(2015, Jersey City, NJ)- This holiday season, on December 5 and 6 from 10-5PM at Jersey City Museum on 350 Montgomery Street in Jersey City, New Jersey we are hoping to give children with autism their first chance to meet Santa Claus.
How can we help these autistic children with autism have such a basic holiday experience in a world that is constantly full of things that can cause them to have sensory overload?
Thanks to several local organizations in Hudson County, we will be hosting an autism-friendly day for children with autism to not only meet Santa but participate in several fun holiday activities. You can learn all about the event here. Autism deserves media attention in New Jersey as we have the highest prevalence of any state in the country. 1 in 45 children are currently diagnosed with autism in NJ.
I understand these problems and the concerns of parents firsthand. I am a young adult with autism who will be playing the role of Santa for these children that day. I work as part of the Autism Speaks family media team, and I am a self-advocate and mentor for countless young adults with autism. It is one of my life goals to help see young individuals on the autism spectrum succeed and for this one day in December to meet Santa.
I wasn’t always as outgoing as I am now. At two-years-old I was non-verbal, like so many of the children with Autism you see on TV and in your neighborhoods. I share my story in a new book called “Autism and Falling in Love” In the book I aspire to give families hope for a better day for our community. By volunteering as Santa, I want to give these children an opportunity to have something I didn’t as a kid which was an opportunity to meet Santa for the first time in a sensory-friendly environment.
23-years later I am a national speaker and want to use my voice to help children with autism transition as adults. As part of the event, children will be sponsored to partake in the day’s activities where a portion of the proceeds will go to the non-profit KFM Making a Difference which raises money to give adults with autism scholarship aid to attend post-secondary programs. We expect 70 families with children with autism (14 years or younger) to attend.
I’d love to connect with you and your audience. Autism today touches all of us.Three million Americans are directly affected by it — and 70-million people worldwide.The boys and girls, teens and adults are your children, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
What better time for me to give them and their parents – hope – than during the Holidays?
I look forward to hearing from you. My contact information is below.
All the Best,
Kerry Magro
National Speaker, Best-Selling Author, & Autism Advocate
KFMMakingADifference@gmail.com
More on Kerry Magro, a 27-year-old national speaker on the autism spectrum who will be playing the role of Santa for the children: www.kerrymagro.com
