Special Needs Network, Inc. (SNN) is a nonprofit grassroots organization responding to the crisis of autism and other developmental disabilities in underserved communities. We recognize the intersectionality of individuals with disabilities and that their fight for disability rights is inextricably tied to the fight for racial justice and the civil rights of all people. Our programs and campaigns bring change through legislation and policy as well as through direct collaboration with parents, caretakers, social justice organizations, and healthcare professionals.Declared an epidemic by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism takes a tremendous toll on families across the nation. And nowhere is autism’s impact felt more than in underserved communities, where the diagnosis is delayed on average two years ― a devastating delay that denies vulnerable children the benefits of early diagnosis and intervention. The alarming delay in diagnosis becomes even more detrimental when compounded by issues of poverty, such as a lack of housing, employment, and transportation.Confronting these challenges can mean the difference between a child destined for an isolated life of institutionalized care and a child who will grow, learn, thrive, and connect ― and who may someday live independently.