ROANOKE, VA – Wednesday marked World Autism Day - a day to celebrate acceptance and inclusivity.
Gage and Braedyn Hartman are brothers who both have autism.
According to the CDC, one in 36 kids is diagnosed with autism, but what it means for each of them to live with autism is as unique as the spectrum itself.
“It’s a huge spectrum, and I think that’s a huge part of what society doesn’t recognize sometimes,” Gage and Braedyn’s mom Kristen said.
Kristen Hartman adopted Gage and Braedyn at birth, never expecting that just a few years later, she’d be navigating parenthood in a completely new way—one shaped by autism.
It’s a condition that is nearly four times more common among boys than girls.
“I was a first-time mom. So it was a lot at once. I was like, ‘Where do I even start? And what do I do?‘” Kristen said.
Gage’s diagnosis came when he was two and a half.
“Just limited eye contact, playing differently with toys, then social interactions were really different for him. It was hard for him to make friends,” Kristen said.
Kristen recognized the signs earlier when Braedyn came along, also discovering he’s nonverbal.
“That’s probably the most frustrating challenge she has with being nonverbal is that he can’t communicate his needs,” she said.
Though her sons’ paths are different, they share the same love, the same family, and the same chance to thrive.
“I wanted to help them the best that I could, so that first started with me understanding,” she said.
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Organizations like the Virginia Institute of Autism (or VIA) are dedicated to helping parents and the community better understand how to support and engage with individuals on the autism spectrum.
Leslie Painter is the director at VIA Day School and says creating inclusion and acceptance is something you have to work at every day.
“We are trying to make Roanoke more inclusive. We are trying to get word out into the community of this is how you interact with someone, maybe that’s nonverbal, maybe that has a communication device. So, I do think it’s very important that people are educated,” Painter said.
And if you don’t know how to interact with someone on the spectrum, don’t be afraid to ask - they want to be included too.
“I’m very lucky that they allow me to be in their world is what I say. World Autism Day is so important to bring awareness to inclusion and diversity and to showcase what a special population people with autism are,” Painter said.
While her kids may do things differently than others, Kristen wants people to know that different does not mean less.
“It looks different for everyone, and to be kind,” Kristen said.
