AMFAS participates in Autism Speaks event

If you were at the Autism Speaks event  saluting military families Saturday in New York City, you might have seen a familiar online presence in attendance.

American Military Families Autism Support made its first appearance to a major autism event to help raise awareness of the grassroots effort military families are making to help each other. Our focus was not specifically the event presentation, but taking part in the Resource Fair so families could learn more about our mission.

Visitors grabbed AMFAS pens, information material and were able to watch the Congressional Briefing on Military Families and Autism that’s now available on AMFAS.org.

According to an AS coordinator at the event, about 220 people showed at the Intrepid Air and Space Museum for the event.

NY1 News covered the event and did this story, that showed our AMFAS representative talking about our community at the Resource Fair. PIX11 also has raw video of the event with some shots of our dispay here.

Unfortunately, because of logistical issues, we didn’t get the AMFAS display setup until the presentation began. The resource fair was scheduled to follow this on the itinerary and we did meet some great people who shared their stories as military families.

Autism Speaks event salutes military families

To recognize the start of  Autism Awareness Month and Month of the Military Child, Autism Speaks is saluting military families March 31 in New York City.

The family-friendly event, held at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum Complex, located at Pier 86, W. 46th Street and 12th Avenue, honors military families affected by autism.

The current schedule is registration and breakfast at 8:45 a.m., a short program at 9:30 a.m., and kids activities and museum tours beginning at 10 a.m. A resource fair featuring American Military Families Autism Support, ACT Today! for Military Families, Autism Speaks and others is 9:30-11 a.m.

The event is hosted by Bob Woodruff, a correspondent with ABC News.  Woodruff, who was injured by an improvised explosive device in Iraq in 2006, founded the Bob Woodruff Foundation, a national nonprofit that helps ensure our nation’s injured service members, veterans and their families return to a homefront ready to support them.

Scheduled to speak during the event are Bob and Suzanne Wright, founders of Autism Speaks; Susan Marenoff-Zausner, president of the Intrepid Sea Air and Space Museum; Karen Driscoll, Marine Corps spouse and mother of a child with autism; and former Astronaut Jeffrey Alan Hoffman, the first person to log 1,000 hours aboard the Space Shuttle.

Join other AMFAS families at the event and share your stories. Register for the event and receive further event updates by visiting the Autism Speaks page here. Seating is limited, so registration for families and larger groups is encouraged early to accommodate the party.

Directions to the Intrepid and parking information can be found here. If looking at lodging near the event, one military option is the Navy Lodge on Staten Island for $98 a night. You do have to take the ferry (that passes by the Statue of Liberty). Local hotels start at about $199 a night and up.

The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum is one of America’s leading historic, cultural and educational institutions. Opened in 1982, the Museum has welcomed more than 10 million visitors. The Museum is centered on the aircraft carrier Intrepid (CVS-11), one of the most successful ships in U.S. history, now a national historic landmark and one of the most unique attractions in New York City.