Here’s what I learned about autism from my two grandsons

As an elected official and an active citizen in Pinellas County, I was generally aware of autism but did not know much about the impact it has on families or the enormous need for services.

Then two of my young grandsons were diagnosed with autism. I learned a lot, and I learned fast as our family deepened our understanding of autism and worked hard to get the boys the education and services they deserve. It is critically important that our entire community better understand autism, the challenges facing individuals with learning differences and neurodiversity — and reassure those individuals and their families they are not alone.

April is Autism Acceptance Month, which is aimed at celebrating and promoting acceptance of this complex developmental condition that occurs in 1 of every 36 children and 1 of every 45 adults in this country. It will be a success if we can educate even one new person a day about autism, dispel some myths and make everyone aware of the soaring increase in diagnoses and the unmet need for services.

My family has been fortunate in finding the ideal learning environment for one of my grandsons. While I was a state legislator, I took my daughter-in-law to Seminole for a tour of LiFT, an acronym for Learning Independence for Tomorrow. It is a private, nonprofit institution serving students from 5 to 55 through the LiFT Academy for K-12, the LiFT University Transition Program for students who have transitioned out of high school, and the LiFT Adult Training Program that offers continued learning and employment skills.

We were impressed with the breadth of programs and their approach to meeting the specific needs of each of their students. My grandsons enrolled there when LiFT moved to its new, expanded Clearwater campus last fall. While one grandson is now home-schooled, LiFT has been a perfect fit for the 12-year-old, who is thriving socially and excelling academically.

There is no single known cause of autism, but science suggests it results from both genetic and environmental factors. Although my grandsons were diagnosed with autism when they were around 3 years old, the average age of autism diagnosis in the United States is 5 years old. LiFT’s youngest current student is 5, and the institution is well-positioned to intervene immediately at that age and provide a meaningful educational path forward.

Graduating with a high school diploma can be a challenge. While 86% of all students nationwide graduate from high school, only 74% of autistic students graduate. At LiFT, the average graduation rate since it opened in 2013 is 95% — and it has achieved a 100% high school graduation rate the past three years.

Employment and housing for neurodiverse adults also can be challenging. Only 21% of people with disabilities, including autism, are employed nationwide. Through growing community partnerships, LiFT provides essential job skills, social and emotional skills, and job internships to prepare adult learners for employment. It also has three microbusinesses that enable adult learners to obtain real-world experience.

Autism Acceptance Month is an opportunity to increase public awareness and to promote acceptance, celebrate the differences and encourage inclusiveness of the autistic individuals in our community. I will be presenting the Pinellas County Commission with a proclamation later this month to recognize Autism Acceptance Month — and embrace this as a moment when everyone can take the opportunity to better understand autism and the challenges we face in meeting the unmet needs of so many families.

Kathleen Peters is chairperson of the Pinellas County Commission and served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2012 to 2018.