Nadine’s son Nassan is a 6’ 6” 18 year old with Autism. When he was a baby he seemed fine until he was 18 months old when he stopped responding to his name, started flapping, running around and having meltdowns.  She realized she would need to give up her career in banking and get a job where she could be home more, so she went back to school and got a teaching degree. As a parent she couldn’t find any kind of program or support group. She lives in an urban area of East Orange, near Newark, NJ, and believes it’s important to educate the community about Autism and not keep children like Nassan hidden away in a back room.