>>> TODAY, WE HONOR WORLD AUTISM
AWARENESS DAY, AND IT IS MORE
SPECIAL FOR FAMILIES WHO HAVE
DIRECT CONNECTIONS WITH AUTISM,
LIKE OUR OWN BRITTA MERWIN.
>> HER SON WAS DIAGNOSED WITH
AUTISM AT THE AGE OF 2, AND THE
IDEA OF KINDNESS IS IMPORTANT
FOR HER.
SHE HELD A ZOOM CONVERSATION
WITH FAMILIES AND ADVOCATES TO
SHARE THEIR INSPIRING JOURNEY
AND IS HERE TO TALK ABOUT IT.
>> EXCITED TO SHARE THIS WITH
EVERYONE AT HOME.
LISA, OWEN, THIS GROUP WAS
INSPIRING.
WE CHATTED FOR 45 MINUTES.
THERE WERE LAUGHS AND A FEW
TEARS, AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THE
CHALLENGES FACED EVERY DAY
BECAUSE AUTISM IS AN EVERYDAY
THING.
THEY ALSO SHARED THE BEAUTY
ABOUT IT.
ONE THING WE ALL HAVE IN COMMON?
WE ALL JUST WANT PEOPLE TO BE
KIND.
>> I HAVE A SON THAT HAS AUTISM.
>> I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS ON THE
AUTISM SPECTRUM.
>> JUST 39 YEARS OLD, DIAGNOSED
WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM SINCE I WAS
3.
>> MY SON IS ON THE AUTISM
SPECTRUM.
HE JUST TURNED 10, AND HE IS
AMAZING.
>> I’M A MOTHER OF A 13-YEAR-OLD
WHO HAS AUTISM.
>> AUTISM, I LIVE WITH IT EVERY
DAY, IT IS MY 9:00 TO 5:00 JOB,
AND I JUST LOVE WHAT I DO, AND I
LOVE MY CLIENTS.
>> WHEN THEY SEE GIRLS, THEY
DON’T THINK AUTISM WITH SOME OF
THE BEHAVIORS, BECAUSE GIRLS
PRESENT MUCH DIFFERENTLY THAN
BOYS.
>> EVERY CHILD WANTS TO FEEL
VALUED, LOVED, AND IMPORTANT,
AND APPRECIATED.
>> I REALLY DID NOT KNOW A LOT
ABOUT AUTISM.
HOW IT AFFECTS PEOPLE, HOW IT
AFFECTS FAMILIES.
>> ENCOUNTERING, YOU KNOW,
PEOPLE WITH AUTISM, EVEN IF YOU
DON’T HAVE PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE,
THERE’S NO NEED TO TREAT THEM
DIFFERENTLY OR TO TIPTOE AROUND
THEM.
THEY ARE JUST LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE
SO JUST BE YOURSELF, GET TO KNOW
THEM.
>> BASICALLY, I’M A SUPPORT
MINISTER WHERE I WORK AT.
>> I HAVE A LOT OF STATEMENTS
LIKE, THEY DON’T LOOK AUTISTIC,
AND I DON’T THINK THAT
NECESSARILY AUTISM HAS A LOOK.
>> MOST PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT
WE GO THROUGH BEHIND CLOSED
DOORS
DOORS WHEN THE SCHOOL DAY IS
OVER AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
>> AUTISM LIVES ON YOUR ENTIRE
LIFE SO I WANT PEOPLE TO ACCEPT
EVERYONE, WHETHER THEY ARE
CHILDREN OR ADULTS, AND ALSO
HELP OUR KIDS IDENTIFY THEIR
STRENGTHS SO THEY CAN CONTINUE
TO GROW AND, YOU KNOW, GO FROM
AN AWESOME CHILD WITH AUTISM TO
AN AWESOME ADULT WITH AUTISM.
>> A SENSE OF BELONGING.
>> EVERYTHING’S A STRUGGLE.
IT TAKES 45 MINUTES FOR US TO
EAT CUCUMBERS AND TOOK ME TWO
YEARS TO EAT THE CUCUMBERS.
>> THIS DIAGNOSIS DOESN’T CHANGE
HE’S YOUR SON.
>> WELL, MY GOODNESS, NOW I HAVE
A A FEW TEARS, BUT THERE’S A LOT
MORE SMILES THAN THERE ARE
COMPARED TO THE TEARS.
IT REALLY IS SOMETHING THAT WE
WANT EVERYONE TO SPEND SOME TIME
TO TALK ABOUT WITH THEIR KIDS
AND FRIENDS ABOUT TODAY.
IT IS ALL ABOUT SPREADING
KINDNESS AND ACCEPTANCE.
TAKE EXTRA TIME.
YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE,
CLICK2HOUSTON.COM/AUTISM.
ON THERE, THERE’S A PARENT’S
GUIDE TO AUTISM, FULL OF
RESOURCES, AND I PUT THIS
TOGETHER ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO
WITH LOCAL AUTISM MOMS.
PLEASE GO TO OUR WEBSITE, AND IT
IS CLICK2HOUSTON.COM/AUTISM.
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE PARENTS’
GUIDE TO AUTISM, AND I’M ALSO
ALWAYS ADDING THINGS SO IF YOU
HAVE SOMETHING THAT’S NOT ON
THERE, PLEASE E-MAIL ME.
THAT’S BMERWIN@KPRC.COM SO WE
CAN ADD TO IT.
IF YOU WANT TO DONATE TO AUTISM
SPEAKS, WHO WE ARE
TODAY, CALL 713-724-5092, AND WE
ALSO HAVE THEIR ADDRESS ON THE
SCREEN, AND IF YOU HAVE A SMART
PHONE, YOU CAN OPEN YOUR CAMERA,
HOVER IT OVER THE PUZZLE PIECE
ON THE LOGO ON THE CORNER OF THE
SCREEN AND BE TAKEN DIRECTLY TO
THE DONATION PAGE FOR AUTISM
SPEAKS, 85 CENTS CENTS OF EVERY
FUNDS RESEARCH, ADVOCACY,
PROGRAMS, AND SERVICES.
GO TO MY FACEBOOK PAGE, KPRC
BRITTA MERWIN, AND I POSTED
NONPROFITS I WORK WITH
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND THEY DO
AMAZING WORK WITH THE DAILY
CHALLENGES AND DAILY SUCCESSES
THAT WE FACE IN THE AUTISM
COMMUNITY.
PLEASE, GO THERE, ON MY FACEBOOK
PAGE AND HIGHLIGHT NONPROFITS TO
GET INVOLVED WITH.
DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, AN
IMPORTANT DAY TO MY FAMILY AND A
LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE.
WE APPRECIATE CHANNEL 2 SHEDDING