Go Lake Havasu is Now a Certified Autism Center™

Go Lake Havasu, the tourism marketing organization for Lake Havasu City, is now a Certified Autism Center™ designated by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). The CAC designation means that Go Lake Havasu staff completed professional autism training and certification to recognize and assist with the needs of travelers and visitors on the autism spectrum.

“Lake Havasu City is unique in that we have a beautiful serene lake but we also have sights and sounds like fireworks and hot rods that may provide sensory challenges for our friends and visitors with ASD,” said Terence Concannon, CEO of Go Lake Havasu. “Our organization and our community feel the greater our understanding of these challenges, the greater support we can provide to our visitors with autism and their caregivers.”

Temperature at Lake Havasu Lake Havasu City offers many opportunities to engage in the natural beauty of Arizona. For example, water can be attractive and soothing to some people with autism and other special needs. Go Lake Havasu staff recommend the no-wake zone at Rotary Community Park’s buoyed swim area can be a safe space for special needs guests to decompress when they feel overstimulated. Pete A. Sanders, Jr. is a stress management specialist who has worked extensively with veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs. For maximum benefit, he recommends using this resource at night: “Floating at night in this swim area’s gently rocking waters offers the deep stress-relieving benefits of a sensory deprivation tank to soothe limbic brain distress–but at no cost or risk of negative side effects. It offers relief for PTSD sufferers and families traveling with children and adults on the autism spectrum.”

For almost 20 years, IBCCES has been the leader in cognitive disorder training and certification for healthcare, education and corporate professionals around the globe. IBCCES recognized that many families with children who have special needs have limited travel and recreation options. In response to this need, IBCCES created training and certification programs specifically for the hospitality and travel industry. More families and individuals are seeking out destinations and organizations that have completed a certification program through an accredited source. IBCCES is the only credentialing organization providing this type of certification, which includes evidence-based information as well as the perspectives of individuals with autism, alongside other tools and resources such as onsite reviews and customized recommendations, as well as renewal requirements to ensure the program is a long-term commitment and has a lasting impact.

“We’re impressed with the dedication of the Go Lake Havasu staff has to better serving individuals on the autism spectrum. Organizations like Go Lake Havasu are critical to accomplishing our mission of inclusivity for all families,” said Myron Pincomb, IBCCES Board Chairman.

About Go Lake Havasu
Lake Havasu City sits comfortably on the eastern shore of Lake Havasu along the Colorado River border of California and Arizona. The city was established in 1963 by Robert P. McCulloch, Sr. as a self-sufficient, planned community. Lake Havasu City is located on what is known as “Arizona’s West Coast,” just three hours’ driving time west of Phoenix, two and half hours south of Las Vegas and four to five east of the Los Angeles area. As part of the northern and western limits of the Sonoran Desert, Lake Havasu City and the surrounding area feature outstanding biodiversity absolutely loaded with beautiful experiences.

The area attracts 835,000 visitors annually with its historic London Bridge, pristine lake, friendly community, abundant sunshine and annual events, ideal weather and wide range of restaurants and lodging. More than 400 miles of stunning coastline offer exceptional watersports, including fishing, skiing, kayaking and house boating. Visitors can also explore the lake from the beautiful beaches, campsites and hiking trails.

Rated as one of the top 100 best bass fishing lakes in America, Lake Havasu is ideal for catching large and small-mouth bass and renowned as a striped bass fishery. The Lake Havasu region is also host to extensive off-road trails and undeveloped stretches of river.

About IBCCES

Delivering The Global Standard For Training and Certification in The Field of Cognitive Disorders – IBCCES provides a series of certifications that empower professionals to be leaders in their field and improve the outcomes for the individuals they serve. These programs are the only training and certification programs endorsed by the largest grassroots autism organization in the world, The Autism Society of America, and recognized around the world as the leading benchmark for training and certification in the areas of autism and other cognitive disorders.