My name is Bennett Cameron. I was diagnosed with non-verbal autism when I was 2.

Autism is a neurological disability which affects the way I process things.

I’m now 5 and have come a long way. I have been in ABA therapy for over two years which costs about $ 12,000 a year. Mom and dad work very hard to have me in therapy with help from Gigi and Pop Pop (Rosemarie and Neil).

Mom and Dad (Jovita and Scott) work long hours since I won’t get any funding for at least another five to ten years. Early intervention is very important to help me grow up and hopefully be able to do day to day things like brush my teeth, get dressed or even learn how to socially interact so I can make friends or maybe get a job. I still need to learn a lot of skills.

The last two years with ABA therapy and the support from my family has helped me so much. I never liked to be touched and now I love cuddling. I’ve learned to sit at a table and do a puzzle. This may seem simple to most children but it takes me longer to process things and my attention is often somewhere else. The simplest task is hard for me to follow. I’m not being rude but looking at people is very uncomfortable for me but now I can do it for a second or two.

I have learned to take my shoes off and almost put them on all by myself. I know my ABC’s and my numbers up to 10. I’m learning how to hold scissors and cut paper! This is still very difficult for me but I’m trying really hard. I used to play by myself a lot. It was really hard to just have my parents sit with me and play or read a book. I can do all that now and I’m so happy to interact with them and others.

With a lot of hard work and support I hope someday I can have social interactions and maybe a voice. Thank you for taking the time to listen to my story and support me