Due to sporadic thunderstorms, the planned walk was relocated to the middle school’s hallways, with over a hundred participants marching for autism acceptance and inclusion.

Sponsored locally by Facing Autism, Inc., the Autism Walk occurs annually in April to coincide with National Autism Acceptance Month, formerly known as Autism Awareness Month. Initiated nationally in the 1970s, the month is dedicated to fostering inclusion, celebrating neurodiversity, and increasing the understanding of autism within the general public.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ADCP), autism is a “spectrum disorder” with a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition affecting communication, social interaction, and behavior. Autism is on a “spectrum” with varied strengths and support needs, ranging from nonverbal to highly articulate. While sharing many core characteristics, being on the spectrum means that no two autistic individuals are exactly the same.

As a nonprofit organization headquartered in Fort Dodge, Facing Autism, Inc. is dedicated to raising awareness and providing community-based support for individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. They host inclusive public events, such as awareness walks and family fairs, and offer educational resources to local families.

-Messenger photo by David Drissel
Members of the Facing Autism board, from left, are: Amanda Holmes, Allison Drew, Desirae Weaver, Michele Hammeland, Janel Lincoln and Brian Lincoln, all of Fort Dodge.

Janel Lincoln, co-director of Facing Autism, Inc., is a licensed social worker and therapist at Lutheran Family Services of Fort Dodge, who also instructs courses in human services for Iowa Central Community College. Her co-director is Allison Drew of Fort Dodge.

Lincoln addressed participants at the event on Saturday, and introduced her fellow board members.

“Our hearts are full, as we continue to see the Facing Autism family grow stronger each year,” she said. “Knowing your child is loved and accepted in the community is invaluable.”

Studies show that autism affects approximately 1 in 36 children and 1 in 45 adults in the United States. It affects all genders, races, and age groups. The diagnosis of autism involves behavioral evaluations, ideally by age 2, though many are diagnosed later in life.

Lincoln notes that the need for local services is growing as more people are being diagnosed with autism.

-Messenger photo by David Drissel
Jordan Potratz and Beth Plautz share a moment during the 8th annual Autism Acceptance Walk and Resource Fair Saturday at Fort Dodge Middle School.

“Transitioning from primarily childhood services to adult services has been difficult,” she said.

Due to the wide neurodiversity of the spectrum, some individuals with autism need substantial support in daily life, while others live and work independently. Challenges often include social interaction, repetitive behaviors, specific routines, and an intense focus on narrow interests.

Lincoln knows firsthand about this spectrum, as the mother of an autistic teenager, Dylan, who was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 years old. Even though she had worked for years with autistic individuals as a social worker, she became increasingly frustrated with the lack of services for autistic individuals after the birth of her son.

“Once he was diagnosed, we found other parents in similar situations,” she recounted. “Ten years ago, the Fort Dodge area was referred to as an ‘autistic desert,’ because if your child received a diagnosis they would send you home without hardly any services available.”

As a result, many parents with autistic children in the Fort Dodge area came together for the first time in 2014.

-Messenger photo by David Drissel
Elora Johnson, left, of Fort Dodge, plays with toys in the sand alongside Sarah Phothiger of Storm Lake, center, and Maria Eastwood of Webster City.

“We were frustrated with lack of services, support, connecting, and socialization,” Lincoln said. “Our community was lacking all of those things at that time. We wanted to see change and improve the lives of people with special needs.”

After years of informal meetings with concerned parents, facilitated by Lincoln and Heidi Smith, Facing Autism, Inc., became officially established as a nonprofit organization in 2019. “Historically our area of the state was very underserved,” Lincoln said. “But creating Facing Autism helped to fill in some of those gaps.”

Nelson notes that other local services for people with autism have improved significantly over the past decade. For example, she said Humboldt Hospital offers speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy for people with autism.

The entire board was present at the recent Autism Acceptance Walk and Resource Fair. Each board member is a parent of an autistic child.

“We are a working board; we are all hands on deck,” Lincoln said. “We have an event about once a month.”

-Messenger photo by David Drissel
Participants walk and roll through the halls of Fort Dodge Middle School Saturday during the 8th Annual Autism Acceptance Walk and Resource Fair.

Examples of such activities include a special needs prom, swimming parties at Rosedale Rapids in Fort Dodge and the Webster City Pool, skating rink events in Gowrie, and special nights at the Fort Dodge Community Orchard.

Hundreds of autism acceptance walks are held across the country during the month of April, based on the goal of moving beyond awareness toward acceptance through advocacy, education, and supporting resources for individuals with autism.

“The national group, Autism Speaks, first began having such walks years ago, but we’re independent of them,” Lincoln said. “We were inspired by their walks, but decided to have our own in Fort Dodge.”

The Resource Fair included 12 resource tables, which illustrates the growing number of resources for people with autism in the Fort Dodge area. Examples of organizations with tables at the event included Axis Therapy Center, which provides applied behavioral analysis services, social skills building, and other services for children with autism. They also offer occupational therapy and speech therapy for autistic clients at the center.