Big Country’s 21st Annual Autism Extravaganza highlights growing awareness & support

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – For more than two decades, Region 14 has hosted a seminar aimed at helping educators, parents, and community partners better understand students on the autism spectrum and those affected by autism. On Wednesday, the 21st Annual Autism Extravaganza took place at Abilene Christian University, featuring multiple speakers who shared valuable insights with attendees.

One of this year’s keynote speakers, Ty Day, an advocate for autism, spoke about his personal experience as a student on the spectrum and navigating the classroom environment. Day shared that one of his biggest challenges was adjusting to changes.

“When things suddenly changed and the adults back then did not do a good job of preparing me for those changes. I had some major reactions, and rather than trying to understand where everything was coming from and why I was getting upset, they assumed defiance,” Day said.

His advice to teachers and school personnel is simple: listen and earn the trust of students with autism.

“To most, if not all adults out there, don’t assume, ask; But make sure you have their trust. If you don’t, well, do what you can to earn their trust,” Day said.

Amber Davies, an Autism Consultant for Region 14, said her main goal for the extravaganza is to prepare students for success.

“I want their teachers to know more about how to help them be successful and how to help them learn how to self-advocate so that when they get jobs or whatever it is they’re going to do beyond school, they’re successful with that,” Davies said. “[I want everyone to] really listen to the voices of the people who are actually living it and to learn how to support them better instead of just being like, ‘This is how I’ve always done things. These are my rules in my classroom.”

Davies expressed her hope that society’s perspective on learning differences and autism continues to evolve and become more inclusive.

“I think that there are a lot of people who, when I was growing up and even when I was going through my schooling, were not diagnosed, but that learned a little bit differently, which everybody learns a little bit differently too. But if they had some different types of supports and if we’d really listened to them and had conversations, I feel like their education experience could have been a little bit different,” Davies said. “I really hope that in the next decade we continue what we’ve started to do, which is having those open conversations with people and finding out like what’s really going on. Is it a trauma background, Is it mental health?”

The event also included a resource fair featuring local organizations like the Betty Hardwick Center, Communities in Schools, and Spectrum Connection. The next gathering will be the 4th Annual Spectrum Connection Autism Walks on April 5th at Redbud Park. The CDC has reported that one in 36 children will be diagnosed with autism, making it the fastest-growing developmental condition.