Walking To Cure Autism

Newtown resident Carrie Cabral is looking for sponsors for her team that is attending the fourth annual Walk FAR For NAAR event to held by the National Alliance for Autism Research at Manhattanville College, in Purchase, N.Y., on June 12.

“Money raised will help fund research efforts and bring us closer to finding a cure for this devastating disease,” Mrs Cabral said.

 “Autism is considered a spectrum disorder because symptoms and severity vary from individual to individual,” she said. “Autism is different in each person with the disorder — no two cases are the same. Autism disorders affect people all over the world and affect people of all racial, ethnic, socioeconomic backgrounds, and occur once in every 250 births.

“Autism spectrum disorders are the second most common developmental disability, after mental retardation,” she said. “Currently there is no cure for autism.”

Mrs Cabral’s oldest son, Joey Morales, 14, has autism.

All proceeds from the event will benefit NAAR, whose primary mission is to fund and accelerate biomedical research that seeks to find the causes, prevention, treatment, and a cure for autism.

Mrs Cabral is encouraging everyone who is interested in helping to call her at 270-7583 as she is signing up walkers and collecting pledges. Tax-deductible donations also made by sending a check made out to NAAR to the National Aliance for Autism Research, 99 Wall Street, Research Park, Princeton NJ 08540.

Manhattanville College is about a 45-minute drive from Newtown.

More information also is available on the website www.autismwalk.org or bycalling 203-552-8980. Informatin also is available from NAAR at www.naar.org and toll-free at 888-777-NAAR.