During World Autism Month, we shine the spotlight on Nadine Wright-Arbubakrr
April is World Autism Month, beginning with the 18th annual World Autism Awareness Day on April 2. For Nadine Wright-Arbubakrr of East Orange, a 2024 Making a Difference Award Honoree, every day is World Autism Day at Nassan’s Place. She created the nonprofit organization in 2012 after her son Nassan was diagnosed with autism and she couldn’t find services and support in her area.
The organization provides accessible, affordable educational and recreational programs and other support services for children and families affected by autism in and around New Jersey’s inner-city communities. This includes hosting autism-friendly events and activities throughout the year, and summer camp and after-school programs that offer vital support, caregiver respite, socialization opportunities, and fun.
Nadine—a respected speaker, advocate, and coach for families affected by autism—spoke with Steve Adubato last fall on his Think Tank program about her work and her mission. She shared her personal perspective as a parent who had struggled to find services for her and her son, and as a nonprofit leader dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families affected by autism.
From a personal challenge to a community solution
When Nassan was diagnosed in 2006, Nadine knew nothing about autism and could not find a support group in Newark or East Orange. That spurred her to create a solution to “help families like mine get access to services and support, anything to enable them to get our children out into the community and educate people along the way. There’s a huge stigma associated with autism in the Black and brown community that no one was talking about.”
When Steve asked her how she measures her nonprofit’s success, Nadine said it’s the stories she hears and the appreciation she gets from families that provide that metric.
“Parents say they feel comfortable and safe knowing their child is with people who truly understand their disability. They thank me for alleviating their concern about losing their job because they’re getting numerous calls during the workday from caregivers and or school who don’t understand how to deal with their children. Families tell me, ‘We can now live in our communities with a diagnosis of autism because you’re providing the services and resources, we need that make its better for us.’”
She described the grateful faces of families when they drop off a nonverbal autistic child with challenging behaviors, knowing that Nassan’s Place has trained professionals who truly understand the challenges instead of disability and the need for patience and compassion of children with autism.
Education about autism improves community engagement and ease
Nadine attributes the education and support parents receive at Nassan’s’ Place to creating a positive ripple effect throughout the community. As parents come to better understand their children’s experiences on the autism spectrum, they better manage uncharacteristic behaviors and can be out in the community with greater ease—explaining to others simply that their child has autism, not with defensiveness but with grace.
As one parent told her, “You have given us an opportunity to be a part of our community, where our kids can come out and be who they are without judgment and stares. You’ve given us an opportunity to not shy away from when people ask us ‘what’s wrong with your kid,’ and we are able to explain it without being annoyed.”
How the Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award made a difference for Nassan’s Place
Nadine said one of the biggest challenges small grassroots organizations face is the lack of recognition larger national organizations receive—and with it, the difficulty of getting the funding to run her programs.
She noted that the specialized services Nassan’s Place provides require a relatively high staffing budget to pay the trained professionals and therapists who work with the children. She also needs more employees per child. For example, her summer camp requires eight or nine staff members for 20 children whereas typical summer camps may have just one or two counselors for 20 kids.
“The need is so high to get these children a quality education or a quality experience. I am so grateful to the Russell Berrie Foundation for recognizing our work and awarding us a cash prize to support our mission.”
You can follow Nassan’s Place on Facebook and Instagram.
If you’d like to support this organization and their mission, you can also become a monthly supporter by visiting the “Donate” tab on their website (nassansplace.org) and choosing a tax-deductible amount. Noted below are some of their upcoming events/programs. More information can be found on their website.
- April 5th: Sensory Friendly Movie Day at City Plex 12
- April 5th: Spring Dance for Teens 14+
- April 12th: Autism Awareness Family Fun/Resource Day
- April 26th: Nassan’s 5K Walk for Autism
- May 30th – June 1st: Weekend Inclusion Respite for children on the autism spectrum and their siblings
