ABOUT

 

 

Charlie’s Journey was formed April of 2014 by founder, Nina Harris.  Charlie’s Journey is named after the founder’s  son, Charlie Harris, that was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2 ½.

 

“I remember feeling overwhelmed with emotions when my son was initially diagnosed, and how hard it was to find affordable services for him to participate in.” – Nina Harris

 

Every camp, event, or service amounted to thousands, and with other children to care for it was financially taxing to obtain the services Charlie needed.  Through fundraisers, a great deal of research and scholarships Ms. Harris was able to obtain assistance for her son. The new found assistance caused him to progress from non-verbal to verbal, and at the age of 3 she finally heard her son call her mommy.  Charlie’s progression was also witnessed first-hand by the interactions between Ms. Harris’ normal functioning son and Charlie. These interactions really improved Charlie’s communication and socialization skills.

 

Ms. Harris was driven by the love for her son, and fear of him not becoming self- sufficient if something happened to her.  She was determined to make sure he was a part of normal functioning lifestyles as much as possible.   Throughout meeting numerous mothers and fathers with autistic children and hearing the same gripes regarding services and costs she knew something had to be done to ensure obtaining assistance was affordable.

 

“I always wanted to do something in regards to autism advocacy, but didn’t know exactly who to take action until Charlie’s Journey was formed. “ – Nina Harris

 

Charlie’s Journey is a non-profit organization sustained through donations and personal funds.  Our goal is to sponsor numerous social events and activities throughout the year where normal functioning children and autistic children can interact.  We believe kids have a way of communicating and interacting with one another that eliminates the barriers caused by certain disabilities.  These interactions not only form an understanding of one another, but a friendship - causing positive self- esteem and creating true bonds.    It’s our hope to see other autistic children progress like Charlie.