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The Autism community spends a whole lot of time thinking about what comes next. When your child is first diagnosed and struggling with speech, motor skills, communication, or understanding the world around them, there are so many unknowns.
- Will they talk?
- Will they learn to read?
- Will they understand danger?
- What will school look like?
- What will adulthood hold?
As the years go on, those questions may change, but they never really go away. You begin to realize that you cannot always see what your child's future will look like, what types of support they will need, or whether the services they need will even exist when they need them. You advocate, make phone calls, search for resources, sit in meetings, fill out paperwork, and do everything you can to give your child the best possible opportunities. Often, despite everything you are doing, you find yourself exhausted and wondering where you are supposed to turn next.
There can be a certain cynicism that creeps in during those moments. Hope evaporates and you start to wonder why there isn't more, why the system is so difficult to navigate, and why the answers are not easier to find. You may find yourself thinking, "Surely someone should be able to fix this."
That is where the Autism Society comes in, but it is also where I am reminded that we cannot do this work alone. I sometimes hear about a problem and think, Why can't I fix this? I am the Executive Director of the Autism Society. Why can't I provide what this family needs? The reality is that no one person, and no one organization, can do it all. I believe that together, we can do a lot. You can be the helping hand that makes sure another Autistic child, adult, or family does not get left behind.
Helping does not always have to mean making a large commitment. Maybe you have a few hours to spend at our office helping us organize, sort, or prepare for a program. Maybe you can volunteer at an event, make a few phone calls, join a committee, help us find a sponsor, donate, or simply tell someone about the Autism Society when you know they need us.
This fall, we are preparing for our biggest fundraising event of the year, Oktoberfest Youngstown at Penguin City Brewing on September 19. This event helps support the programs and services we provide throughout the year, and we need our community behind it through sponsorships, volunteering, donations, and simply showing up. We will also be at the Canfield Fair September 2 through 7, where volunteers help us connect with families and share the work happening at the Autism Society all year long.
There are so many ways to contribute, and there is no one right way to help. What matters is that we each find the place where we can step in.
The Autism Society is growing, expanding our initiatives, and thinking about what support needs to look like across the entire lifespan of Autism. We want to be there for the long haul, for children, teens, adults, parents, and caregivers. To do that, we need all of us.
We cannot stand by and assume someone else will do it… because someone else is ALL of us.
Your experience, your time, your voice, and your support all matter.
You have heard me say it before, and I want you to know that I mean it: call me. If you have a concern, an idea, or simply want to find a way to get involved, I want to hear from you. Maybe you have something to offer but are not sure where it fits and that is okay. Reach out, and let’s figure it out together.
The work belongs to all of us. Parents and caregivers who know firsthand what they needed and could not find. It includes Autistic adults who have lived through the systems we are trying to improve and can tell us what was missing, what did not work, and what they wished had been different.
This is how we make things better. We listen to one another, we share what we know, we bring our experiences to the table, and we find ways to move forward together.
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