Our Autistic friends

Samantha Williams swilliams.roundupnews@gmail.com

Kal Valasek kvalasek.roundupnews@gmail.com Taylor Rouch trouch.roundupnews@gmail.com

Autism and Friends is a club at Pierce College designed to help autistic students interact with their peers.

“The basic goal is to make friends with students with autism,” member Nanoor Shahin said. “Students with autism have trouble making friends.”

“We interact with the autistic population at Pierce College and help them make friends,” Alastair Naghieh, club member said. The club strongly urges students to attend the walk, volunteer at the event, or donate to help fund research.

This year’s Walk Now for Autism Speaks will be the 10th anniversary of the event.

“We want to support them not as a mentor, but as a friend,” Shahin said. “The second goal is to give information to the public.”

Shahin believes it is very important to teach people how to communicate with their autistic peers.

“Autism has a specific culture,” Shahin said. “It’s like a different language.”

Club members hope that educating the public will ease communication

APRIL difficulties between students and those with Autism.

Currently, Autism and Friends is spreading the word about a 5 k walk and resource fair called Walk Now for Autism Speaks.

The event will be hosted Saturday, April 21, 2012, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

The group has about seven students with autism registered as members of the club.

Autism and Friends meets every Wednesday from 12:35 to 2 p.m. in BEH 1310. Shahin expects the club to begin meeting on Fridays as well.

- One-on-one appointments with Admissions Advisors

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