Preston is 6 and he has autism. He goes to school to learn, and goes to the Autism Family Network (AFN) to have fun. The Autism Family Network is a community organization in Santa Cruz that focuses on connecting families to special needs resources and support groups, and creating inclusive events for families. During Shelter-In-Place they’ve been hosting dance parties and support groups online.

Preston’s mom, Karyn Homeriki, 37, said the Autism Family Network is a great resource for their family. She heard about AFN through Preston’s school, Chrysalis School in Santa Cruz, which focuses on special needs education for children with autism. AFN is run by Gabrielle (Gabby) Johnson, 57, and Stony V. Godet, 55.

Stoney said when they founded AFN in 2012, they started compiling resources for special needs kids and families and looked for gaps in the Santa Cruz community. Then they started putting on inclusive events. Stoney said that when they plan events, they think about how to create a space that will be fun for everyone. “It’s not just for kids with autism,” he said, “I’m being very clear with that.” Their events are intended to be enjoyed by entire families: parents, teenagers, kids; whether they’re on the autism spectrum and not.

One event they held last year was Hero’s for Autism Walk-a-Thon and Family Resource Fair, another was a holiday train ride. “It was just so fun because it gave us all a chance to dress up as superheroes,” said Karyn, “Preston just loves being around [Stoney and Gabby]. That’s one thing, and then just all the fun activities, he loves the train, he loves going around the track with my husband and just kicking back.”

Stoney works as a banker in addition to running the Autism Family Network, and Gabby is an Education Specialist for the Santa Cruz County Office of Education. “But I would do this full time, all day long, for every family if I could,” said Stoney about running AFN. His dream is to expand the Autism Family Network to be a fun place where everyone can go to hang out, whether someone is on the autism spectrum or neurotypical. He also wants to expand AFN to be an educational space where they run classes on life skills for kids with special needs: things like boiling water or filling out an application. He wants AFN to be the go-to place for families to get support for kids with special needs.

“Autism is not something to look at as a negative,” said Stoney, “it’s an opportunity to grow as a person, to learn how to do better, to be positive.” Karyn had a similar perspective: “The hardest part was when we did not get the diagnosis. Once we found out the diagnosis of Preston, we were able to take so much weight off of our shoulders because we got our answer and move forward and got the support that he needed. It’s been positive.”

Even though Karyn has felt supported by many resources in Santa Cruz, she still faces challenging and frustrating moments with Preston. She attends a parent support group through AFN that meets on Wednesdays. The point of the meeting is to remind parents that they’re not alone, and gives them an opportunity to express positive experiences and concerns. During the Shelter-In-Place order, they’ve been meeting online.

Recently, she was concerned about the possibility that kids would have to wear face masks when schools reopen. Preston is sensitive to touch on his face, and Karyn can’t imagine him being okay with a mask on. At the most recent group meeting, Karyn was able to bring this up to the group and learned that there will be an exception for children with learning disabilities, and they won’t have to wear a mask. Having that group has been important to connect Karyn with other families also learning about how to support their children with autism.

Stoney thinks there’s a new wave of a social justice movement for people with disabilities. He wants people to have fun and feel included. “Don’t judge your family,” he said, “accept them, love them, be patient, proactive, positive.”
Karyn said, “I want people to know that we need to treat all children equally. And even though [children with autism] end up being different, and the lifestyle is different, it doesn’t mean that they can’t be included to fun activities. Equality, I would say, is what boils it down to.”