April is World Autism Awareness month! 
We’d like to celebrate by first-showing off the brightest smile on this side of the Mississippi River... 

This is my little brother, Drew. 

He is 23 years old! He was diagnosed with Autism at 18 months. He’s what you would consider ‘non-verbal’. He doesn’t talk much without prompting him to, but he still speaks his mind He loves music and things that spin. He is really picky with what he eats, but he’s gotten a LOT better the last few years! If you ever see Drew in public don’t be afraid to say hi, but don’t take it personally if he disregards you and skips on by. He has selective hearing-not sure if that’s Autism or his personality, but I find humor in it Either way, he’s a person. Interact with him like such. Just be considerate that his reactions may be a bit atypical. He likes to be loved on and cared for, just like us all….Now that you know a little about Drew, you’ll be better prepared to talk with him if you see him around.

That being said … Individuals with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) have a high sensitivity for things like certain noises, certain light patterns, personal space (don’t we all), textures, and an array of other things due to their different nervous system operation. But what might upset someone depends on that specific person. Some people are more sensitive to certain things than others Sound about right?

SO! We will be posting some tips and tricks for churches and businesses to be mindful of individuals on the Autism Spectrum. Please share the posts to come as they might just make a family’s trip to church, or out to eat drastically easier and more enjoyable. We can all play a part in helping an individual’s experience of a business/organization. Even if it’s as simple as Closed Captioning your videos… We’ll tell you why in our next post

Love you, Drew!