Durham, NC — A mother of a six-year-old girl with autism is reaching out to families caring for young girls with autism— to let them know that there is a community especially for them in ‘My Circle of Girls’.
It is a well-known fact based on researches and studies that boys are more likely to develop autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than girls, and it is for this reason that mothers like Dawn Dudley were having a hard time looking for activities for young girls with autism— because most of the autism-based activities today were tailored for young boys, who appear to be the most vulnerable to developing the disorder.
After tirelessly looking for centers that offer activities for young girls with autism, as well as searching for other young girls with autism with whom her daughter, Trinity, might be able to relate with— and finding her efforts were with little to no success at all — Dawn one day realized that this was an initiative that she must start on her own.
Admittedly doing so initially to serve her own purpose— which was to find friends for her daughter— she founded ‘My Circle of Girls”, a group carrying out social activities specifically designed for young girls with autism, nearly two years ago.
As the group grew, Dawn realized that the magnanimity of ‘My Circle of Girls’ had such profound effect on the young girls. In an interview with WRAL’s GoAskMom, she told:
“As the group grew and grew, it became clear early on that the need and overall purpose was greater than I ever imagined. The need to connect girls with autism and their families with others of the like is a local, regional, statewide, national and global need!”
“My daughter has gained more than friends, she has gained sisters. Through our monthly activities, she has unique outlets with these sisters as they build a community that will be forever theirs to cherish.”
She recalled one instance during a group excursion when her daughter was upset, and a 12-year-old girl with ASD who’s also part of the group, told Trinity how she went through the same thing when she was younger, and said that she was working on them and things got better. According to Dawn:
“No matter what, I don’t know what it’s like to have autism. These other girls do.”
Dawn hopes that the connections the children make through ‘My Circle of Girls’ will build strong relationships that will last a lifetime.
Source: Sara Lindenfeld Hall: After daughter’s autism diagnosis, mom starts group to find more girls like her wral.com