FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: John Cavanaugh
Autism Society of NC – Mecklenburg County Chapter
E-MAIL: aafcoordinator@asncmeck.org


Dave Spicer, Author and Speaker with Autism, To Speak at Local Autism Society Event on April 15th

CHARLOTTE, NC – Dave Spicer, who was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome as an adult, will speak at the Autism Society of North Carolina - Mecklenburg County Chapter (ASNC-MCC) support meeting on April 15th. The meeting will be at Myers Park Baptist Church at 1900 Queens Road in Charlotte at 7:00 pm. There is no charge to attend. For more information, including child care arrangements and directions, see the web site: www.ASNCMeck.org.

Mr. Spicer has written about his experience with autism and Aspergers and toured the country speaking on those topics. He was also the first person on the autism spectrum to serve on the board of directors of the Autism Society of North Carolina.

The event is part of Autism Awareness Month, which promotes autism causes in communities throughout the United States. According to statistics from the Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), 1 in 110 children born have autism, including 1 in 70 boys.

"We're very excited to have Dave Spicer share his unique perspective with our community," said Nancy Nestor, ASNC-MCC President. "Regardless of your connection to autism, his perspective is invaluable because he lives it every day."

Autism, or ASD, is a neurological disorder for which there is no known cause or cure. It now affects 1 out of 110 children and impacts language and social development as well as the ability to adapt to change. Frequently these difficulties require years of speech therapy or prevent any language development at all.

ASNC-MCC will host the annual Autism Aware Fare on April 20th. On that day, participating restaurants will donate a portion of their proceeds for the benefit of area children and adults with autism, as well as their educators. For information about Autism Aware Fare, visit www.AutismAwareFare.org.

The Autism Society of North Carolina - Mecklenburg County chapter is a non-profit local affiliate of the Autism Society of North Carolina. For information on Autism Aware Fare, contact John Cavanaugh at aafcoordinator@asncmeck.org or visit www.autismawarefare.org.

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