Carney Family Advocates for Autism

When hundreds of families converge on Cockeysville's this weekend they'll be having fun and riding bikes with a purpose: to raise awareness about autism.

The event, called ROAR for Autism, is a fundraiser for the Kennedy Krieger Institute and one Carney family has been working hard to make sure that it goes off without a hitch.

Todd Chason, a second-year member of the ROAR committee, and his wife Teri have been advocating for autism since their 9-year-old daughter Addie was diagnosed with a pervasive developmental disorder when she was around 1 year old.

"As new parents, we just thought we had this amazing kid—she was quiet, compliant, and very rarely complained," Teri Chason said.

Still, Chason became concerned that Addie might suffer from autism when she started to hit her milestones late—eventually she took her daughter to Kennedy Krieger to have her evaluated.

"A lot of people thought I was crazy," Chason said.

Addie was enrolled in an early intervention program—a type of pre-school program that she attended four days a week—and, according to Chason she really progressed. Eight years later and Addie is in a mainstream classroom at , and has "outgrown her diagnosis."

Kennedy Krieger also monitored the Chason's other children: Cassie and Ben. Now 6 years old, Cassie showed no signs of being autistic; however, at age 6 months Ben was found to have some "subtle red flags" of the disorder.

Again the Chasons turned to early intervention—Ben was enrolled in a "mommy & me"-style class at 14 months old, and when he was 2 years old moved into the same classroom program that Addie went through.

"Ben never received a diagnosis—I can only attribute that to the fact that he got started so early," Chason said. "We might be lucky maybe, but early intervention, the techniques used in the program, the techniques they taught us to use as parents—I know it made me have the kids I have today."

Having gone through the Kennedy Krieger program with two kids has made the Chasons advocates for autism and staunch supporters of the Kennedy Kriger Institute—these factors made joining the committee for the ROAR bike ride an easy choice.

"ROAR is all about raising funds for research—Kennedy Krieger, they are sort of like the Cadillac of institutions, they're a real leader in autism research," Chason said. "We never really saw ourselves as spokespeople, Todd does it because it's something we believe in so firmly."

The ROAR for Autism event is scheduled to take place Sunday, beginning at 6 a.m. and features 50-, 25-, 10- and 5-mile bike rides along with a family fun festival.

"Out family never bikes but we always go for fun day," Chason said. "They have face-painting, music and activities for kids. It's a place that parents who have kids on the spectrum—wherever they fall—can go. Everyone is so open and accepting of the kids and their needs."