WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Autism Speaks Walk is back this Sunday at the Meyer Amphitheatre in downtown West Palm Beach.
Autism Speaks is the largest autism fundraising organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with autism and their loved ones.
According to the most recent study done by the Center for Disease Control, one in 44 children in the U.S. were diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
Lisa Harrison, co-chair of the Autism Speaks Walk Palm Beach, said autism can come in many different forms, some signs as small as eye contact. But she said knowing those signs and how to navigate through a diagnosis make the journey less complicated.
"I know it's changed my family's life," Harrison said about Autism Speaks. "From when my son first got diagnosed, I didn't know what was going on and I went to the toolkit. And the tool kit kind of helped me navigate where and the next steps and what needed to happen."
The funds raised at the Autism Speaks Walk help ensure people of all abilities have access to the tools needed to lead their best lives.
"You don't want to ignore something if your gut is telling you something might be wrong, because if you get it early, at least in our case, which we did, we were able to have the early intervention for our son," Harrison said.
Co-chair Marla Garchik said her life has personally been impacted by Autism Speaks.
"When our son was diagnosed, we turned to Autism Speaks and his life changed because of the early intervention that we had," Garchik said. "But we would never have known what to do, unless it was for Autism Speaks."
The event kicks off Sunday morning, with registration starting at 9 a.m. Opening ceremonies start at 10 a.m. and the walk starts at 10:30 a.m..
Walkers will leave from the Meyer Amphitheatre to complete a 2-mile walk.
To donate to Autism Speaks, click here.
This year, the organization has a goal of raising $300,000.
