Evanston, illinois, Northwestern University women’s basketball team – are committed to increasing autism awareness.
Northwestern women’s basketball team coach Joe McKeown has a son Joey, 19 who is on the autistic spectrum. He explained to abc 7 News that Joey is an artist but that he obviously has special needs and communicative needs.
Coach McKeown’s 22-year-old daughter Meghan is a guard on the team. She said:
“Growing up he was my best friend and we would do everything together,”
Forward Alex Cohen’s is a Junior and was transferred last summer, her older brother Aaron is autistic and she said that her brother is nonverbal but that they are very close.
“Growing up with Aaron was a treat,”
She told of how coming to Northwestern and meeting the McKeown family was very special
for her.
“They’re very big advocates her family for the autism community and so are we, so you know it’s kind of forms a special bond. I think that other people with sibling with autism we automatically have a connection. You know growing up, Aaron and I, we didn’t necessarily get to take normal family vacations.”
Northwestern’s Autism Awareness Chapter raised the most money among colleges in the state of Illinois.
The original article by Karen Meyer on the abc 7 News website can be read here