Areva Martin

Lawyer; cofounder of the Special Needs Network
Video: Areva discusses her cause
Mother of Michael, 15, Morgan, 10, and Marty, 8

"We found out our son Marty had autism when he was 2, and I was devastated. Despite being a partner in a Los Angeles law firm and specializing in the area of disability, I found it challenging to get the services Marty needed. Under state and federal law, special-needs children are guaranteed a free and appropriate public education, but many families don't have the resources to advocate for their kids. I grew up in North St. Louis, a tough community, so I know what it's like not to be able to provide for your kids the way families with income and education can. The Special Needs Network (SNN) works to make families aware of their rights. We sponsor weekend workshops with day care, so lower-income families can attend. Recently, one of our moms talked about her 15-year-old autistic daughter, who had a habit of spitting. The mother had stopped working, and they rarely left the house. But she took some of our training programs, and she was able to get her daughter into a special school. Now, for the first time, they can go out in public, to a restaurant, to the mall. Just listening to her, I knew we were doing the right thing."

About The Special Needs Network

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 150 children is born with autism. And children in the African-American and Latino communities are diagnosed an average of one to two years later than usual—often because they don't have access to consistent health care. The Los Angeles-based Special Needs Network provides resources and community for families—especially low-income ones—with autistic or developmentally disabled children, as well as Spanish interpreters at all SNN events. "SNN teaches families how to advocate for their children in the school system," says cofounder Areva Martin. "We work with school administrators to inform them about parents' rights."

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