Be a Champion for WAAA and Walk With Me

As you know, our son Shayan was diagnosed with Autism at the age of three. Shayan is a wonderful kid, and if you have ever met him, you will never forget him. His world centers around his electronics, and he endears himself to almost everyone he meets. He is caring and kind. However, he wasn’t always this way.

Raising a child with autism can feel like the loneliest job in the world.

The diagnosis can be distressing for parents – and finding the resources and support to help a child with autism succeed can be very challenging.

That is why I founded the Washington Autism Alliance and Advocacy (WAAA) to help out the Autism Community. We are a group of parents, attorneys, relatives, and concerned citizens who want to improve how the state is responding to students with disabilities. The changes we have already made are incredible, and we have just begun. One area we are working on is to change the state policies so that public school can no longer restrain, handcuff, taser, or isolate disabled students simply because they act in an unusual manners, for behaviors that are a manifestation of their disability. It is hard to believe, but it is true, and chances are high that your school district has this policy. We’ve introduced a law that will change these practices.

If you can walk, donate, or help out in any way I would certainly appreciate it. Thanks for reading this far.

There are more than 15,500 school-age children in Washington who have ASD. They are entitled to special programs to help them become successful, yet these services are extremely difficult to obtain and negotiate with schools.

Without direct help, these children may face ineffective schooling and lack preparation for graduation and success in life. Your support will benefit local families who seriously need access to services such as special education advocacy, one-on-one assistance with the individualized education program (IEP)* at school and help understanding their legal rights.

Your donation will help WAAA provide their services pro bono to struggling families.

Please make a contribution today. Thank you for being such a good friend to kids with ASD!