#NNPA BlackPress

Autism Has a Face

ABOVE: Lynn Clouser is all smiles as her son Marshall, who has autism, delivers a speech at an event. Autism is a developmental disability that affects an estimated 1 in 36 children in the United States today. Many people refer to those with autism as being on the “spectrum.” You may have seen or met […]
The post Autism Has a Face first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 years ago

April 12, 2023

Forward Times Staff

ABOVE: Lynn Clouser is all smiles as her son Marshall, who has autism, delivers a speech at an event.

Autism is a developmental disability that affects an estimated 1 in 36 children in the United States today. Many people refer to those with autism as being on the “spectrum.”

You may have seen or met someone who has autism, but do you know what autism actually is?

What is Autism?

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), autism begins before the age of 3 years and can last throughout an individual’s life, although symptoms may improve over time.

Having autism or being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is often associated with a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication.

Individuals who have been diagnosed with autism have a distinct set of strengths and challenges, which impacts the way they learn, think, problem-solve, and deal with certain situations. Autism can be extremely challenging for those who have been diagnosed with it, and some individuals even require more substantial support in their daily lives, although that is not always the case. In some instances, individuals who are on the “spectrum” navigate their entire lives independently.

Lynn Clouser with her two children—Marshall (18) and Lauryn (11)

Who is Affected by Autism?

The CDC states that some children show ASD symptoms within the first 12 months of life, whereas in others, symptoms may not show up until 24 months of age or later.

The CDC also states that some children with ASD gain new skills and meet developmental milestones until around 18 to 24 months of age, and then they stop gaining new skills or lose the skills they once had.

According to the CDC, as children with ASD become adolescents and young adults, they may have difficulties developing and maintaining friendships, communicating with peers and adults, or understanding what behaviors are expected in school or on the job.

They may come to the attention of healthcare providers because they also have conditions such as anxiety, depression, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, which occur more often in people with ASD than in people without ASD.

National Autism Awareness Month

April is National Autism Awareness Month, and it is a time to raise awareness about autism across the country, in conjunction with World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD), which was adopted by the United Nations in 2007, and celebrated every April, to shine the light on autism as a growing global health crisis that needs to be addressed.

Although many people go about their day-to-day lives as if nothing affects them, there are many people who have not been on the “spectrum” themselves but have had to navigate the challenging and delicate responsibility of raising a child who was diagnosed with ASD.

Finding out Your Child Has Autism

Lynn Clouser is a native Houstonian, who was raised in Missouri City, TX. She currently serves as the At-Large #2 Councilmember for the City of Missouri City.

Clouser has had to juggle the responsibilities of managing a career, being a public servant, and raising two children—Marshall (18) and Lauryn (11). Marshall has been diagnosed with ASD.

After her son experienced delayed milestones, like being late to start walking and talking compared to his peers, that prompted Clouser to urge his pediatrician to refer him for further testing with Texas Children’s Hospital-Meyer Center for Autism.

“After months of testing, the child psychiatrist gave me and Marshall’s father the official diagnosis,” said Clouser. “I was already preparing myself for the news and had already enrolled him (Marshall) in speech and occupational therapy, but nothing could prepare me to actually receive the news.”

Clouser recalls vividly falling to her knees and crying in the doctor’s office.

“In that moment, I felt alone on an island,” said Clouser. “The things I remember the child psychiatrist saying were: “It’s not a death sentence. He will need speech and occupational therapy for the best outcomes.” This statement stood out to me, and it is what I share with families that I assist. The doctor stated that she has many families that are in denial, trying various approaches, and some do nothing, believing it will go away.”

Clouser states that the doctor’s telling her that: “Knowing something is wrong with your child and choosing to do nothing is like a form of child neglect” left her empowered to be her son’s voice. She has not stopped since.

Marshall hard at work at his first job at MOD Pizza in Fort Bend County

Motivated to be an Advocate

Clouser states that the first parent who helped her was a mother who was friends with her sister. The mother had already been through what Clouser had been through, and her son was a few years older than Marshall at the time.

“I didn’t know of anyone who had received the autism diagnosis, or back then it was PDD-NOS (Pervasive Development Disorder Not Otherwise Specified),” said Clouser. “My sister connected me to her friend and when we spoke I felt like someone else understood what I was going through, and she truly helped reassure me. She was a wealth of information, recommending valuable resources that worked well for her son and the perfect autism school. I enrolled my son at that school—The Westview School—which was one of the best decisions I could have ever made for him. They emphasized that early intervention was crucial.”

But one thing that Clouser states she heard from the mother that she found interesting was when she told her: “We don’t talk about my son’s diagnosis in the community. We are a part of many organizations and it’s just something we don’t talk about in public. We just tell people that my son goes to a private school in Katy, and we leave it at that.”

Clouser felt as though she needed to hide the reality of her son’s diagnosis from the world after speaking with that mother, who happened to be the first parent she encountered on her unpredictable journey.

“I walked away from our conversation feeling as though this diagnosis was something I, in fact, needed to hide,” said Clouser. “Fast forward, and once my son started to progress and thrive in this new autism school—in speech and occupational therapy and social skills classes—I knew this was something I couldn’t hide. I felt I needed to let everyone know about his progress, so I could open the door to the same success for other families. Discussing the diagnosis is a personal choice, but for me and my son, his progress confirmed I implemented the right interventions for him at the right time to set him up for success.”

Biggest Challenges on the Autism Journey

Clouser states that there are several challenges on the autism journey, which include:

Financial—Autism is expensive. It’s said that it costs $60,000 a year for a child on the spectrum. Raising her son as a single mom was a challenge financially trying to meet his needs with private school, co-pays for speech and occupational visits, and the like. It was a challenge, but she discovered organizations like Hope For Three early on, who helped them fill in the gap.

Deciding to medicate—Making the decision to put her son on medication for ADHD was a huge challenge. No parent wants their child on medication, but after consulting with his developmental pediatrician and child psychiatrist, they were able to find the right one for him with the least amount of side effects to help him stay engaged during the school day and to get the most of his daily instruction. Finding the right prescription therapy was a daunting journey but ultimately, they found the one that was right for him. Insert lots of patience here!

Puberty—No one prepared her for this phase of the journey. Children on the spectrum often hit puberty earlier than other children so it’s best to start having these discussions and prepare for this season of the child’s life before arriving at that stage. Mental and physical tolls, especially at the beginning and during the teen years, can be a challenge.

Lynn Clouser and her son Marshall press forward as they navigate the autism journey

Best Advice for Parents with a Child on the “Spectrum”

Clouser encourages everyone who has a child on the “spectrum” to do the following:

Find a great support group, and/or families who have been on the journey, to stay in the know about resources.
Find a great developmental pediatrician and child psychiatrist early on in the journey as your child’s core care team.
Help your child find their gift and talent. Do they like fashion? Help them start their own tie company. Do they like pizza? Maybe they can find work at your local pizza restaurant. Are they great artists? Help them sell their art at local arts festivals or make greeting cards and sell them. Get in tune to their affinities and turn those talents into something positive and lucrative for them. Do they like to bake? See where I’m going? We must help them pave their way and set them up for success.
If your intuition is telling you something is wrong, please have your child screened and tested by a developmental pediatrician or pediatric neurologist.
Know that autism is not a death sentence, and yes, your child will be able to do many of the things neurotypical children will, but it will just look different. Be okay with that.
Find ways to regularly give to yourself. It’s something we all preach, whether you have a child with a disability or not. But you will find yourself drowning mentally and physically if you don’t. Take your breaks, vacations, staycations, so you’re not always pouring from an empty cup.
Medication is not a bad thing if recommended by the right provider. Many children on the “spectrum” will have other diagnosis like ADHA, OCD, anxiety, etc., and will need the help of medicinal intervention to function at their best.
The autism diagnosis can be very stressful for the siblings in the home that are not on the spectrum. Stay closely tuned into them and regularly offer support to them in various ways, including being intentional about ensuring they have their own fun time away from the home environment. Offer to provide them with counseling, and/or schedule a meeting with their school counselor about your home situation, opening the door for your child to be able to go see their counselor at school when they feel they need to speak to someone to help them cope with challenges they may not feel comfortable discussing with parents.
Hang in there! They get better as they get older.

Autism Advocacy in Action

Clouser has been on a tireless mission to help others on their autism journey.

Clouser was recently named Director of Marketing and Community Engagement for Apara Autism Centers, where they provide ABA (Applied Behavioral Therapy) for children ages 18 months and up at their centers and in-home programs in Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.

Approximately 6 years ago, Clouser was appointed to the Board of Directors for Hope For Three—a non-profit organization based in Fort Bend County that helps families and children living with autism with resources and financial support. Additionally, she started a support group for caregivers in Fort Bend County, and beyond, called Autism Caregivers Around the Bend, with her friend and Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sister Hope Montgomery, who is mother to identical triplet girls who have been diagnosed with ASD. Clouser also serves as a guest speaker on various podcasts, children’s school programs, panels, and at fundraising events to raise awareness and offer words of encouragement and wisdom on parenting a child with autism.

Clouser is happy to report that her son is thriving on the “spectrum”, while playing on the school’s special needs basketball team, soccer team, working a paid job, finding his love for fashion, and now looking at colleges.

Clouser believes that the biggest misconceptions that people have regarding autism are that:

Parents should feel embarrassed or not disclose their child’s diagnosis.
Individuals on the spectrum can’t and won’t be able to work or go to college.
Parents did something wrong, that’s why their child was diagnosed with autism.

“Although I was never in denial, my son’s father was for many years,” said Clouser. “Oftentimes, denial from one or even both parents can delay the early intervention that is recommended for the best outcomes for the child. Denial is a phase of the grief process, but you must not remain there. I always go back to the words that our child psychiatrist told us: “Knowing something is wrong with your child and not doing something about is like a form of child neglect.” Early intervention is crucial and necessary. Allow yourself to grieve, but don’t stay stuck there.”

Autism Resources Available

Relative to resources, Clouser wants parents and caregivers to know about the following resources:

Hope for Three: Hopeforthree.org
Know Autism: KnowAutism.org
Apara Autism Centers: AparaAutism.com
Autism Speaks: AutismSpeaks.org
Stacy Badon: Autism4home.com
The Perfect Connection: PerfectConnection.org
Various Support Groups on Facebook: Autism Caregivers Around the Bend, Autism Moms of Houston, Black Autism Moms of H-Town, Autism Dads Social Club, and Autism Moms are Beautiful.

The post Autism Has a Face appeared first on Houston Forward Times.

The post Autism Has a Face first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Forward Times Staff

Posts by Forward Times Staff

Up Next

California High Schools are Adding Hundreds of Ethnic Studies Classes. Are Teachers Prepared?

Don't Miss

We Stand with the Tennessee Three

Forward Times Staff

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

COMMENTARY: Jim Crow 2.0 at the Pentagon

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The American people are expected to believe that one extraordinary officer after another suddenly fails to meet some undefined standard of excellence. We are expected to ignore impeccable service records while accepting that political appointees alone possess the wisdom to determine who is worthy of advancement.

Published

3 weeks ago

August 3, 2026

bpusa-syndication

Pete Hegseth insists that he is restoring “merit” to the United States military. But after months of dismissals, blocked promotions, and ideological purges, the evidence tells a different story. His campaign against so-called “diversity, equity, and inclusion” has become something far more dangerous: an assault on equal opportunity that falls with particular force on African Americans, while also targeting women, Latinos, gay Americans, and transgender service members.

The latest example is both troubling and infuriating.

Once again, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly blocked the promotion of an exceptionally qualified woman—Rear Admiral Amy Bauernschmidt. Bauernschmidt is no ordinary officer. She became the Navy’s first woman to command a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, one of the most demanding leadership assignments in the world. Her career reflects decades of exemplary performance, operational excellence, and leadership under extraordinary pressure.

Yet once again, a distinguished military career appears to have been subordinated to an ideological agenda masquerading as “merit.”

I call BS!

The American people are expected to believe that one extraordinary officer after another suddenly fails to meet some undefined standard of excellence. We are expected to ignore impeccable service records while accepting that political appointees alone possess the wisdom to determine who is worthy of advancement.

The pattern has become impossible to ignore.

General Charles Q. Brown Jr., only the second African American to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was dismissed despite a career that placed him among the most accomplished military leaders of his generation.

Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman ever to serve as Chief of Naval Operations, was removed despite decades of distinguished command experience.

Reports have documented interventions that blocked or delayed the promotions of Black officers and women selected through the military’s rigorous promotion system.

Now Rear Admiral Amy Bauernschmidt joins the growing list of highly accomplished officers whose careers have been derailed for reasons that have never been persuasively explained.

Where is Congress?

Its silence has become deafening.

Congress has an independent constitutional responsibility to oversee the armed forces. Instead, too many lawmakers have watched silently while one of the nation’s most respected institutions is subjected to ideological litmus tests and political interference.

This is not military reform. It is testosterone-fueled performative masculinity disguised as a philosophy of military excellence.

The irony is impossible to miss. Hegseth repeatedly invokes “merit,” yet his rhetoric begins with the assumption that Black officers, women, and other historically excluded Americans must somehow justify their achievements in ways that white male officers are rarely required to do.

That is not meritocracy. It is prejudice wrapped in patriotic language.

No one is asking that anyone be promoted because of race or gender. Americans simply expect that promotions be based on demonstrated competence, leadership, integrity, and service. The officers being targeted have already proven themselves repeatedly under one of the world’s most demanding evaluation systems.

Their records speak for themselves.

The attack on African American military leadership has been especially pernicious.

For generations, Black Americans fought in segregated units, earned decorations while denied equal treatment, and repeatedly demonstrated loyalty to a nation that often failed to extend them full citizenship. They broke barriers not because standards were lowered but because excellence finally overcame institutional discrimination.

Today’s campaign against “diversity” threatens to revive old assumptions under new slogans.

The implication that Black generals and admirals somehow owe their success to affirmative action rather than extraordinary performance echoes some of the ugliest stereotypes of the Jim Crow era. Yesterday’s segregationists claimed Black Americans were inherently less qualified. Today’s culture warriors simply employ more politically acceptable language while inviting the same suspicion about Black achievement.

That is why Hegseth’s campaign increasingly resembles Jim Crow 2.0.

The targets may now wear stars on their shoulders instead of military patches on segregated uniforms, but the underlying message is hauntingly familiar: Black excellence is presumed suspect, while white excellence is presumed earned.

America’s military became the finest fighting force in history because it opened its doors to talent wherever it could be found. It grew stronger after President Truman desegregated the armed forces. It became stronger when women assumed greater command responsibilities. It became stronger when every qualified American was given the opportunity to serve to the fullest extent of their abilities.

Diversity is not a concession. It is a strategic advantage.

The nation’s adversaries do not fear an American military because it is racially homogeneous. They fear it because it draws upon the talents of more than 340 million Americans whose diverse experiences, perspectives, and abilities make our armed forces unmatched anywhere in the world.

Every politically motivated dismissal of a distinguished officer sends a chilling message throughout the ranks: excellence alone may no longer be enough if you belong to the wrong demographic group.

That weakens morale. It weakens recruitment. It weakens retention.

And ultimately, it weakens national security.

Pete Hegseth has every right to pursue military readiness. He has no right to redefine merit in ways that repeatedly cast suspicion upon the accomplishments of Black officers, women, and others who have devoted their lives to defending this nation.

America deserves better. The men and women who wear the uniform deserve better. The Constitution deserves better.

And unless Congress finds the courage to exercise meaningful oversight, history may well remember this period not as a restoration of military excellence, but as the moment political ideology attempted to resurrect, in modern form, the old poison of exclusion.

Jim Crow did not strengthen America. Jim Crow 2.0 will not strengthen America’s military. It will only diminish it

Wade Henderson
Strategic Advisor
Civil and Human Rights
wade@wadejhenderson.com

bpusa-syndication

Posts by bpusa-syndication

#NNPA BlackPress

New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial

By Emilie St. John (Contributor) Karmelo Anthony will return to court next month in his first step to overturn his murder conviction. Anthony was found guilty last month in the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison. His new legal team has filed motions seeking the recusal of State District […]
The post New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

July 31, 2026

Oakland Post

By Emilie St. John
(Contributor)

Karmelo Anthony will return to court next month in his first step to overturn his murder conviction.

Anthony was found guilty last month in the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison. His new legal team has filed motions seeking the recusal of State District Judge John Roach Jr. from overseeing the appeals process.

Two hearings have been scheduled on the motion for Aug. 9 and 10 in the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney, Texas, according to Fox4 News.

On July 14, Senior Judge Sid L. Harle of the 226th District Court was assigned to preside over the defense’s motion to recuse Collin County Judge John Roach. The assignment took effect immediately and authorized Harle to handle all matters related to the recusal request, the filing read.

The Collin County District Attorney’s Office continues to defend its handling of the case by issuing a statement to NBC 5 DFW.

“The defendant’s new lawyers have filed a motion containing several inaccurate characterizations of the trial proceedings. The entire prosecution team and I conducted this trial ethically and in full compliance with the Court’s rulings and any agreements with defense counsel. We look forward to addressing these claims thoroughly in a Court of law in the coming weeks. The jury heard extensive evidence over the course of the trial and returned a unanimous verdict. We remain confident in that verdict and the fairness of the proceedings.”

Anthony’s new legal team, made up of appellate, civil rights, and criminal defense attorneys, was retained following Anthony’s conviction.

“Our responsibility is to determine whether a legal error occurred and to ensure that every issue supported by the record is fully and vigorously presented on appeal,” the team said in a statement.

“We recognize the profound loss suffered by one young man’s family and the uncertainty facing another, and we extend our respect to everyone whose lives have been forever changed by these events,” the release reads.

Anthony was charged with the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf during a track meet in Frisco, Texas, April 2, 2025. Anthony has long maintained it was an act of self-defense.

The attorneys are representing Anthony pro bono. The nearly 200-page notice of appeal seeks a new trial because his Sixth Amendment right to a public trial was violated.

“The cumulative and practical effect of these provisions was to exclude members of the public from proceedings at every stage,” the filing reads.

The filing also focused on an alleged “handshake deal” that kept Anthony from taking the stand in his defense.

The defense filing said the agreement was that the jury would not hear that Metcalf and his twin brother had been accused of racism and bullying in the past. In exchange, they also would not see Anthony’s cellphone records or his school disciplinary record, according to court documents reported by the Dallas Morning News.

Anthony’s former defense attorney, Mike Howard, said the defense relied heavily on that deal. The team chose not to ask certain questions of witnesses or call on a separate expert witness based on that agreement. It also abandoned plans to introduce testimony and evidence about the allegations against Metcalf and his brother.

Appellate attorney Russell Wilson is now handling post-trial proceedings and Anthony’s appeal. He recently sat down for an interview, stating, “The court committed multiple errors during the June murder trial, preventing him from receiving a fair trial.”

“You know, we file motions that we expect to prevail on, but we understand that there’s two sides to every story. And at the end of the day, it’ll be a judge that has to make these decisions, but we feel confident in the positions that we’re taking,” Wilson said during an interview with WFAA. “There were substantial issues that we thought a reviewing court needed to look at. We thought these were constitutional irregularities, and we could have them addressed now. And so, we put them into a motion for a new trial.”

Bree West, a former Dallas County Assistant District Attorney, found it startling that so little time was given to Anthony’s team for such a serious “life or death” situation.

“I do think that it’s really challenging that potentially a court decided that you have 10 minutes to make that level of decision when it has the potential of being life-altering,” said West during an interview with Fox 4 News.

Judge Harle is no stranger to high-profile cases, having presided over the prosecution of a police officer charged in connection with the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

Anthony was convicted on June 9 of the murder of Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison.

The post New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

COMMENTARY: LSMFT! Lord Save Me from Trump!

WESTSIDE GAZETTE — The author criticizes Donald Trump’s rhetoric, noting his use of terms like “Dumbocrats” and “Communist” to describe Democrats and democracy. The column asserts that Trump’s current strategy involves creating doubt about midterm elections due to a lack of Republican agenda.
The post COMMENTARY: LSMFT! Lord Save Me from Trump! appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

July 31, 2026

Oakland Post

Frankly Speaking

Wow! Wow! Wow! The swamp drainers have truly stepped down to new levels of stupidity. You remember Weapons of Mass Destruction? We now have Weapons of Mass Distraction. Trump has introduced Dumbocrats and Communists into the conversation about Democrats and Democracy.

Trump lies so much, and his current strategy is to set up doubt about midterm elections because he and Republicans have no agenda!

He has no “Trump “ card, but Iran has a strait! He called it a skirmish; it’s now a War. He said five days; now it’s five months. He said few casualties; now it’s 18 deaths. He knew nothing about Project 2025 but hired its architects! Trump lies about the lies and often forgets these little inventions called cameras and phones

We see and hear and then see and hear the inconsistencies.

I didn’t like 45 and dislike 47 even more!

The post LSMFT! Lord Save Me From Trump! appeared first on The Westside Gazette.

Based on reporting by Westside Gazette.

The post COMMENTARY: LSMFT! Lord Save Me from Trump! appeared first on BlackPressUSA.