Instrumental Music
I come to this event every year,
and I think it's amazing that
there's supposed to be 50,000 people here today.
My name is Alex Plank.
I run the website wrongplanet.net,
which is the largest website for autism.
And I also work on FX's The Bridge
as a consultant and actor.
I do a TV talk show online called Autism Talk TV
where we interview people about autism
and give how-to videos on subjects
such as social skills and things like that,
for people with autism to learn how to interact socially.
Shoutout to Mahje, my cousin.
When I was 9, I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome
which is a form of autism.
So that is how I got involved in this cause.
I think that the important issues we need to focus
with in terms of autism are providing better services
for individuals who are on the spectrum.
Supporting them so they can live
the most fulfilling life possible.
Hi, my name is Preston.
I'm the brand ambassador for 51 Fifty Energy.
Our CEO, Carlos Vieira runs a non-profit organization
called The Carlos Vieira Foundation.
Actually, he's a very successful sweet potato farmer,
and he started racing cars when he was 35 years old.
People were calling him crazy, so that was
sort of his motivation to start this energy company.
But he didn't need the money,
so he would donate it to autism.
The car is actually one of our old race cars.
We took the engine out
and we sealed up all the windows and everything.
And we bring to all the events
and have people donate money.
So once that car is full of money,
we're going to donate it to autism.
The families reach out to us,
and we get them set up,
whatever they need.
We donate the money straight to families
with autism.
The website is 51fiftyenergydrink.com
My name is Larry Rosen
I'm an advocate. I am a partner in a company
called IHSS advocates
We help families get protective supervision
which is a component of in home support services
which is a Medi-Cal program.
Unfortunately, lots of families don't realize
that there's a service out there
that allows a parent to
be the stay-at home provider for their child
and get paid for it.
I'm Max Burkholder, I'm here because
I play a character on NBC's Parenthood
named Max Braverman who has Asperger's Syndrome
I don't think they attempted to cast
someone who was on the spectrum.
I think their first thought was to teach all the kids
who were auditioning about what people
who are on the spectrum go through.
And ever since I started playing that role,
I've gotten more and more
involved in the autism community
I'm Robin Rapaport and I am a tutordoctor.
And what we provide is
one-on-one in home tutoring
for students of all ages
and in any subject at all
And what's really different about us,
is that when it's appropriate,
we create a team with everybody that's involved
in the student's education,
because we really want to dig deep.
We're not like a band-aid situation.
We're really about getting to the heart
of the matter,
and giving people the tools
and skills that they need,
so they don't need us forever.
Just really trying to be the best
service for tutoring on the planet.
That's our commitment.
Ernie: My name is Ernie Merlan
Yudi: And I'm Yudi Bennett
E: And we're part of Exceptional Minds
E: We're a school for young adults with autism
E: We teach them computer graphics and animation
Y: We're very unique in the special needs world.
Y: There are very few programs.
Y: Our program was designed to fill the need
Y: For young adults over 18.
Y: There are very few programs for this population,
Y: and there's tremendous unemployment.
E: We've been lucky enough to get them
E: jobs in some movies.
E: Last year we did 12 visual effects
on American Hustle
and we've worked on movies like Lawless,
and Judy Moody.
Dina: My name is Dina Kimmel and I'm the founder
of We Rock the Spectrum
the kid's gym for all kids.
So We Rock was founded
because our son has autism.
He was diagnosed back in 2009.
And we wanted to create a space for my son
and for my daughter, who's neurotypical.
And we created this kid's gym
in my home.
It's all sensory based equipment.
And then brought it out
into the community.
The local community in Tarzana.
And 3 weeks later, it exploded.
And now here we are, 4 years later.
We've got 12 locations.
We just started franchising out.
We opened our first one in Boca Raton, Florida.
It's really exciting.
So we are about inclusion.
So with the sensory equipment,
we're able to have typical children,
and children with autism
or other disabilities
cerebral palsy, it doesn't matter.
There'e something for everybody.
So that's what We Rock is about.
Instrumental Music