Parents of children with special needs find resources at ‘Community Connection Fair’ in Iron County

Written by Jeff Richards
April 6, 2022
Second annual "Community Connection Fair" at Gateway Preparatory Academy, Enoch, Utah, April 2, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

ENOCH — Dozens of people turned out for a “Community Connection Fair” at Gateway Preparatory Academy in Enoch on Saturday.

Second annual “Community Connection Fair” at Gateway Preparatory Academy, Enoch, Utah, April 2, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Organizer Tanisha Wittwer said approximately 75 people attended the two-hour event, which was designed to help people learn more about resources available for families with children who have autism and other special needs.

Wittwer, a self-described “autism mom” of a 7-year-old, heads a local support group called the Iron County Family to Family Network.

Saturday marked the second annual such fair, Wittwer said, adding that she spearheaded the event so that families could connect with one another and find available community resources.

“This is my way to create a community to be more accepting of people who have autism, like my daughter,” Wittwer said.

One of the many important resources highlighted at the fair was the “Safety Response Plan” that parents and caregivers of those with special needs can fill out so that law enforcement officers will have their pertinent information available if needed, particularly in emergency situations.

Second annual “Community Connection Fair” at Gateway Preparatory Academy, Enoch, Utah, April 2, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

The plan can be used for anyone with any type of mental health concern, said Brenda Pires of Enoch Police Department and the Iron-Beaver-Garfield Mental Health Unit. These include but are not limited to autism, ADHS, Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorders.

The safety response plan enables specially trained “Tier 2” officers to have the information they need to respond to mental health calls appropriately by using techniques to de-escalate the situation, Pires said. 

For more information about the safety response plan or to fill out a registration form, click here.

The fair included a variety of fun activities for kids, including a golf putting challenge, a Lego robotics demonstration, and tables with kinetic sand and play dough.

In addition to the sponsoring organization, Iron County Family to Family Network, other participating agencies, organizations and vendors at the fair included Utah Parent Center, Rapid Reboot, Iron-Beaver-Garfield Mental Health Unit, Family Support Center, Chrysalis, Utah Behavior Services, Southern Utah University STEM, Canyon Creek Services and Utah Department of Workforce Services Vocational Rehabilitation, as well as RRCI, which is a St. George based nonprofit that provides support, education and equipment to those with disabilities

Anyone who may have missed out on Saturday’s fair but would like to know more about any of the groups or resources is invited to contact Tanisha Wittwer via phone at 435-477-2583 or by email.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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