.
WENT
WENT OUT
WENT OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST AT 10 TO 15.
TO 15.
TO 15. UPPER 50'S TO MID 60'S
OVERNIGHT.
OVERNIGHT. MOST OF US ABOUT STATE BY
TOMORROW MORNING.
TOMORROW MORNING. TEMPERATURE TOMORROW AT 87 WITH
ISOLATED SHOWERS AND STORMS.
WE GET MORE SUN, WE WILL AGAIN
BE 87.
BE 87.
BE 87. IT
BE 87. IT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS
FRIDAY.
FRIDAY.
FRIDAY. COOLER SATURDAY AND A NICE
SUNDAY.
SUNDAY.
SUNDAY. WE ARE BACK ABOVE 80 DEGREES
MONDAY.
MONDAY.
MONDAY. >> IT IS THAT WEIRD TIME OF DAY.
-- WEIRD TIME OF YEAR.
WE WILL MEET RACHEL BARCELONA
WHO WAS DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM.
SHE HAS NOT LET IT STOP HER
FROM, PUSHING HER DREAMS.
RACHEL SAID THERE IS A PUSH TO
CHANGE AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH TO
AUTISM ACCEPTANCE MONTH OR IS
WHY.
WHY.
WHY. >>
WHY. >> EVERYONE HAS CALLED IT AUTISM
AWARENESS MONTH, BUT AS AUTISTIC
PEOPLE, WE ARE FIGHTING TO CALL
IT AUTISM ACCEPTANCE MONTH.
THAT REASON IS BECAUSE PEOPLE
ARE ALREADY AWARE, BUT THE
AWARENESS MAKES PEOPLE THINK, OK
, THE AUTISTIC PEOPLE ARE HERE,
BUT NOW WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON WHAT
THE AFFLICTION AND WHAT WE CAN'T
DO BUT ACCEPTANCE IS SO MUCH
BETTER BECAUSE IT HELPS PEOPLE
BE AWARE AND FOCUS ON THE THINGS
WE CAN DO.
>> WHEN WERE YOU DIAGNOSED AND
WHAT WERE YOU DIAGNOSED WITH.
RACHEL: THAT IS A WILD RIDE.
I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM AT
THE AGE OF THREE, BUT BACK THEN
IT WAS VERY CONFUSING.
IT WAS CALLED SOMETHING
DIFFERENT, BUT NOWADAYS PEOPLE
TO SAY THEY ARE AUTISTIC.
AT THE AGE OF THREE I WAS LUCKY
TO BE DIAGNOSED THAT EARLY
BECAUSE TO MY ACTIVISM, I TALKED
TO A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE
RECENTLY DIAGNOSED AND THAT'S A
WHOLE JOURNEY ENTIRELY, AND MY
PASSION IS TO HELP OTHERS TO
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. >>
THAT. >> YOU STARTED YOUR ADVOCACY
WORK A LONG TIME AGO AND HAVE
JUST BEEN THERE FOR A LOT OF
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. WHAT HAS THAT DONE FOR YOU
PEOPLE. WHAT HAS THAT DONE FOR YOU, YOU
ARE STILL IN COLLEGE?
>> I AM GOING TO GRADUATE.
THAT IS AWESOME.
>> HOW HAS THAT HELPED YOU WHAT
YOU SPEAK TO PEOPLE ABOUT?
>> THAT IS A LOT TO UNPACK
BECAUSE IT HAS HELPED TO WITH
EVERYTHING, REALLY.
EVERYTHING, REALLY. I STARTED MY PLATFORM ABILITY
BEYOND DISABILITY AT THE AGE OF
11, BECAUSE I WAS GETTING
BULLIED FOR HAVING AUTISM.
I HAVE BEEN BULLIED ALL OF MY
LIFE.
LIFE.
LIFE. I
LIFE. I HAVE BEEN SORT OF SHUT AWAY
WHERE PEOPLE WOULDN'T TALK TO ME
BECAUSE I WAS THOUGHT OF AS THE
KID THAT WAS DIFFERENT.
BUT I HAD A CHOICE HERE AND
WANTED EITHER TO INTERNALIZE IT
OR HELP PEOPLE.
SO ABILITY BEYOND DISABILITIES,
IT EVENTUALLY STARTED WITH ME
SORT OF WRITING POSITIVE
MESSAGES AND POSTING THEM ON THE
BULLIES LOCKERS AND EVERYONE
WOULD SEE THEM AND IT WAS LIKE,
I LOVE HOW YOUR HAIR IS TODAY OR
WHAT YOU ARE WEARING TODAY.
SO I FIGHT WITH KINDNESS.
>> IT IS AMAZING, JUST A SIMPLE
PHRASE LIKE THAT HOW MUCH THAT
CAN HELP ANYBODY.
YOU ARE A FASHION MODEL A BEAUTY
QUEEN, A SPOKESPERSON, AND
ADVOCATE.
ADVOCATE.
ADVOCATE. YOU SING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AT
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN AND
HAVEN'T EVEN GRADUATED COLLEGE
YET.
YET.
YET. IT
YET. IT IS AMAZING EVERYTHING YOU
HAVE DONE.
HAVE DONE. HOW DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE FOUND
THAT STRENGTH AND PASSION TO PUT
ALL THE NAYSAYERS ASIDE AND SAY,
I CAN DO THIS?
>> I THINK IT IS AMAZING THAT MY
WHOLE ADVOCACY STARTED WITH NOT
GIVING UP AND IT STARTED WITH A
FEW POSITIVE WORDS.
THAT JUST MADE ME THINK IT CAN
MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE LIKE ME TO
SORT OF FEEL LIKE THEY WERE
ALONE.
ALONE.
ALONE. WITH THOSE PAPERS I PUT ON THE