Memphis artist Kia Shine spreads awareness during Autism Acceptance Month
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — This month is National Autism Acceptance Month, and Memphis artist and autism advocate Kia Shine says he strives to be the voice for the voiceless.
According to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, the developmental disability affects 1 in 36 children. The month of April is a time to celebrate the needs of the people on the autism spectrum as well as their families.
Memphis native Kia Shine is known for his music, acting, songwriting, and producing, but what many people may not know is that he’s also an advocate for autism awareness.
Shine says his son, Jameson, was diagnosed with non-verbal autism at the age of 2.
“God was like ‘if he doesn’t have a voice, you’re going to have to be his voice for him,'” said Shine.
He says he and his wife spent years trying to learn how to navigate as parents with a child on the autism spectrum.
“When your child isn’t making the milestones, there are two things you can do. You can be in denial, or you can say ‘Ok, let me go figure out what’s going on and what’s wrong,'” he said.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, signs of autism vary but may include social interaction and communication challenges, sensory issues, or repetitive behaviors.
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“I haven’t heard my son say a whole sentence to me. He’s 13 years old. And that can be tough as a father,” said Shine.
At a certain point, Shine says he and his wife realized they wanted to share their newfound knowledge with others.
“You don’t want to go out the house. People are looking at you. You know what I mean. Is he going to have a behavior? Is he or she going to be able to sit still if they’re in a restaurant? I understand. We understand,” he said.
That’s why they founded the non-profit Autism Advocates.
According to their mission statement, the goal is to create awareness, acceptance, and inclusion as well as provide community to families impacted by autism.
“We want to do things that our community can really feel and make moments,” said Shine.
In honor of Autism Acceptance Month, he is stepping into the community to help families in need. He says throughout the month, they plan on visiting numerous schools to provide resources to families in need.
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“We go to the classrooms, and we go give to the classrooms sensory items because sensory items are necessary for these kids to be able to regulate themselves,” said Shine.
He says he also wants to connect with law enforcement to spread awareness on how to encounter someone with autism.
Shine says despite being non-verbal, his son is constantly learning, and he says as a parent, he is still learning as well. His family just wants to take as many people as possible on the journey with them.
“I feel like these kids are different, not less and they’re blessed by the best. They’re just not the same as others,” he said.
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