Ava Sofia Foundation

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Ava Sofia Foundation To encourage awareness and acceptance of Autism on the community and to increase family engagement.

Our favorite guy, Rodeo, is on stage! 🎭💛We are incredibly excited to celebrate Rodeo as he performs in The Curious Incid...
06/09/2026

Our favorite guy, Rodeo, is on stage! 🎭💛

We are incredibly excited to celebrate Rodeo as he performs in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the Aloha Theatre, with his mom, Trixie, joining the cast on stage as well.

The show has officially debuted and is already a huge success!

The story follows Christopher, a brilliant 15-year-old whose experience of the world is strongly associated with autism. What begins as a mystery surrounding his neighbor’s dog becomes a powerful journey through family, trust, independence, communication and navigating a world that doesn’t always make sense to him.

What makes this production especially meaningful to us is that an autistic character is being portrayed by an autistic individual. There is something incredibly powerful about seeing authentic representation on a local stage and giving an autistic performer the opportunity to bring his own perspective and lived experience to the role.

The production uses movement, sound, lighting, projections and technology to bring the audience into Christopher’s experience. Of course, autism is a spectrum, and no single character or theatrical interpretation can represent the experiences of every autistic person. But we are grateful for art that creates space for conversation, understanding and neurodivergent voices.

We are so proud of Rodeo, and it makes the experience even sweeter to have Trixie sharing the stage with him. đź’›

A huge mahalo to Director Brett McCardle for bringing this production to our community, believing in inclusive casting, and creating a space where authentic representation can happen.

🎭 SHOWTIMES AT THE ALOHA THEATRE

TODAY — Sunday, September 6 | 2:30 PM
Friday, September 11 | 7:30 PM
Saturday, September 12 | 7:30 PM
Sunday, September 13 | 2:30 PM

⚠️ Sensory note: This production uses projections, sound, lighting and other technology as part of its portrayal of Christopher’s experience. There is increased action and flashing lights in the second half, so audience members with sensory sensitivities or photosensitivity may want to take that into consideration.

Come support our local theatre community and cheer on our Rodeo! 🎭💛

2026 HABA Conference was a success! We were very grateful for the opportunity to host a Parent Panel Discussion: Beyon...
05/09/2026

2026 HABA Conference was a success! We were very grateful for the opportunity to host a Parent Panel Discussion: Beyond the Treatment Plan: Building Meaningful Partnerships with Families. To have the opportunity not only to be the Parent Representative on the Board of Directors for Hawaiʻi Association for Behavior Analysis but to be given a platform to be treated as equal authority in successful partnerships with our ABA providers is just such an honor, a huge advancement in the field, and deeply felt connection and blessing. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

05/09/2026

2026 HABA Conference was a success! We were very grateful for the opportunity to host a Parent Panel Discussion: Beyond the Treatment Plan: Building Meaningful Partnerships with Families. To have the opportunity not only to be the Parent Representative on the Board of Directors for Hawaiʻi Association for Behavior Analysis but to be given a platform to be treated as equal authority in successful partnerships with our ABA providers is just such an honor, a huge advancement in the field, and deeply felt connection and blessing. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

The resounding message that kept coming up for me is the importance of stepping outside your comfort zone, and what that means for building resilience and opportunity - both for our autistic loved ones as well as our most authentic self. The beauty of self expression and reaching beyond our own confines is the best form of growth, and we all should challenge ourselves from time to time - what are you doing to step beyond your comfort zone?

What happens when we move beyond the treatment plan and truly listen to the people living it?At this year’s HABA Confere...
02/09/2026

What happens when we move beyond the treatment plan and truly listen to the people living it?

At this year’s HABA Conference, I’m honored to join Joanna, Brett, and Trixie for a parent panel exploring what meaningful partnership between families and professionals actually looks like.

Each of us brings a different lived experience. Joanna is a full-time caregiver and advocate. Brett is both an autistic adult and father of an autistic child. Trixie brings years of experience navigating systems while raising her child into young adulthood. I’ll share my experience raising Ava Sofia, my profoundly autistic, non speaking daughter, and how caregiving, culture, advocacy, and life in Hawaiʻi have shaped our journey.

We’ll talk about the realities that exist outside the therapy room, the vulnerability of trusting others with our children, dignity and autonomy, neuro-affirming care, cultural humility, and what it truly means to recognize families as partners.

Clinical expertise matters. So does the knowledge that comes from loving, knowing, and advocating for a person across every part of their life.

I’m grateful to share this conversation with three incredible voices and hope it leaves all of us thinking differently about what meaningful support can look like.

Can’t attend in person? The HABA Convention is September 3 and 4 and virtual attendance is available through BehaviorLive. We would love to have you join us. 💛 Link in bio 👆

Somewhere along the way, we started treating needing help as though it were the exception, instead of part of being huma...
15/08/2026

Somewhere along the way, we started treating needing help as though it were the exception, instead of part of being human.

When Ava was in preschool at Gordon McCaw STEAM Academy, her first teacher, Megan Carque , gave her classmates a remarkably simple explanation for why Ava had someone beside her, why things sometimes looked different for her, and why she might need more support than they did: “Ava just needs a little extra help.”

That was it. And I don’t think I realized then how much those words would shape the way our family thinks about inclusion.

At Autism Moms of Kona, kuleana is one of our cultural values. To us, it means recognizing our responsibility to one another and understanding that community isn’t built by everyone needing the same things. It’s built when those of us who can give a little more, do. The understanding that when we have the ability to carry a little more, we do. Not because another person is less capable or less valuable, but because sometimes they simply need more help than we do.

Ava needs a tremendous amount of help every day. Someone else may need help communicating. Another child may need help making a friend. Another family may need food, respite, transportation, patience, understanding, or simply someone willing to stand beside them.

And tomorrow, it could be us.

What makes any of us vulnerable changes throughout our lives. There will be seasons when we carry others and seasons when we need to be carried. Community means we don’t keep score.

Watching Jojo grow up alongside Ava, I realize she has been learning kuleana her entire life. She doesn’t seem to ask whether someone should need help. She notices that they do, and moves toward them.

Maybe that is the precedent we should be setting for all of our children.

Some people just need a little extra help. And when we can give it, we do.

🌊✨ You’re invited to a sensory-friendly adventure! ✨🌊Join us for a special Sensory-Friendly Showing of Disney’s Moana at...
17/07/2026

🌊✨ You’re invited to a sensory-friendly adventure! ✨🌊

Join us for a special Sensory-Friendly Showing of Disney’s Moana at Regal Keauhou!

We know that for many families, a traditional movie theater experience can be overwhelming. That’s why we’re creating a space where everyone is welcome to enjoy the magic of the movies in a way that feels comfortable and inclusive.

đź’™ Low lighting in the theater
🌺 Movement, noises, and wiggles are welcome
🎬 There will be full previews for this showing, so feel free to plan ahead for that!

đź“… Tuesday, July 21
đź•” 5:00 PM
đź“Ť Regal Keauhou

🎟️ $7 per ticket
Purchase online at avasofiafoundation.betterworld.org or pay via Venmo (or scan the QR code on the flyer). Link in our bio 👆

Whether this is your child’s very first movie or your family’s favorite tradition, we’d love to share this experience with you. Bring your ʻohana, invite a friend, and let’s celebrate an evening where everyone belongs.

đź’™ Because every family deserves access to the joy of community.

AutismAcceptance Neurodiversity InclusiveCommunity KailuaKona BigIsland HawaiiFamilies Autism FamilyFun AccessibilityMatters WeAreSpecialNeeds

🍿✨ A movie experience where everyone belongs. ✨Join us for a Sensory-Friendly Showing of Toy Story 5 at Regal Keauhou on...
30/06/2026

🍿✨ A movie experience where everyone belongs. ✨

Join us for a Sensory-Friendly Showing of Toy Story 5 at Regal Keauhou on Tuesday, June 30 at 5:00 PM!

At Autism Moms of Kona, we believe every family deserves the opportunity to enjoy community experiences without the worry of judgment or sensory overload. This special screening is designed to create a welcoming environment where laughter, movement, vocalizations, and taking breaks are all part of the experience.

❤️ Low lighting in the theater
đź’› Limited previews before the film
đź’™ Movement, noises, and wiggles are welcome

🎟️ Tickets are just $7 per person.

Whether this is your child’s first movie or your family’s favorite way to spend an evening together, we hope you’ll join us for a fun, inclusive night at the movies.

🎥 Tuesday, June 30
đź•” 5:00 PM
đź“Ť Regal Keauhou

Purchase tickets at avasofiafoundation.betterworld.org or via Venmo . Link in the bio 👆

Please share this post to help us reach more families who could benefit from a sensory-friendly movie experience. Together, we’re building a community where everyone is welcomed, included, and celebrated. ❤️💛💙

InclusionMatters KonaEvents BigIsland Neurodiversity CommunityForAll

Shout out to for collaborating with us to creating a sensory-engaging rock climbing activity for our autistic kiddos! ...
28/06/2026

Shout out to for collaborating with us to creating a sensory-engaging rock climbing activity for our autistic kiddos! We all had a ton of fun, and we appreciate and the Department of Education for sending volunteers to help support the climb, and to the Elks Lodge for sponsoring our tickets!

One of the many reasons we are successful in creating disability access in our community, is because we have faith in ou...
12/06/2026

One of the many reasons we are successful in creating disability access in our community, is because we have faith in our teachers, our service providers, our therapists, medical professionals and we believe they are a phenomenal source of support. A key Cultural Value we have in our organization is Ho’okipa, in Hawaiian it means hospitality. But true hospitality requires an accommodating host and a gracious guest, it goes both ways. We believe strongly in the power of being ready, willing and revitalized providers, but we also encourage our keiki and their families to be open to receiving the help in the true heart of collaboration. And that perspective is one key to our success.

Huge shout out the teachers Matthew Gaughen and and our DES Joseph Gross, along with the amazing and fun team at

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78-6831 Ali'l Drive Suite 342

96740

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(808)9379008

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