Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed a major bill aimed at increasing early detection and intervention for children with autism. It also works to fill in the gaps in children's education with specialized programs.
Angela Nandin has three sons with autism. They're thriving, she says.
"And they're thriving in their own ways. And I am their voice," says Nandin. "It is hard to understand them. But they are still thriving for who they are and where they are in life. And they're happy. And my husband and I are constantly educating ourselves in how to understand them better so we can meet their need so that they can have the best life they possibly can have."
Nandin is known as "Big Ange" – even in the halls of the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee. She says it's because she "gets the job done." Her twin sons are 12 and her youngest son is 10.
She learned they had autism early on because she was paying "very close attention."
"We weren't meeting milestones," she says, "and we did early intervention, and that's how they got diagnosed."
And that early intervention was essential, Nandin says.
That's why she backs the new law, which expands free screening and early detection opportunities. It also directs the state Department of Health to apply for federal approval to extend eligibility for services under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. That means children with developmental delays or disabilities would be able to continue receiving early intervention services through the Early Steps Program until the child turns 4.
Stephanie Nordin has four teenage sons. The two oldest are 15 and have what she describes as "severe" cases of autism.
"They had to wear helmets. When they would get frustrated for not being able to communicate their needs, they would just bang their head into the concrete, a wall, whatever," she says. "They slept in safety beds so that in the middle of the night, they wouldn't hurt themselves. They have neurological differences which impact their ability to understand when they're tired, so they don't sleep very much."
Nordin is the founder and executive director of Autism Collier Resource Center and the co-founder of Autism Collier Charter School. She leads an advocacy group for families engaged with the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. She says part of her learning curve was realizing that the rest of her community had a lot to learn as well.
"The boys have been on a wait list for years to get services they need to be able to have a meaningful life – and even those services have been very difficult to navigate," she says. "We do have a crisis of insufficient workforce."
On the other side, Nordin says, is the joy.
"They are purely joyful. There's no inhibitions. They're purely mad, too," she says, laughing. "But I know what I get with my boys, and they are sweet, wonderful young men who I am wildly excited to see transition into their next phase of life. ... But it has been a road."
The twins were diagnosed when they were 1 year old, thanks to a close friend who's a pediatric nurse. Nordin said having more people in the community with the skills to recognize and support people with autism is crucial.
Under the law, the University of Florida Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment will develop a microcredential so that instructional personnel can learn skills to help students with autism.
"So, that's the design of the bill: Let's get these kids help at the earliest possible moment of intervention, and let's make it quality," Nordin said. "Having that microcredential for the workforce is not just going to help the kids, it's going to help the workforce."
The law was a priority for Senate President Ben Albritton, who championed the measure this year – and later learned that his grandson, Brooks, has autism.
"The good news is that many of the things that we've learned through all of this is already yielding results," Albritton said. "But I'm convinced at this point that the biggest reason we've been through all this in the Legislature is because of him. ... We didn't know it. But it's presenting itself now. And it's good. It's all good."
Albritton said he's committed to helping children with autism and their families. He recognizes the law is a start, so he's willing to put in more work next legislative session.
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