We are a blended family with eight children and a daughter-in-law together. Our oldest is twenty-three and our youngest is seven. Scott is a real estate agent and Heather is a certified teacher.
As the parents of a daughter on the autism spectrum, we know first - hand how important it is to have a place like Colors of the Alphabet to go to. Here, our daughter and all children can freely express themselves through stimming and sensory exploration without fear of judgment or misunderstanding.
Children on the spectrum constantly have demands placed on them to conform to the world around them; they are in therapies that teach them how to be more like those with neurotypical minds. Colors of the Alphabet will be a safe space where they can truly be themselves.
We hope that all parents who enter our doors feel peace of mind knowing that Colors of the Alphabet was specifically designed to be an environment that is safe, accommodating, and supportive of their child’s unique sensory needs.
Welcome to Our World
What’s In a Name?
Synesthesia is a neurological phenomenon where stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to involuntary experience in another pathway. For example, someone with synesthesia may see colors when they hear music, taste flavors when they read words, or perceive shapes when they smell scents. These associations are consistent and automatic for individuals with synesthesia, often from a very young age.
In relation to children on the autism spectrum, there is some evidence to suggest a higher prevalence of synesthesia among individuals with autism compared to the general population. Our daughter, who was diagnosed with autism at just twenty months old, associates a certain color for each letter of the alphabet. Whether she is coloring at home, at school or at a library, A is always the same color, B is always the same color, C is always the same color and so on. She lacks verbal communication skills so she isn’t able to fully express to me what it means and why she chose pink for D and purple for K but I hope one day she will be able to because I find it absolutely fascinating.
In choosing a name for our indoor playground, we wanted something unique that would relate to all children but would relate specifically to autism parents, while also acknowledging our sweet girl and all her talents and abilities.