Family Initiative seeks 2026 Autism Acceptance Awards nominations
Nominations are currently being sought for Family Initiative’s 2026 Autism Acceptance Awards Gala.
President and Co-Founder of Family Initiative David Brown said this is the fifth Autism Acceptance Awards Gala.
“Honestly, we wanted to create a venue to recognize all the awesome people that we serve alongside every day and the work we do. Too often there were these unsung heroes that were educators, clinicians and advocates across the region,” he said.
Brown said for some of them it has been decades of serving kids and families that they love so much without receiving any kind of recognition that they deserved. He said the gala is an evening that they highlight and celebrate these people.
“It’s a spectacular event and the coolest thing to share the people’s stories and the impact they created for many for years supporting the autism community,” he said.
There are four categories for nominations:
• The Believer Award: for an individual or organization that uses its resources to impact individuals and families with autism positively.
• The Champion Award: for an individual who uses their resources or influence to advance the well-being of those with Autism Spectrum Disorder or to strengthen understanding and acceptance of autism in the community.
• The Partner Award: for a professional or organization in the field of autism that has made an exceptional impact on individuals with autism.
• The “Dylan” Award: named for a remarkable young man whose life inspired a bold vision of what is possible for individuals on the autism spectrum. This award recognizes an individual who has gone above and beyond for the ASD community and has served as an inspiration to others.
Nominations can be made at fi-florida.org until March 31.
There are 12 people who sit on the selection committee – young adults and adolescents who are on the spectrum – who review the nominees.
“There is a portal there (online) where people can select the award they want to nominate someone for and put in information about the nominees,” Brown said.
Last year, there were more than 50 people nominated across the region for the different awards.
“It has been really cool. Each year it really grows. There are lots of people that are starting to submit more nominations,” Brown said.
The awards were chosen to think widely about all the different ways people have created an impact for families.
“Some do it through advocacy, clinical work. There are a lot of different ways we have seen for people to really move the needle for families. We created a space for each of the folks to be recognized,” Brown said.
There are also sponsorship opportunities available for individuals, which range from presenting sponsor to table sponsors.
“There are so many businesses from across the state that support the event and it means the world to use to have that,” Brown said. “We are always looking for more sponsors to get involved — for those businesses to come out and connect with families and individuals on the autism spectrum and hear their stories. It’s awesome to see so many local businesses come out and care so much about the mission and about them. It’s fantastic.”
The gala will be held April 25, at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center in Fort Myers. The event attracted 400 attendees with many leaders across the region to celebrate and highlight the impact of the awardees last year.
To make nominations and become a sponsor, visit fi-florida.org.
To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY, please email news@breezenewspapers.com