October 10 | Your Story & Advocacy: The Caregiver Story Lab - Reframing Your Story
Join the Autism Society of Indiana for an interactive caregiver workshop focused on reframing personal experiences and exploring how lived experiences can become sources of insight, education, and change. Through guided exercises, conversation, and real-world examples, participants will consider what their experiences can teach, create, and contribute to their communities.
Event Details
When: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM–2:00 PM
Where: Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Cost: Not specified
Format: In person
Registration: Required
Event Details & Registration: Visit the Autism Society of Indiana for event information and registration
About This Event
Reframing Your Story is an interactive workshop created for caregivers who want to explore the experiences that have shaped them and consider how those experiences might contribute to advocacy, education, connection, or change.
The workshop moves beyond simply telling what happened. Participants will use guided exercises, conversation, and real-world examples to explore what their experiences can teach, create, and contribute.
Special guest Vanessa Hayden, author and founder of Partly Whimsical, will share how she transformed personal tragedy and professional experience into a story of healing, a children's book, and a company focused on helping families and businesses create safer, sensory-tailored spaces.
The session offers an opportunity to think about lived experience as something that can inform meaningful change while connecting with other caregivers and community members.
Accessibility Highlights
Features Participants May Appreciate:
Interactive, caregiver-focused workshop
Guided exercises and conversation
Real-world examples of advocacy through lived experience
Opportunity to connect with other caregivers
Focus on sensory-tailored spaces and creating greater understanding
Hosted by the Autism Society of Indiana
Helpful Planning Tips:
Register through the Autism Society of Indiana before attending.
Plan to attend the full four-hour workshop if possible.
Bring a notebook or other way to take notes if that is helpful for you.
Consider ahead of time whether there is a personal experience you may want to explore during the guided activities.
Give yourself some transition time before and after the workshop if you tend to need a little space around longer group activities.
Contact the Autism Society of Indiana directly if you need information about specific accommodations.
Who Might Enjoy This Event?
This event may be a good fit for:
Parents and caregivers
Family members supporting autistic individuals
Caregivers interested in advocacy
People who want to share their lived experiences
Caregivers exploring storytelling as a form of advocacy
Community members interested in disability advocacy
People interested in creating more accessible and sensory-aware spaces
What Families May Want to Know
Before you go:
This is a four-hour, in-person workshop.
The workshop takes place at Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne.
Registration is required.
The focus is on caregivers' experiences, storytelling, advocacy, and creating change.
The workshop includes guided exercises and conversation, so participants should expect some level of active participation.
Vanessa Hayden will share her own experience of turning personal and professional experiences into advocacy-focused work.
If you have specific accessibility or accommodation needs, consider contacting the Autism Society of Indiana before attending.
Why Families May Appreciate It
Caregiving can come with a lot of experiences that are difficult to explain to people outside of your family or community. This workshop creates space to look at those experiences from another angle and consider what they might teach, inspire, or contribute.
For caregivers who are interested in advocacy, storytelling can also be a way to help others understand experiences that may otherwise be overlooked. This workshop offers an opportunity to explore that process alongside other people who may have their own experiences to share.
The emphasis is not simply on telling a story, but on considering what can come from it.
Plan Your Visit
☐ Register through the Autism Society of Indiana
☐ Review the workshop details before attending
☐ Consider what personal experiences you may want to explore
☐ Bring a notebook or preferred note-taking tool
☐ Plan for the full 10:00 AM–2:00 PM session
☐ Contact the Autism Society of Indiana about any specific accommodation needs
☐ Give yourself time to arrive and get settled before the workshop begins
What’s on Your Calendar?
Know about another sensory-friendly, inclusive, or family-friendly event happening in Central Indiana?
