Congratulations to First Lady Denise Hunter
for being honored by the Special Needs Network.

Special Needs Network’s mission is to raise public awareness of developmental disabilities and to impact public policy, while providing education and resources to families, children and adults. SNN serves as a link between underserved communities and mainstream developmental disability organizations and governmental institutions, which often fail to address issues specific to these communities.

Autism is the fastest-growing childhood disease in America. A recent study published in the American Academy of Pediatrics Journal confirms that one in every 91 American children, including on in every 58 boys born today will be diagnosed with autism. The Center for Disease Control reports that one in every 150 children has autism. In California alone, two children are diagnosed every hour. This complex neurological disorder is taking its toll on school districts, communities and families across the nation. And nowhere is the impact felt more than in communities of color, where both diagnosis and services are delayed two years on average--two years lost for a child who needs early intervention for his developing brain. Two years without valuable therapies that can make the difference between her ability to someday live on her own – or lead a life of institutionalized care. This is the reality for thousands of special needs families who live in disenfranchised communities. And this is the reality that Special Needs Network, Inc. is committed to change.

Special Needs Network, Inc. is responding to the crisis of autism and other developmental disabilities in underserved communities by providing educational forums, resources, and specialized learning opportunities for parents and care givers of special needs children, intervention programs and advocacy training. Founded in 2005, SNN grew out of the struggles of two mothers whose sons were diagnosed with autism. Co-founder and President Areva Martin son’s diagnosis and her personal struggles to access services convinced her that an organization like SNN was overdue in South Los Angeles.