INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. — If you live in a remote area, medical resources can be hard to find. If you do find the resources, the waitlist typically is enough to leave you feeling deflated.
All of this is true for a mother who recently came to our Let's Hear It viewer meet-up in Vero Beach.
Latoya told WPTV morning anchor Hollani Davis that, as a mom of a young son who was diagnosed with autism two years ago, she feels stuck. She said Indian River County is scarce with educational, training, and support resources for these young children and their families.
Latoya said she quickly learned that she's not the only one who feels like there aren't enough resources in her community when, last month, she decided to wear an "Autism Awareness" headband.
"I didn't realize that this county had that many children, young children, who are on the autism spectrum disorder. And there are a lot of families that are dealing with it in silence and they feel just like me. That's why I'm speaking out," Latoya said.
Autism Speaks encourages families to call its hotline to connect with its autism response team. Help is available in English at 1-888-288-4763, and Spanish at 1-888-772-9050.
In addition, the organization has a plethora of tools and information on its website here.
You can also connect with a special needs advocate by calling the 211 helpline to see where resources are available in outlying areas.
