classroom Back-to-School Event at Latitude Therapy! We are so excited to host a private day full of fun activities for our invited kiddos, where 100 children will receive a brand-new backpack packed with essentials.

Because this is a specialized, private event for our registered families, we want to make sure every single bag is 100% complete.

Here is our exact remaining list—and look how affordable these deals are right now!
🎧 ON AMAZON:🎧
61 pairs of Headphones ($10 a pair on our Wishlist)

🛒 AT WALMART (Incredibly cheap right now!):
📁 100 Two-Pocket Folders (Only $0.25 each!)
📓 70 Notebooks (Only $0.35 each!)
🖍️ 80 packs of Crayons (Only $0.50 each!)
🎨 100 packs of Washable Markers (Only $0.74 each!)
📝 100 packs of Loose Leaf Paper (Only $0.84 each!)
📦 Pencil Boxes (Only $0.92 each!)
✂️ 100 pairs of Adaptive Scissors (Only $2.18 each!)
✏️ 100–200 packs of Pencils

How you can help:
Click the link to shop headphones directly on our Amazon Wishlist. https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/30X2CWE5TNUBA?ref_=cm_sw_r_mwn_ggr-subnav-share_2HJPTWD1VKA3ZEBRXTEQ&language=en-US

Grab the other supplies during your next Walmart run and ship or drop them off at Latitude Therapy or directly to me!

(For less than $2.00, you can buy a notebook, folder, crayons, and markers!)

Everything you purchase ships or goes directly to me so I can personally sort, pack, and verify every single backpack for our kids!🔗

Whether you spend $1 or $10, your step makes a huge difference. Please SHARE this post to help our village cross the finish line for these kiddos! 💙

07/17/2026

We just received 36 pairs of noise canceling headphones for our very first J Steppin’ 4 Autism’s Jaxson’s Steppin’ Into the Classroom Back to School Drive!

These headphones were donated by the incredible supporter who heard about our mission and generously spent a $1000 purchasing items from our Amazon Wish List. I am beyond grateful for this amazing kindness and support for our autism community.

For many autistic children, noise canceling headphones, can make a world a difference by helping reduce sensory overload and making the school day a little easier to navigate.

Because of this generous donation, we are one step closer to our goal! We now need 67 pairs of headphones to make sure every child receives a pair in their new backpack.

Every donation, share, and word of encouragement helps us bring, smiles, confidence, and support to these amazing kiddos as they back to school.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you to our incredible donors and everyone who continues to believe in the mission of J Steppin’ 4 Autism. Together, we’re making a difference, one child, one backpack, and one step at a time. 💙🧩

07/15/2026

💙Community Kindness In Action! 💙

I had to share this news!

A special thank you to my sister for setting up a collection box at her workplace to support J Steppin’ 4 Autism’s First Back-to-School Drive!! Because of her support, someone saw the collection box, learned about our mission, and went above and beyond by purchasing multiple items (and taking $1,000) directly from our Amazon Wish List.

Moments like this remind us how powerful community support can be. Every item donated helps us get closer to our goal of filling 100 backpacks for amazing kiddos with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

I am so grateful to my sister for supporting me, her nephew, and the mission of J Steppin’ 4 Autism. Her kindness is helping to make a difference for children and families in our community.

We are still in need of school supplies and sensory support items to complete these backpacks. If you would like to help, please visit our Amazon Wish List:

Every donation, big or small, helps us provide kiddos with the tools they need to thrive in school.

Thank you for helping us fill 100 backpacks for children with autism!