RISE THIS YEAR AND GUN VIOLENCE IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH OF KIDS UNDER THE AGE OF 18.

WE WILL HEAR FROM A TRAUMA SURGERY WHO IS TREATING GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA AS A PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM.

A LOOK AT HOW ACCESS TO AUTISM DIAGNOSES HAS GROWN OVER TIME WHILE BARRIERS TO TREATMENT STILL PERSIST, PARTICULARLY IN BLACK COMMUNITIES.

NINE-YEAR-OLD AT THEIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, FARMWORKERS AND A 20-YEAR-OLD WHO PULLED INTO THE WRONG DRIVEWAY WITH HER FRIENDS.

THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE LOST TO AMERICA'’S EPIDEMIC OF GUN VIOLENCE THIS YEAR.

THE SHOOTING DEATH OF 20-YEAR-OLD KAYLIN GILLIS IN NEW YORK IS ALSO PART OF THE TROUBLING UPTICK IN THE STAND YOUR GROUND SHOOTINGS.

IN THE DAYS BEFORE HER DEATH, 16-YEAR-OLD RALPH YARL WAS SHOT IN THE HEAD AFTER RING THE WRONG DOORBELL.

HE SURVIVED AND IS RECOVERING.

A FEW DAYS LATER, PAYTON WASHINGTON WAS SHOT IN THE BACK AFTER SHE TRIED TO GET INTO THE WRONG CAR AFTER CHEERLEADER PRACTICE.

SHE IS ALSO RECOVERING.

IN THOSE ATTACKS, SHOOTERS ARE CLAIMING SELF-DEFENSE, USING THE STAND YOUR GROUND LAWS, ON THE BOOKS IN 30 STATES.

THESE CASES MAKE UP A HANDFUL OF THE GUN VIOLENCE INCIDENTS WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN THIS YEAR.

WE WANTED TO DIG DEEPER INTO THIS, THE AMERICAN EPIDEMIC OF GUN VIOLENCE I AM JOINED BY DR. CORNELIA GRIGGS, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AT THE MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL CENTER FOR GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

I CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT IT IS LIKE FOR YOU TO SEE THESE CASES I AM THE NEWS.

I IMAGINE AS A PHYSICIAN, YOU KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO PUT THE BODIES BACK TOGETHER OR HAVE TO GIVE AND NEWS.

DR. GRIGGS ABSOLUTELY.

THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT EXPIRED OUR WORK.

MY COLLEAGUES AND I FELT WE COULD NOT LOOK ONE MORE MOTHER IN THE EYE TO TELL HER HER CHILD HAD BEEN LOST TO GUN VIOLENCE.

CRYSTAL: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MAIN OBJECTIVES?

DR. GRIGGS: OUR CENTER IS BASED ON THE COMMUNITY OF RESEARCH, EDUCATION.

WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS AS A HOSPITAL-BASED INITIATIVE BECAUSE WE ARE COMING FROM THIS FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH STANDPOINT.

IT IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS IN OUR COUNTRY, EVEN HERE IN BOSTON.

WE ARE NOT IMMUNE TO THIS EPIDEMIC.

THE HEART OF OUR PROGRAM IS OUR COMMUNITY VOICES AS WELL.

CRYSTAL: MOST OF THIS TIME, THE CONVERSATION AROUND GUNS ENDS UP BEING A POLITICAL ONE.

HOW DO YOU GUIDE THE CONVERSATION SO THAT IT IS CENTERED ON PUBLIC HEALTH?

DR. GRIGGS: THERE ARE A LOT OF POINTS ON WHICH MOST AMERICANS CAN AGREE.

ONE OF THOSE IS THAT AS A PARENT COME I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEND MY CHILDREN OFF SAFELY TO SCHOOL, AND FEEL SAFE.

I THINK THAT IS THE POINT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HARNESS AT THE CENTER FOR GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION AT MASS GENERAL.

WE WORK WITH THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE MOST AFFECTED BY GUN VIOLENCE IN THE COMMUNITY.

WE BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER ACROSS THE AISLE.

WE FOCUS ON SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN AND HEALTH.

CRYSTAL: SOME OF THE PROJECTS ARE RESEARCH-BASED.

WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?

DR. GRIGGS: IT IS BRINGING TOGETHER LARGE DATABASES AND USING ADVANCED MODELING WORK WITH SOME OF OUR EXPERTS AT THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH TO COME UP WITH BROAD-BASED SOLUTIONS THAT WOULD WORK ON A COUNTYWIDE LEVEL.

AND THEN IT IS WORKING MORE LOCALLY.

IT IS OUR BELIEF THAT THOSE CLOSEST TO THE PROBLEM ARE CLOSEST TO THE SOLUTION AND BRINGING THEM INTO THE FOLD OF ACADEMIA AND EMPOWERING OUR COMMUNITY POWERS -- PARTNERS TO BE DRIVING POLICY CHANGES.

DR. GRIGGS: YOU MENTIONED LOOKING MOTHERS IN THE EYE.

WAS THERE ANY TURNING POINT FOR JUDE THAT STANDS OUT THAT ILLUSTRATES WHAT DRIVES YOU TOWARDS THIS WORK?

THERE MUST HAVE BEEN AT LEAST ONE MOTIVATING STORY.

DR. GRIGGS: ABSOLUTELY.

THERE WAS A MOMENT IN 2017 AFTER THE SUTHERLAND SPRINGS SHOOTING WHERE I WAS FEELING SO MUCH DESPAIR AS A PARENT AND AS A SURGEON.

I FELT LIKE I COULD NOT READ ONE MORE HEADLINE WITHOUT TAKING % ACTION.

DESPITE BEING BUSY, I FEEL IN MY SOUL THAT THIS IS A SOLVABLE PROBLEM IN OUR LIFETIME.

I THINK A LOT OF AMERICANS ARE FEELING JUST AS FRUSTRATED AS I WAS IN THAT MOMENT.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT EVERY LOSS OF A CHILD, EVERY LOSS OF LIFE TO GUN VIOLENCE IS ONE TOO MANY.

IT IS HEARTBREAKING TO BE IN THE TRAUMA BAY WITH A CHILD YOU CANNOT SAVE BECAUSE THEIR LIFE HAS BEEN TAKEN BY A FIREARM.

I WROTE A PIECE CALLED THE QUIET ROOM, WHICH IS A ROOM WHERE WE GO IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT TO TELL MOTHERS THAT THEY -- WE WERE NOT ABLE TO SAVE THEIR CHILD.

AND IT IS THOSE MOMENTS IN THE HEADLINES COMBINED THAT INSPIRED OUR WORK.

CRYSTAL: WE KNOW THAT GUN VIOLENCE IS THE NUMBER ONE KILLER AMONG CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES.

THERE ARE MORE GUNS THAN THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES RIGHT NOW.

I WANT TO PULL OUT ANOTHER PIECE OF DATA.

THE RATE OF HOMICIDE BY FIREARM PER 100,000 PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES WITH THE STAND YOUR GROUND LAW, BEFORE AND AFTER IT WAS ENACTED.

BEFORE THE LAW, IT WAS 0.36.

AFTER THE LAW, 0.39.

IT MAY SEEM LIKE THAT THOSE ARE ONLY THREE DECIMAL POINTS, BUT THOSE ARE LIVES.

THOSE ARE PEOPLE.

DR. GRIGGS: IT IS EASY TO BECOME NUMB TO THOSE STATISTICS OVER TIME AS THEY CLAIM.

AND IT IS EASY TO BE FRUSTRATED AND SAY NOTHING WILL EVER CHANGE, BUT WE FEEL COMPLETELY IN OUR CENTER.

WE FEEL IT HAS TO CHANGE AND WE KNOW OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS ARE EXPERIENCING GUN VIOLENCE AT UNJUSTIFIABLE LEVELS.

THAT IS ROOTED IN EASY ACCESS TO GUNS AND POVERTY AS WELL.

THE ANSWERS ARE NOT SIMPLE OR EASY AND THEY CAN BE FRUSTRATING BECAUSE IT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME TO UNRAVEL THIS CRISIS.

AS YOU MENTIONED, THERE ARE MORE GUNS THAN PEOPLE.

IT IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH FOR CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES.

BUT THERE ARE DEFINITELY SOLUTIONS.

A LOT OF IT LIES IN POLICY CHANGE AND CHANGE IN EASY ACCESS TO GUNS.

A LOT OF IT ALSO INVOLVES INVESTING IN GREEN SPACE, INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSED AND MARGINALIZED.

WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AS COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE FRUSTRATED AND RAISE OUR VOICES.

CRYSTAL: YOU MENTIONED GREEN SPACE.

IS THERE A SPECIFIC CONNECTION THAT YOU THINK PEOPLE DO NOT MAKE WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HEALTH AND GUN VIOLENCE BEST SURPRISES PEOPLE?

DR. GRIGGS: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE SEE THESE TERRIFYING HEADLINES OF ANOTHER MASS SHOOTING IS IT INVOKES A SENSE OF FEAR AND PANIC.

THE ANSWER TO GUN VIOLENCE'’S NOT BUYING MORE GUNS.

CRYSTAL: I WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.

NEXT UP, APRIL IS AUTISM AWARENESS AND ACCEPTANCE MONTH.

RESEARCHERS HAVE BEEN HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF DIAGNOSIS AND EARLY INTERVENTION, WHICH IS FINALLY ON THE RISE AMONG CHILDREN OF COLOR.

A CDC REVIEW OF DIAGNOSES AMONG EIGHT-YEAR-OLDS FOUND BLACK, ASIAN AND HISPANIC CHILDREN ARE NOW MORE LIKELY TO BE DIAGNOSED BY THAT AGE BY -- THAN THEIR WHITE CLASSMATES.

IT IS A COMPLETE 188 FROM A DECADE AGO WHEN WHITE KIDS WERE 30% MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A DIAGNOSIS THAN BLACK KIDS.

EXPERTS ARE POINTING TO IMPROVED SCREENING AND INCREASED AWARENESS FOR FAMILIES OF COLOR WHEN IT COMES TO TESTING FOR AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER, OR ASD.

WHEN IT COMES TO ACCESSING CARE, A LOT OF FAMILIES ARE STILL STRUGGLING.

WITH ME NOW IS HELEN TAGER-FLUSBERG, DIRECTOR OF THE B.U.

CENTER FOR AUTISM RESEARCH EXCELLENCE.

DR. CHRIS MCDOUGLE, DIRECTOR OF THE MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL LURIE CENTER FOR AUTISM.

AND CYNTHIA LAINE, FOUNDER OF THE BLACK AUTISM COALITION.

WELCOME.

HELEN, TALK TO ME ABOUT THESE NEW CDC NUMBERS.

WERE THEY SURPRISING?

>> I THINK THEY WERE VERY ENCOURAGING.

IT IS ENCOURAGING TO SEE THAT WE ARE NOW RECOGNIZING AUTISM AT EARLIER AGES IN CHILDREN OF COLOR.

AND THAT THEY ARE BEGINNING TO RECEIVE THE ATTENTION THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE YEARS AGO.

SO IN THAT SENSE, IT WAS ENCOURAGING.

BUT THE SHARP INCREASE IN NUMBERS WAS SOMEWHAT SURPRISING, BUT IT IS SOMEWHAT UNEVEN ACROSS DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.

CRYSTAL: WHY IS THAT?

>> SOME STATES OFFER MORE TO FAMILIES OF CHILDREN OF AUTISM OR DISABILITIES IN GENERAL.

IF THEY OFFER MORE, I THINK PHYSICIANS FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE DIAGNOSING BECAUSE THEY HAVE SUMMER TO SEND CHILDREN.

CRYSTAL: THAT IS SO INTERESTING.

CHRIS, IN YOUR WORK AT MASS GENERAL, SPEAK TO ME ABOUT WHEN THE CDC NUMBERS COME OUT, HOW DOES BACK CHANGE PERHAPS THE WORK YOU DO WITH THE DOCTORS UNDER YOUR SUPERVISION OR EVEN YOUR RESEARCH?

>> IT TELLS US WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY TO PROPERLY DIAGNOSE AND TREAT MORE PEOPLE WITH ASD.

IT HAS ALREADY BEEN A CHALLENGE TO TRY AND KEEP UP WITH THE NUMBER OF REFERRALS WE RECEIVED.

WHAT IT TELLS ME AS WE WILL NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB IN MEDICINE OF EDUCATING OUR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS, PEDIATRICIANS, FAMILY PRACTITIONERS.

WE WILL NEED THEIR HELP IN NOT ONLY DIAGNOSING, BUT PROVIDING FIRST-LINE CARE AND TREATMENT FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS.

THE DAYS OF HAVING ISOLATED ACADEMIC AUTISM CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE, I THINK THAT WILL NEED TO CHANGE.

LIKE ANY MEDICAL DISORDER, THE SPECIALIZED CENTERS ARE FOR MORE COMPLEX CASES, BUT GENERALLY MEDICAL ILLNESS IS CARED FOR BY PRIMARY CARE DOCTORS.

WE WILL EITHER HELP.

CRYSTAL: CYNTHIA, YOUR TWO POINT -- VOICE -- YOUR TWO BOYS THAT WERE DIAGNOSED WITH ASD.

TALK TO ME ABOUT GETTING THEM DIAGNOSED IN THE FIRST PLACE.

>> AS FAR AS MY BOYS BEING DIAGNOSED, MY MIDDLE CHILD WAS BEFORE MY OLDEST.

THAT WAS FROM EARLY INTERVENTION.

THERE WERE CERTAIN BEHAVIORS THAT HAD TO DO WITH AUTISM.

AUTISM WAS A WORD WE HAD NEVER HEARD OF.

TO GET THAT DIAGNOSED, IT WAS WHEN WE WENT TO THE REFERRAL FROM OUR PRIMARY CARE.

WHEN WE CALL FOR BUSTING CHILDREN, IT WAS A FIVE YEAR WAITING PERIOD BACK THEN.

TO MAKE THE SCIORRA STORY -- THE STORY SHORT, FIVE YEARS WAITING, YOU COULD SEE WHAT IT WOULD DONE TO MY SON.

HOWEVER, WE WERE ABLE TO GET A DIAGNOSIS BECAUSE MY DOCTOR KNEW SOMEBODY WHO WORKED AT A FACILITY AND WITHIN A COUPLE MONTHS, THEY HAVE A DIAGNOSIS DONE.

MY OLDEST SON WAS SEEN BECAUSE I WAS BRINGING THEM TO THESE APPOINTMENTS AND THAT IS WHEN ONE ONE OF THE COLLEAGUES SAID WE NEED TO DO AN EVALUATION AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE DIAGNOSIS.

CRYSTAL: WHAT IS IT LIKE HEARING THAT FROM CYNTHIA?

>> IT EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY DIAGNOSIS.

WE KNOW THE EARLIER YOU BEGIN INTERVENING WITH INDIVIDUALS WITH ASD, THE BETTER THEIR LONG-TERM OUTCOME.

IT ALSO SAYS TO ME IN SOCIETY, IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR ME TO SEE PEOPLE THAT I THINK PROBABLY HAVE AUTISM.

THERE IS AN AWARENESS THAT HAS PICKED UP.

IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EVEN BETTER IF YOUR OLDER SON COULD HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED EARLIER, BUT HAVING ONE CHILD GET THE DIAGNOSIS.

CRYSTAL: KIDS OF COLOR AGAIN DIAGNOSED LATER THAN THEIR WHITE COUNTERPARTS.

>> YES, THEY STILL ARE.

I THINK SOMETIMES THERE IS A BIAS TOWARD SEEING OTHER PROBLEMS, THINKING THAT THE AUTISM IS REFLECTING PROBLEMS THAT ARE NOT THERE.

BUT THEY ARE SORT OF STIGMATIZED IN FAMILIES OF COLOR IN OUR SOCIETY.

OR FOR BILINGUAL FAMILIES, ONE OF THE FIRST SIGNS WE SEE, THAT PARENTS NOTICE, AT 12 MONTHS THEY TELL US I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR LANGUAGE AND IT WILL GET DISMISSED IN FAMILIES THAT ARE BILINGUAL.

AND IT SHOULD NOT BE BECAUSE WE DO NOT THINK LANGUAGE DELAY IS THAT ASSOCIATED WITH LIBERALISM.

-- BEING BILINGUAL.

WE ARE STILL SEEING THE OLD VIEW BEING REFLECTED AND IT IS PREVENTING PHYSICIAN SEEN THE CHILDREN AS AUTISTIC.

CRYSTAL: CYNTHIA, YOU MENTIONED EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES.

DID YOU HAVE ANY BARRIERS TO SERVICES IN THE BEGINNING?

>> WITH THE EARLY INTERVENTION, MY SON WAS LESS THAN THREE YEARS OLD, AND THAT WAS A PLACE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO LEARN SOMETHING.

THERE WAS NOT A BIG UNDERSTANDING, EXPLAINING TO ME WHAT IT IS.

IT IS THE PERSON THAT CAME IN MY HOUSE THAT REALLY EXPLAINED AS FAR AS EARLY INTERVENTION.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT IS THE FIRST STEP.

I HAVE AN 18-MONTH-OLD AND RIGHT NOW WE ARE GOING THROUGH THE EARLY INTERVENTION.

HE IS DEVELOPING FINE, HOWEVER, THE SPEECH LANGUAGE WAS A LITTLE BIT CONCERNING.

THEY CAME IN MY HOUSE, DID THE EVALUATION.

THEY WILL BE WORKING WITH HIM LIKE THAT.

THAT IS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT, THE FIRST STEP WITH PARENTS, I SEE A LOT OF PROVIDERS ARE GOING OUT THERE AND LETTING PARENTS TO GET IN TOUCH WITH EARLY INTERVENTION.

THESE THINGS REALLY HELP BECAUSE EARLY INTERVENTION IS A GREAT STEP FOR PARENTS TRYING TO FIND OUT IF THEIR CHILDREN HAVE AUTISM.

CRYSTAL: WAS IT HARD TO GET EARLY INTERVENTION IN THE BEGINNING?

>> IT WAS NOT.

I DO NOT KNOW IF IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION.

IT WAS JUST A PHONE CALL.

WITHIN TWO WEEKS, YOUR EVALUATOR WILL COME TO YOUR HOUSE.

THAT IS THE WAY IT WAS.

AND NOW FOR MY OTHER SON, TOOK A MONTH TO GET THE EVALUATOR TO COME TO MY HOUSE.

I AM SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF DIFFERENCE WHEN IT COMES TO OTHER FAMILIES WHO HAVE BEEN SAYING THEY DO GET A CALL BACK RIGHT AWAY FEAR AND CRYSTAL: CHRIS, YOU SEEING THERE ARE BARRIERS TO TREATMENT?

>> I THINK WE JUST HEARD A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT THINGS.

CHILDREN CAN BE RULED -- AND ROLLED IN EARLY INTERVENTION BEFORE THEY RECEIVE A DIAGNOSIS OF AUTISM.

WHILE THEY ARE WAITING TO BE SEEN BY A PROFESSIONAL TO MAKE A DIAGNOSIS, THEY CAN BEGIN TO RECEIVE TREATMENTS THAT WOULD FOLLOW THE DIAGNOSIS, BUT MUCH EARLIER.

SO THAT IS SOMETHING.

THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS WHAT IS SO IMPRESSIVE IS YOU ARE TAKING ON THE ADVOCACY FOR OTHER PARENTS BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE.

AND THAT IS UPLIFTING.

I AM SURE TO HELEN AND TO ME BECAUSE WE NEED HELP AND IF IT IS CURRENT DRIVEN, IT WILL BE VERY POWERFUL.

CRYSTAL: IN RESEARCHING FOR THIS PARTICULAR SEGMENT, I FOUND A STUDY THAT SHOWED DOCTORS WERE HESITANT TO DIAGNOSE ASD IN BLACK FAMILIES IN SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES.

WHY MIGHT THAT BE?

>> I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME.

WHEN I FIRST STARTED DOING RESEARCH AND I WENT TO A CLINIC LOCATED IN ROXBURY, I WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO AUTISTIC CHILDREN COMING TO THIS CLINIC, THAT AUTISM DID NOT EXIST IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY.

I THINK THERE IS A CONCERN THAT IT WOULD STILL BE STIGMATIZED FOR THOSE FAMILIES.

AND I THINK THAT IS NO LONGER THE CASE AND I THINK THE KIND OF ADVOCACY WORK THAT IS GOING ON IS ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL FOR CHANGING THAT MENTALITY, NOT REALLY JUST WITHIN THE BLACK COMMUNITY, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, AMONG CLINICIANS, SO THAT THESE CHILDREN CAN GET THE HELP THEY NEED.

CRYSTAL: WHAT ROLE DO YOU THINK THE PANDEMIC AND PEOPLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA LOOKING AT THESE THINGS AND GETTING MORE INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE IN THAT WAY AFFECTED SOME OF THE REPORTING IN THIS STUDY?

>> YES, I THINK SO.

I THINK AWARENESS IS THE KEY TO OPENING THE DOOR AND THEN ACCEPTANCE IS TO SAY THIS IS OK.

THIS IS NOT A STIGMATIZED DIAGNOSIS ANYMORE.

THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AND PEOPLE WITH AUTISM CAN THRIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY AS LONG AS WE FOCUS ON THE BROAD NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST THE ONES WHO ARE VERY RESPONSIVE TO INTERVENTION, BUT ALSO THE ONES WHO REMAIN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPAIRED.

WE NEED TO HAVE OPEN DOORS FOR EVERYONE AND THAT IS WHAT APRIL IS FOR.

CRYSTAL: CYNTHIA, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SAY TO PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO MAY BE CONCERNED ABOUT AN AUTISM DIAGNOSIS IN THEIR FAMILIES?

PERHAPS THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS.

>> ONE THING I DO IS TO MAKE SURE, I GUESS, I HAVE THE EXPERIENCE BEING THE MOTHER OF TWO CHILDREN WITH AUTISM, BUT ALSO I MAKE SURE I GET THE PROPER TRAINING.

I USE THE PROGRAM THROUGH THE BOSTON CHILDREN.

THESE ARE PROGRAMS THAT FAMILIES CAN ATTEND AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DIAGNOSIS.

WE PUT OURSELVES IN THEIR SHOES WHEN WE FIRST GOT THE DIAGNOSIS IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE PARENTS.

SOME PARENTS SAY WE DO NOT WANT YOU TO SAY ANYTHING.

WE DO NOT WANT TO COME OUT RIGHT NOW.

THAT INTERACTION, THAT IS WHERE IT ALL STARTS, AND THEN TEACHING THEM.

I DID NOT HAVE THESE RESOURCES.

SO I TOOK THE INITIATIVE AS A PARENT.

BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE IT, WHY NOT TEACH PEOPLE WHAT I HAVE.

IN ORDER TO EMPOWER THEM.

I WANT TO SAY TO ANYBODY WHO HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED A CHILD, MAKE SURE YOU KEEP A DIARY OF EVERYTHING YOUR CHILD IS NOT DOING.

WHEN YOU GO TO YOUR PROVIDER, YOU CAN TELL THEM THIS IS WHAT I SEE THEM DOING, WHAT I DO NOT SEE THEM DOING, THIS IS WHAT BOTHERS ME.

THAT DIARY IS WHAT WILL HELP US OUT.

I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF PROVIDERS THAT ARE DOING THEIR BEST.

THEY ARE DOING THEIR BEST TO LEARN FROM US.

WE WANT TO COME AS A COMMUNITY TO DO THE WORK BETTER.

CRYSTAL: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

>> THANK YOU.

CRYSTAL: THAT IS THAT FOR TONIGHT.

WE WILL BE BACK TOMORROW.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WATCHING.

I AM CRYSTAL HAYNES.

GOOD NIGHT.