The 3rd annual “Walk for Autism” on Saturday at the Hanover Area YMCA, sponsored by Friends of Amazing Kids, created a safe space for parents and kids with autism.

In many ways, going out in public with autistic kids can be a “spectacle,” said Steve Brown, executive director of Friends of Amazing Kids. Community events, like the walk, help get the kids out and about, interacting with others and raising awareness in the community.

Friends of Amazing Kids is a local non-profit organization for people with autism and special needs run by parent volunteers. The event catered to all ages with music, bounce castles, vendors, raffles and food. But for families, the walk symbolized their support for finding

Participants walk in Hanover during Saturday s Walk for Autism, sponsored by the local group Friends of Amazing Kids. (THE EVENING SUN CLARE BECKER)

“Autism is so different from every other disease,” Kelly Pascoe, the organization’s director of merchandise said. The spectrum of autism is so big and each case is different, she said. As a mother of an autistic daughter, she hopes to raise awareness to the uniqueness of the disease.

Paul and Monica Reiner have two autistic sons. Although there are good days and bad days, they find strength in the group.

“It’s like a big family,” Monica said.

Like many other parents, Andy Coradi walked for his son. Cory, who turns 18 next week, was diagnosed at 3-years-old. At the time, doctors knew little about autism, which made the diagnosis difficult. The family looked through books and pamphlets, searching out his

Ann Stair’s son Brandon, now 13, was diagnosed with autism right before his third birthday. “The diagnosis isn’t a death sentence,” Ann Stair said. “They are just normal kids like everyone else.

Brown, a founding father of Friends of Amazing Kids, is also a father to three autistic sons, 12-year-old twins and a 5-year-old. But being dad, the organization’s executive director, and holding down a day job at the Army Corp of Engineers in Baltimore can be overwhelming.

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Walking for autism awareness in Hanover

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