I came across this poem but not sure how it came up in the search results, but it really resonated with me and I thought it might do the same for you.

HEAVEN'S VERY SPECIAL CHILD
A meeting was held quite far from Earth.
It was time again for another birth.
Said the Angels to the Lord above --
"This special child will need much love.
"Her progress may be very slow,
"Accomplishment she may not show.
"And she'll require extra care
"From the folks she meets down there.
"She may not run or laugh or play,
"Her thoughts may seem quite far away.
"So many times she will be labeled
"'different,' 'helpless' and disabled.
"So, let's be careful where she's sent.
"We want her life to be content.
"Please, Lord, find the parents who
"Will do a special job for you.
"They will not realize right away
"The leading role they are asked to play.
"But with this child sent from above
"Comes stronger faith, and richer love.
"And soon they'll know the privilege given
"In caring for their gift from heaven.
"Their precious charge, so meek and mild
"Is heaven's very special child."
~Author Edna Massimilla

Earlier today I shared a post on both my own profile and the facebook page and said the following:

“With today being the official Autism Awareness Day, this brings about a very special opportunity to us moms and dads to make a difference in our own communities. Although we live this each and every day, the community doesn’t always do the same. However, the media is going to be mentioning that it is Autism Awareness Day, there will be “Light it up Blue” campaigns going on all around the globe and what better opportunity is there to talk about autism openly to raise awareness. It’s more than wearing blue or sticking on our blue puzzle piece pin, it’s about raising awareness. Go out in the community, share your story, talk to complete strangers about autism and give them an opportunity to learn. What better way to raise awareness than opening our own mouths? 

Please take on this challenge; you’ll be glad you did!”

Let me explain why I think this is important. First and foremost, I simply love the idea of having the bulbs and lighting up our homes, I love that all across the globe iconic landmarks are taking the opportunity to light it up blue serve as a symbol of awareness. Although the blue puzzle piece is the symbol of Autism Speaks, the “Light it up blue” campaign has become what people recognize because of the blue buildings, statues and landmarks. These are all great things. But, I’m a strong believer that we cannot allow ourselves to only use Autism Awareness day as our only opportunity to raise awareness. We simply cannot afford to make it an annual event, a campaign that comes and goes.

As many of you who follow us on a regular basis know that we had the Autism: Coming of Age event at Weber State University last week. It was a tremendous success, we had a great turnout and most of all, we had so many people, many who were part of the planning with us, express their appreciation for learning more about autism, about the struggles as mom and dad we face, but more importantly, the struggles our kids face and will face as they grow older. These are real issues and issues that we cannot afford to wait for an annual reminder to our communities. Speaking out every day is a must. We have to be a collective voice, with our schools, our law enforcement, our government officials, our friends and family. We can light it up blue each and every day but simply opening our mouths to raise awareness, talking to anyone and everyone we can. Once we take that opportunity to do so, we will certainly be “lighting it up blue” and creating the awareness our community needs. 

Most of the people who follow our little group know that over the past few months we have been talking with our state representatives and senators here in Utah. In addition, we have been making regular trips to our state capitol to advocate for our community, the autism community, to get the fair and equitable representation by our insurance companies to make the proven, evidence based treatments (ABA) available and within reach to individuals that so desperately need the help. You also most likely know that this year, a bill was introduced to get us closer to obtaining that goal, House Bill 69 (http://le.utah.gov/~2012/htmdoc/hbillhtm/hb0069.htm). During this process, the autism community made their voice heard loud and clear when Senate Bill 138 
(http://le.utah.gov/~2012/htmdoc/sbillhtm/sb0138.htm) was introduced with the potential to kill our bill even before  it ever had a chance to be heard. I was extremely impressed by the response of our community and the desire to do everything it took to make a difference. Being a part of this was a roller coaster proposition, with eager anticipation, to fear and back again, but I believe our position has been made perfectly  clear, no matter what happens we won’t take this sitting down.

In the past few weeks of this up and down process, there has been the range of emotions; panic, anger, disappointment, joy, etc. Now, those who know me well know that I despise politics and find our process frustrating, often dirty. I really don’t want to lump everyone into the “dirty”category because I know there are those in our political system who are very good people holding true to the idea my hero set forth, “A government of the people, for the people, by the people (Abraham Lincoln).” That said, politics is a necessary evil and our system is better than anything else and should be respected for what it is, our system and one that we must respect. But I digress, let’s get back on point. About two weeks ago, I received a call from a friend of mine who is working on the passage of HB 69 with news of a new proposal, one that had been negotiated over the week preceding this point. At first I was frustrated,  discouraged and entirely disappointed. I found myself asking more questions than we had answers for like how would this impact the community here in Utah, would it provide the services these kids really need, or was this an “easy out” for representatives? Well, I felt maybe it was best to sit back a while and see what this was all about.

Thanks to my lovely bride who kept me in the loop during my business trip out of town, although I was disappointed by the new bill HB 272 (http://le.utah.gov/~2012/htmdoc/hbillhtm/hb0272.htm), I’ve come to a conclusion that must be stated. Here are the facts, it is completely understood that there are sweeping changes all across the nation where insurance mandates are being passed to provide families the help they need. You can go to AutismVotes.org and view the green states that have gotten it right, enacted law and done the right thing, passed legislation. You can see that the sweep, although slow might be just a matter of time before our entire country addresses this huge need, maybe even with the “Obama Care” to roll out in the next few years. Fact number two is that as a community, we simply want the equal treatment for our kids, we are not asking for a “free meal” as has been suggested by some, we want the opportunity to allow our kids to get the treatment they need to grow into the tax paying, productive citizens we know they can become. Tax paying citizens that will contribute to our economy, not  become a drain on a system that is already at a breaking point. 
 
So, what do I think of this latest bill that has been proposed? Well, there are two things that are positive. As of today, the bill suggests that this will help as many as 800 kids in the early stages of need, ages 2 – 6.  If this bill passes, this is good and much needed. As our system is currently constituted in Utah, this is 800 more kids than would have been helped previously. This is awesome! The second positive piece of this is it is a start. It’s a launching point and it will provide the potential of 800 kids to illustrate the success of these therapies. There are rumblings that this need is now getting the attention it needs and that cannot be discounted as well. That said, does this bill help everyone? Absolutely not, but neither did HB 69. What this does is puts us closer to getting a long term, fair and equitable solution for all kids, all individuals on the autism spectrum. That proposition gives me reason to be optimistic. Is it a perfect system, the answer is no, but when is there ever a perfect system. 

In closing, the fact is we are not done! We cannot take this as an ultimate defeat although it might be easy to do so. This is an opportunity to push for more, push for equality and push for a better solution for our kids. We  must continue to ensure our voice is heard and we do not result to sitting back and waiting for this to come to us. We must continue to take autism to our representatives and show them the need we have. This is our opportunity to bring about awareness one person at a time, or as I like to say #awareness1by1. I’m here to tell you Utah, we are not done! We will not be silent on this matter, we
will see a better solution; it will simply take time. Take this opportunity to continue speaking with your representatives, be involved and speak out for not only your child, but any child with autism. Some of our kids do not have a voice, they need us to be that voice for them. Commit to being that voice! Commit to creating change!

Last night I was browsing my email when I came across a contact from our website. A mom of a young man, Glenn Lane-Scott, had sent me a copy of the essay her son wrote about bullying at his school. This great young man chose this topic due to the bullying he has endured and considering most of our kids  deal with this on a regular basis, I thought that this was a great opportunity to share his essay with you so you can share it with your children as well. That said, I would like to thank Dottie Scott for being so willing to share this with us and in turn, give me the opportunity to share it with you. I would also like
to say to Glenn, you should be very proud of yourself. By talking about this, you are making a difference. You may not see it right away, but you will reach an audience, maybe even just one person like yourself who is helped by your words. That is no small task and you should give yourself a pat on the back. Well done young man!

With that said, here is Glenn’s post:

The change I would like to see at T.H.E. is, less bullying.

I have been bullied countless times. I am extremely stressed by how much I have been bullied. I know there are other kids being bullied too. I feel like it just keeps going.

There are different kinds of bullying. Some cases its physical and some are verbal. Sometimes the verbal is worse than the physical. I have been cussed at, been told I was gay, that I don’t matter to anyone. It hurts, It feels like someone punching me.

I sometimes don’t want to eat at school in front of the other kids. They call me names when I eat. I just don’t get it. Something needs to change. I would like to help with creating a safer bully free environment.

Bullying is a hard conflict to deal with. It can make you feel sad, depressed, angry, abused or alone! I want it to STOP! I would like to work together on changing the bullies’ behavior. I think that the bullies need to know how they are making others feel. I don’t think that the bullies understand how much it hurts.

I feel like the bullying is being accepted when really it needs to change NOW! I think that if we all work together we can at least help get through to at least one bully. I am trying to deal with everything I go through and sometimes it feels like I don’t want to go tell anyone because they don’t care either.

I think that T.H.E. needs to work harder to end bullying!

I’m going to preface this post by saying I understand that the topic of faith might be uncomfortable for some and I do not expect anyone to have my points of views nor do I intend to push my points of views on you. That said, my post tonight will be on the topic of faith and autism, something that has been very important to me in many ways, especially in the last few months.  I write this from the heart and only from my perspective and I hope that I do not put anyone in an uncomfortable position as you read this. If you are easily offended, please read something else.

I want to ask the question, what role does faith play in your life with autism? That question is somewhat rhetorical but it’s something that I think so many of us need to ask ourselves. With the struggles that autism can present, the frequent meltdowns, the anxiety (for our child and for ourselves), trips to the various therapy sessions, the hours of homework that really should only take 20 to 30 minutes, and the constant questions we share wondering what the world holds in store for our child after we are gone. For some of us, there are the periods of grief we may have after find out our child has autism, we may feel that we have failed our child, that it was something we did (or didn’t do). We may have mounting frustration from the ignorance of others, a lack of understanding or simply not knowing what we can do to make the world easier for our child to live in or ensure the world understands who he is.  When we sum it up, we simply wonder and worry.

Where do we get our strength from? Our spouses, absolutely! My lovely bride is in many ways a rock for me. She provides me with a different point of view, companionship and can often feel when I need that reassuring word. What about our support groups? Of course, we come together to share stories and relate, there are times where our struggles lead us to tears but we have one another to lean on for comfort. There is a great place in our lives for this and in many ways that is why F.A.A.S.T. has become what it is, because of the families who lend support, an open heart and an understanding, nonjudgmental friend who’s been there or is there. That said, there is one place that we can look to that is always there, always at the ready; our faith.

I will be the first to admit I have not always been the go to church every week, religious individual. I have a strong belief in my faith and my church, I have a testimony of the gospel and the teachings of my church, but at the same time I’ve had challenges that have tested my faith, just as each of us have. I’ve asked the questions “why me” and “why him, what did we do wrong for him to have to face a world that struggles to understand him?” Why? Well, in every individuals life, there comes those challenges that present themselves and we often hear, “God doesn’t give us a challenge we can’t handle”which I completely believe. I do believe that our Father in Heaven gives us what we need, when we need it and He also gives us the challenges we need for our own growth. For a long time, I struggled to understand that concept. What it came down to is I did not have the faith I needed to be taught the lessons that I needed to learn. 

So I’ll ask the question again, what role does faith play in your life with autism? As I was in church today, I entered a moment of reflection and thought about all the great people who I have met through our small group of families, our network of friends we’ve met through F.A.A.S.T.. I thought about the voice that I have been given because of my now 11 year old son who inspired my wife and me to start this little adventure. I thought about the lessons that our sons diagnosis has taught us; patience, adaptation, action. I thought about the great opportunity I have had to tell our story to Senators and Representatives, to strangers and to friends, to find my voice, my mission in life. I’ve thought about how my sons’ diagnosis has improved my faith in the plan our Heavenly Father has for each of us, starting with me. It is clear that God gave us our son, the person and the individual he is, to teach us, to guide us and to lead us down the path he wants for us. He has given us Kian because with him, brought the lessons we needed to learn, the things we could not see before, to improve our faith in Him. 

In whatever way you define faith, whether it is “confidence or trust in a person or thing” or “belief that is not based on proof”, I have found a great deal of peace in myself because of my faith. It is not because of one scripture or one persons teachings, but because I have faith that our Father in Heaven has given me the gift of a son who happens to have autism. I have faith that the world Kian lives in will be kind, helpful and fruitful. I have faith that our Father in Heaven has given me this voice because it is what I am here to do and because of that, I will do what I can do to prepare the world for Kian and Kian for the world until my last breath on this earth. And, I have faith that when that time comes and I can no longer be here in body, Kian will be ok, regardless of his autism.

There are not many years that go by that I will actually make a New Year’s resolution. To be honest I think it is often a silly notion to only make a decision to make a change only because we have a new year. I’ve always felt that the idea of a resolution should be you make a change, regardless of what the calendar says. The fact is, I’m sure I could stand to lose a few pounds, get in better health and give up my certainly unhealthy addiction to Mountain Dew, but I guess what it comes down to is that these  things could be a decision in October or May just as much as it could be made December 31st when the  clock is closing in on the completion of the year. I support someone who makes a decision to make a change, but for me, I just haven’t seen much benefit in doing so.

This year though I am going to make a resolution, but in all actuality it’s not about me but about a community we have found ourselves a part of. My simple resolution is to be a better, more passionate advocate for the autism community. If you look up the definition of the word resolution, you’ll see the definition, “the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose.” We have big ideas; big plans for the next year. We have a desire to see real change, understanding and #awareness1by1 and I see that there have been some ways we have been able to accomplish this goal over the first year of F.A.A.S.T. being in existence, but we have so much farther to go. We still have fights from now and then with the local schools creating an understanding of what people on the spectrum experience every day, there is no greater example than the story from last week where a teacher placed a child in a duffle bag until his parent put a quick end to this injustice. These are the things that we, as a community of advocates, need to put an end to by educating others. 
 
In another post by “flappiness is” (http://flappinessis.com), the author wrote about the stares of disgust some of us get when our child is having a meltdown in a store, a restaurant, etc. We have all felt those  stares and in some cases become frustrated with the lack of compassion and snide comments we overhear from others wondering why we can’t control our child. In some instances, we’ve had to respond with a comment right back, often like, “he has autism, what’s your problem!!!” So much of this is difficult to change, in fact, we will never see a day where we’ll be able to fully rid the world of the stares or what we’ll call ignorance, but we can make a difference collectively. In April, we’ll celebrate World Autism Awareness day (month), but we all know too well that we have that day no matter what the calendar says, it is the hand we’ve been dealt, it is the cards we must play. We have a great opportunity as a community to make a difference and if it takes doing so one person at a time, or as I say #awareness1by1, I am up for the challenge.  

Our community is unique, but as the quote says, “different, not less.” We must resolve to speak to those who clearly do not understand whenever we can. We must challenge ignorance with information and be willing to create a world that is more kind, more understanding and more willing to understand the needs of our loved ones. We must use the time we have on this earth, the dawn of this New Year to make a difference and  to be an advocate in the truest sense of the word. As the sun sets on 2011, from my family to yours, I wish you a New Year full of hope and health, love and happiness.

What a year it has been!

Well, that time is upon us when we put to bed the past year and welcome in another and we have a lot to look back upon. It was about a year ago this week when our little man, Kian, received his official diagnosis of being on the spectrum. For Robyn and I this was not a surprising revelation, but an answer to the nearly decade long questions we had for him. It was a “call to action” in many ways as it was through his diagnosis, his needs and a simple conversation with his doctor that started what we now know as F.A.A.S.T.! It was a year ago this week that we recognized that it was time that we stood for something and worked to make the world a easier place for Kian to live in, a place that would accept him for who he is, for the greatness he possesses and the normalcy that he needs in a world that will be increasingly difficult to navigate. This calling has not been something we’ve taken lightly and in many ways has been the calling I personally have been looking for. It has been an honor for me to be part of this community and I have learned much more about Kian and myself, lessons I’ll never forget.

We officially started F.A.A.S.T. at the end of January 2011, created our logo, Facebook page and website, and launched into the world of families facing autism head on. I was introduced to a gentlemen north of the boarder who I know consider my mentor, Stuart Duncan (Autism from a Fathers Point of View). Although I have never met Stuart face-to-face, I’ve witnessed the tremendous dedication he puts in to make the world a better place for his son Cameron and the great steps he has taken to  spread the message of awareness and acceptance. I quickly gained a great admiration for Stuart and respect for the time he has put in, the leadership he has exhibited and motivation to be a source of information to make the autism spectrum more understood by the general public. This is certainly no easy task, but the daily messages I receive from Stuart in my email box and computer screen has illustrated just what it takes to make a difference in this community, which he does so very well. To you Stuart, I thank you for being a leader, a mentor and a friend. I’ll not soon forget your guidance and leadership; you are a true advocate in every sense of the word. 
 
The first year of F.A.A.S.T. was very eye opening to say the least. We’ve learned, we’ve cried, we’ve shared experience and we’ve gained a network of great friends who today hold very dear to our hearts. Not only the people who have attended our meetings, but our guests have become a source of friendship and support. I would be remiss if I did not mention each one by name specifically, so to Dr. Megan Farley, Dr. Adam Schwebach, Maurine Newton, Josette Dorius, Amy Peters and Joel Manwill, we thank each of you for your willingness to share your expertise, your experience and most valuable, your time to help educate and grow, relate to each other and establish a community through hope and compassion. I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention the support we’ve received from Laura Anderson and Cheryl Smith of the Autism Council of Utah, Mirella Peterson of the Utah Autism Coalition, Mary C. Ray and Erik Peacock of MyAutismTeam and Tammy Custer of the Airmen and Family Readiness Center, Hill AFB, UT for the love and support you have all shown us. Each of you are heroes to me and my family and I truly appreciate your contributions in making F.A.A.S.T. what it is today. For that I am eternally grateful. I truly look forward to working with each of you to over the coming years as we work diligently to improve the lives of those on the spectrum, and create awareness within our communities. Thank you all.
 
The next year is going to be big with a number of things we’ve already got plans for and with continued  effort, all of those things will come to realization. We are eager to continue to spread awareness and make a difference in the lives of people who stand in front of the challenges autism presents on a daily basis. I firmly believe that 2012 will be a great year and we will make a difference in our communities and continue to create #awareness1by1. In closing, I want to express my appreciation to my lovely bride Robyn for all the support you have given me over the past year. From spending a month as an acting single mom while I was back east to the running from place to place to get what was needed, you’ve kept a smile on your face and a supportive word or two when needed. From the late nights spent talking with our state representatives to sitting in front of the computer finding stories or videos that give hope to those who follow us, you haven’t complained. I’m grateful for that and appreciate your drive and dedication to what we are trying to accomplish. You’ve always been a great wife and mother, but I haven’t always been able to see the great supporter you are; thank you for that.

From my family to yours, here’s wishing each of you a very happy holiday season and a very happy and healthy 2012!

Best wishes,
The Vaughan family

Over the past few months, I’ve had the pleasure, even the honor of visiting with my representatives and senators to tell them our story of  autism and share with them a brief glimpse into the world that all of us
have  been forced to live. For me personally, this has been a great opportunity to become more aware of who my representatives are and the role they play in framing the future of the next generation, that being the generation of my children. 

For myself, I have been skeptical of our representatives merely because of the constant bickering, finger pointing and apparent lack of desire to put political party lines aside and come to a resolution on how to face head on the dire state our country faces. Honestly, how many of us watch what goes on in Washington and not ask ourselves who are they really serving? The country or big business? Working for the Department of Defense, I see the political side of life all too often and in so many ways I am disgusted and  disappointed that as a country we have such little respect for the person across the aisle; that we are often unwilling to make any compromise. In this day of instant media, maybe our representatives simply don’t want to make a  controversial statement or support the “wrong” bill in fears that the term they are serving will come to an end with a defeat in the next election. 
 
That said, I want to share an impression I have of some of my  representatives. In the past few months, I have met with a senator and multiple  state representatives either at their homes or at mine. The first
thing that I  have noticed is that each individual we have spoken to has been extremely  interested and willing to listen to our story. Each one has shown genuine  sympathy for the situation and has been an engaged participant in the discussion. Each of these discussions has proven to be highly productive, mutual  information sharing sessions. For each person involved, from mom and dad to the  public official, we have been able to express our concerns, share ideas and gain  a perspective we might not have otherwise had the opportunity to gain without  the one-to-one sit down. It has truly been an enlightening opportunity for me,  showing that the portrayal of our representatives, at least what we see as Americans, is not always as it seems. I have found that my representatives are  caring individuals with a genuine concern for their community, their constituents and their country. These gentlemen that I have met with truly exhibit the quote of my idol Abraham Lincoln, “a government of the people, by the people, for the people”. I am grateful and tremendously appreciative of the opportunity that I have had to meet these men and share with them. 
 
There is someone else that I want to express my appreciation  for, that is Mirella Peterson, President of the Utah Autism Coalition. Mirella  has been a driving force behind putting these meetings together and the catalyst  to get this movement heading in the right direction. I appreciate the efforts  that Mirella has made to set these meetings up and the confidence she has shown  in me to represent this movement.  Thank you Mirella for all phone calls, emails  and research you have done to facilitated a positive and fruitful opportunity to  interact with our representatives.

There’s a post I’ve been contemplating for quite a while, but never really knew how I would say what it is that I’ve wanted to say. It’s a post that is directed to all the dads out there, but I want it to be understood
that it is not exclusive for dads, but for all parents. At the end of the post though, I think you’ll have an understanding of why the right words have been hard to come by. 

Dads are supposed to be tough, the leaders of the home, the guardian of the family, the “king of the castle”, insert your own definition here. The point is, for most of us dads, we have a feeling that it is up to us to make it right, to make the lives of our family the best they can possibly be. Am I right guys? Have those thoughts entered your minds from time to time, or always? I think we all know the answer to that question. Well, why is that? Is it because it was a learned trait? Is it because we are as the song goes, we are “Macho, Macho Men”? Whatever your reason, I’m there with you. Even with my lovely, strong willed bride telling me otherwise, I still feel as if it is my responsibility to do everything and anything I can to take care of my family. I recently said, “I would sell my left kidney to get my son into this school” and
I think that most every dad would do just that if it meant a better life for their kids, a better place in this world, a better education, etc. 
 
My story starts just like most dads, the birth of our children is a surreal time in our lives. We watch that life come into this world and know that our world has changed forever but in the best way possible. We hold our child for the first time and for many of us we feel that instant connection, the fathers’ love that says, “I would do anything for this child.”We know we would walk through a wall, jump through fire, anything to make sure he/she is always taken care of. As we watch our child grow, our pride in our child grows. We find ourselves living our lives to better theirs. But there’s something wrong. You know your child is different, you wonder why he’s slow in development, you wonder. You ask yourself, “is this something I did?” “What could I have done differently?” We feel guilt, we doubt ourselves, we feel anger, frustration and at times we just get downright “pissed” that our child has these struggles. Without saying it out loud, we feel hopeless. After all that, we get the diagnosis: autism. 

Think back to that time, how did you feel? Lost? More questions than answers? Frustrated? Grief stricken? Did you even truly understand the road ahead for your child?

All of us have probably had all of these feelings from time to time; dads, that includes us. No matter what persona we want to put on, we are not immune to these feelings. The fact is, as dads we often feel like we cannot have those feelings because we need to be strong for our spouse, even stronger for our child. That said, here is the message I have for each and every dad, take time for yourself. There’s an old saying that if you don’t take care of yourself, how can you take care of your family. It’s true, yes, and there are often times where I have to remind myself to try to do that very thing myself. We need our energy to be the advocate for our child, the best advocate that we can be. We need to be involved in our child’s lives to allow for the dreams you had, are achievable. Will they be the same dreams, maybe not, but they are new dreams. We have a responsibility, one given to us by a much higher power, to make our world prepared for our child just as much as we prepare our child for the world. I challenge each and every dad reading this to be the just what these kids need, an advocate, a teacher, a friend, a dad. Be the best dad you can be.

It’s been a few weeks since our last blog post and I’ve found myself contemplating the best message to try to send. It starts from a couple weeks ago when I received a very disappointing, and troubling email from someone we felt were in the same boat as us, being an advocate, working to make the lives of those living on the spectrum better on a daily basis. Reading this email I became angry, disappointed and then sad, realizing that maybe, just maybe, there were those who were not advocating for those on the spectrum, but to heighten their own ego. I reached out to a good friend, a mentor, and his  experience made me realize that from time to time we were going to face individuals like this and a good way to handle that situation. Thank you Stuart!

So I’ve thought about what advocacy really means. Not by the definition, but the general feeling. Without boring our readers to tears, I’ll close with a quote by one of my favorite figures in time, Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr.. He was in all sense of the word one of the greatest advocates of our time. He advocated for equality, acceptance and understanding long before I was born. His advocacy eventually caused him his life when he was killed in Memphis, Tennessee in April of 1968. He once said: 

“A true alliance is based upon some self-interest of each component group and a common interest into which they merge (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.)”

As a community, the autism community, we need those who are willing to speak up on behalf of those who often do not have a voice. We need to advocate in schools, in our government buildings, in church and anywhere we travel. We owe it to our loved ones on the spectrum to ensure their lives are as fulfilling to them as ours has. We must speak as a united front as Dr. King noted, not only to our self-interests. Be the voice that your loved ones need and create #awareness1by1!