In the early 2010s, Barry Johansson's grandson was diagnosed with autism and he set out on a mission to find resources for families in the autism community on the Eastern Shore. Soon he realized resources were few and far between and no one quite had what he was looking for. So he took matters into his own hands and created the Lower Shore Autism Community or LSAC in 2020. I'm Jenny O'Connor for Delmarva Public Media. What began as a personal mission to fill a gap in services has grown into a thriving organization dedicated to building connections and providing vital support for individuals on the autism spectrum and their caregivers. While LSAC has grown far beyond initial expectations, it was founded on a simple, deeply personal premise. Barry Johansson's grandson received his diagnosis at an early age, and it became clear to his family that finding support on the rural Eastern Shore was not going to be a walk in the park.
"He was diagnosed at about age two and a half, and we were pretty concerned about the lack of resources. So I served on a few boards of directors of organizations that work with people with developmental disabilities, and none of 'em were doing exactly what I thought we needed to do. So I figured I could maybe get something started, but we've exceeded what I ever dreamed of in a very short period of time."
Barry's main goal was to create a space where the kids were pushed out of their comfort zone and exposed to environments that might otherwise be considered challenging to the neurodivergent community.
"Because sometimes, and depending on the severity of the autism, they're kind of pushed aside in a little classroom for a lot of their school career. They don't have a huge opportunity to socialize. "
That's the president of LSAC, Clay Blegie.
"We have some young people who didn't really say a word to anybody, and now they're speaking. We have a couple on the autism spectrum who are married with a child right now. So we see light."
At the latest meeting, the kids who range from 13 to 35 [years old], were prepping for the group's first trip to a Shorebirds game.
"We try to incorporate different lessons with it, but we want to make it fun because we don't want to make it like a classroom."
Trish Shockley is one of the board members who's in charge of the kids' social group.
"We are going to a Shorebirds game at the end of the month. So we have all of these different fun facts about baseball. So they know the basics of the game, they know the song so they can sing, and we're just trying to get them really excited for the game."
And as Clay said, this is not a regular occasion for some of the kids.
"A lot of them said our parents never really took us out to restaurants much because we maybe didn't behave very well or what-have-you. So the idea is to develop those social skills."
While the kids socialize and prep for their upcoming adventures, Cracker Jacks in hand. The parents get to chat with each other in the other room and take a lesson.
"We have a speaker who comes in to share insights on therapies related to autism or resources related to autism, where to get diagnosed, a variety of things."
Before Trish was hanging out on the kids' side, she was actually attending the support group with the parents.
"People don't understand unless they're going through it, unfortunately, and they judge you for the way that you handle things, and LSAC does not judge anybody for the way their child acts or for the way they act."
And it's here that she found a community to lean on.
"It's wonderful, and I've grown close to a lot of our parents, and you can just call 'em or text them and be like, hey, this is happening. There are other people that go through the same thing that you go through every day with your children, and they've been there, or they're going through it at the same time."
From a personal story of struggle and a lack of resources, the Lower Shore Autism Community has grown into a powerful force for good. Through their work, families are finding the support they need, and young people are building social skills and making friendships that they might not have had otherwise. To learn more or to get involved, visit lowershoreautism.org. For Delmarva Public Media, I'm Jenny O'Connor.
