Torrington Area Families for Autism-TAFA

08/31/2026

Thank you LTK for helping us kick (and karate chop) our way into a new week 🥋🧩❤️
There are 2 age groups for these classes; all located at T.A.F.A. You can register for classes individually by date here: https://tafainc.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/event-detail?event=415&
Thank you Hartford HealthCare for always supporting our adaptive recreation programs!

08/27/2026

🥳🎉 🚓🚒🚑 SO excited to announce this event!
Open to individuals of all ages with autism, or any special needs who benefit from a sensory-friendly, accommodating experience 😊

- City of Torrington, Police Department, Torrington Fire Department and Center for EMS Services at Trinity Health Of New England workers and vehicles will be present for families to engage & interact with. This is critical for individuals with special needs to establish familiarity and decrease adverse reactions through positive exposure without too much sensory input (lights, sirens, etc).

- Torrington Public Works will be bringing vehicles to explore as well! All structured, strategic exposure to community workers and their vehicles can have a positive impact on overall community engagement for children and families with special needs, so we are thankful to have them!

-This event will also raise awareness of the blue and yellow envelope programs available to families to keep in their car if they should ever find themselves in a vehicle safety situation where first responders need to engage with their autistic and/or ID/D loved one. Distributing these envelopes and building awareness increases the probability of swift, appropriate and safe interactions between first responders and individuals with special needs in emergency situations like car accidents or traffic stops. Special thank you to Linked- Autism Safety Project who works diligently to promote the use of first responder tools like these ❤️🧩

-This event is mutually important to our families and first responders because it increases the likelihood for all involved to feel more empowered and informed should they ever be involved in a crisis call or emergency situation. This keeps everyone feeling more safe and supported.

Thank you to all involved with making this event happen, special thanks to Torrington Public Schools for providing us with a large, safe space to use at Southwest School ❤️

It takes a village to do this work, and we are beyond grateful for the village we have built at T.A.F.A. prioritizing true community inclusion for all 🤗❤️

REGISTRATION REQUIRED!! So be sure to scan the QR code, or visit: https://tafainc.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents%2F56259
Sign up for a timed entry, in order to stagger attendees and limit crowd-size for sensory-friendly purposes.

08/26/2026

Excited to continue our long-standing adaptive dance collaboration with Center for Dance Arts-Torrington! These classes provide beneficial movement and exercise, while also offering opportunities to practice skills like following verbal directions, imitating gross motor movements, working in groups, and practice with social skills 🥰
We are so grateful for this partnership with Miss Yvonne Donaghy, and the fact that her studio always prioritizes inclusion for all in our community ❤️
Use the QR code or visit the link to register: https://app.gostudiopro.com/online/thecenterfordancearts

08/24/2026

🥳 So excited to announce this collaboration with Nick Lucatino, M.S. BCBA LBA and founder of Inclusive Pathways Project LLC 😊
We know that ABA support can be hard to come by in northwest CT and we recognize that waitlists and insurance barriers often acerbate limited accessibility. This program allows parents to virtually access a BCBA for 1 hour a week over the course of 5 weeks in order to receive individualized guidance on supporting their loved one with autism.
Thanks to a generous grant from United Way of Northwest Connecticut we are able to offer this service AT NO COST to families ❤️🧩

08/24/2026

Autism parenting is hard. I will never deny that because I live it, but there is also so much hope. Be sure to give yourself plenty of grace when everything feels insurmountably challenging, dig into continuing to learn and advocate for the best ways to support your unique child in all settings, and celebrate each and every victory, no matter how “small”. Regularly look back on how far your child has come, without only looking at how far they still have to go. Standardized timelines and milestones are arbitrary in the autism world, but meaningful progress continues over the course of a lifetime in increments big and small❤️🧩

08/22/2026

08/20/2026

Reminder: TOMORROW is our last summer Fun Friday 😎🤗
Pre-registration required!: https://tafainc.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents%2F48364

08/20/2026

Did you know that just about half of 25-year-olds with autism have never held a paying job, and global estimates range as high as 85 percent for autistic unemployment or underemployment? 😳😱🤯😢
A large contributing factor is that individuals with autism require a lot of exposure to work skills and structured opportunities to learn that they don’t often receive. Many times our kids are automatically pushed into food service, cleaning and retail without any consideration for their special interests or individual areas of strength. At T.A.F.A., we incorporate vocational agricultural skills into tending to our garden and working at the farmers market, from growing and tending to the flowers to handling customer exchanges. We are always aiming to give more valuable lifelong opportunities and fill gaps because ALL of our children deserve to shine and grow with autonomy and support 🥰🧩❤️
When you visit us at the Farmers Market, you support programs like our garden and the wonderful young men behind it 😊
A special thank you St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Torrington CT. and Hartford HealthCare for always supporting our garden endeavors! ❤️

08/20/2026

On Saturday, August 8th we held our TENTH Annual Tee It Up 4 Autism Fundraiser golf tournament at Fairview Farm Golf Course! Ten years of providing autism support, activities, resources and programs to hundreds of families in the community all thanks to our amazing and generous golfers, sponsors and supporters who elevate our mission and prioritize autism inclusion and opportunities. This year we had 34 foursomes and an absolutely packed house for dinner 😳 . A huge thank you to Catherine Marbray for speaking to the importance of T.A.F.A. for local autism families during the reception 🥰
And an enormous thank you to the following sponsors … 🙏🏻👏❤️🧩

❤️🧩Presenting:
Steel & Concrete Construction Service
Magnolia Health & Infusions LLC
Restoration 1 of Waterbury

💍Platinum:
Sharp Dressed Barbershop
Spritz of Sun Studio
Harwinton Graphics
Wittmann USA

⚜️Gold:
Torrington Savings
Friends & Family of John J. Chickos

🪙 Silver:
Innovative Lawn & Landscape LLC
Emily & Jeffrey Cole
Thomaston Savings Bank
Bethlehem Masonry & Supply
Borla Real Estate

💰Hole in One:
Sullivan Automotive Group

08/15/2026

Come support T.A.F.A. at the Torrington Farmers Market today 10am-1pm!
Our first dahlia bouquets are ready 💐🤗