Welcome to my fundraising page! My name is Javier Rivera and in the Fall of 2023 I will be running the Chicago Marathon with the Organization for Autism Research (OAR). My team name is the Easterseals Chartwell Center Team.

Let me tell you a little bit as to why I am running and fundraising for the Organization for Autism Research as well as why I have chosen the team name: Easterseals Chartwell Center Team.


WHY RUN FOR AUTISM?
My nephew Sebastian has autism & I have seen him grow thanks to Easterseals Chartwell Center of New Orleans. 1 in 44 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism. By joining the RUN FOR AUTISM team, you’re supporting OAR’s mission to fund research and resources that help people with autism and their families today.


Here are some of the ways that OAR uses the funds raised by the RUN FOR AUTISM team:

$10 provides a Curriculum in a Box professional development set to general education teachers.
$25 provides 15 copies of A Guide to Safety to families and first responders.
$100 provides the Kit for Kids peer education resource to an entire elementary or middle school.
$150 provides 100 copies of a Life Journey through Autism guidebook sent to a community support group or military installation.
$1,000 provides a research grant for a graduate student studying autism.
$3,000 provides a scholarship for a student with autism to attend college.
$40,000 fully underwrites an applied research pilot study.

Why is my team name Easterseals Chartwell Center?

My nephew Sebastian was diagnosed with autism around the age of 3 or 4. There have been some challenges along the way, including in our family, because we were not very familiar with autism or the implications and challenges of having a family member who has been diagnosed. Easterseals Chartwell Center has been pivotal and a main source of education for my family, myself and especially for my nephew Sebastian. Since he started at the Easterseals Chartwell Center he has flourished. The Easterseals Chartwell Center focuses on providing clinical, educational and vocational services to the greater New Orleans autism community.

Sebastian is now 9 and has been going to EasterSeals Chartwell Center for 2 yrs. Some of the improvements or milestones he has made since starting at Easterseals Chartwell center have been his attention span and a notable improvement in his behavior and speech. Sebastian is non-verbal, however, EasterSeals Chartwell has been working with my sister and now Sebastian has a Speech Pathologist who specializes in Apraxia who works with him at least twice a week. He has been improving in his speech and a couple of days ago I heard him call my sister "mama", which is a huge milestone given that he is non-verbal. Despite the challenges, Sebastian is for sure a warrior! He always finds a way to communicate with us with assistance of an electronic speech device that he was able to acquire thanks to the help of his Speech Pathologist who assisted with the submission and completing the application for a grant in order for my sister to purchase the Electronic Assistance Speech device. Some of the milestones that I have mentioned have all been possible due to the talented, holistic and highly trained Easterseal Chartwell staff. What better way to thank Easterseals Chartwell Center than name my team after them!

Please help our team support OAR by making a contribution to our fundraiser and by sharing this page with your family and friends. Every dollar we raise will advance Organization for Autism Research's great cause!

Thank you!

Javier