www.twitter.com/CarmenVeal

MIL: Music Is Life Magazine is here with Carmen Veal,How are you and Sania feelng on this hot summer day?

CV:We are both very well thanks for asking.

MIL: What is Autism?

CV:Autism is a neurological disorder that affects normal functioning of the brain causing developmental complications with social interaction and communication skills.

MIL: How common is Autism?

CV:Autism has become an epidemic in children all over the world. Autism effects 1 in 117 children, one out of 70 boys is diagnosed with autism. These statistics are alarming due to the fact that they are higher than childhood diabetes, cancer, and AIDS combined.

MIL: What are the symptoms of Autism?

CV:Autism which is also known as ASD-Autism Spectrum Disorder is vast in a sense where no two individuals are exactly alike. The sypmtoms and challenges differ from person to person. Some of the more common early indicators are no babbling by age one, no eye contact and/or response to name/communication. Some later indicators includes repetitive behaviors, little or no social skills, and poor social play.

MIL:Can you tell our readers about Hope 4 Autism,Inc?

CV:At Hope 4 Autism we provide a resource program which pairs autistic children and their families with different services such as education advocacy, mini grants, & parent support groups. Our targeted audience is low income families, but we assist any family with resources despite their income status.

MIL:What made you want to start the Hope 4 Autism ,Inc ?

CV:I founded Hope 4 Autism after learning not many resources existed for parents new to the diagnosis. After learning my daughter was autistic, Not many programs existed in our area which lead to me doing extensive research and traveling a distance to get the assistance she needed. I founded Hope 4 Autism in hope that it would bridge the gap between autism and it's local resources.

MIL: Can you tell us about your support groups at Manchester Memorial Hospital?

CV: I faciliate a support groups the second Monday of every month. This program has been in place for about 5 year and are sponsored by Autism Society of Connecticut (ASCONN). The support groups are provided for the parents to share their experiences and let their hair down a little.

MIL: How do you help families get health care services?

CV:We assist the parent/caregiver with working with the insurance companies and therapist to get services the child need and qualify for. These services includes home health aides who takes care of the child in place of the primary caregiver for periods of times.

MIL:How do you plan to raise public awareness of autism within the community?

CV:By having our annual charity events and providing information within the community. We vend at different local events and promote our mission through social media and quarterly newsletters.

MIL: Can you tell us about your partnership with Autism Society of Connecticut?

CV:We will be partnering with ASCONN to combine resources to the autistic community. Since Hope 4 Autism targets low income families, both organizations felt it would be beneficial to collaborate and cover a larger area of the state as opposed reinventing the wheel and offering the same services in certain areas.

MIL: How long have you wanted to be a fashion Designer?

CV: For as long as I can remember. I had fun with fashion in high school, DIY projects, and creating inspiration boards from fashion tear outs Id take from old magazines.

MIL:Can you tell our readers about Sani Auri clothing line?

CV:Sani Auri is my clothing line for women. The pieces are a combinationi of fun, sexy, and professional looks. We also provide custom designs for all occassions to all women of all ages. A portion of all the proceeds from sales/events goes to Hope 4 Autism.

MIL: What does the name Sani Auri Means?

CV:Sani Auri is short for Sania Auriana which is my daughters name. She was and still is my inspiration for starting the line.

MIL: Where can we find out more info about your clothing line?

CV:by visiting my website www.carmenveal.com

MIL:Where can we find out more info on Hope 4 Autism ,Inc and Sani Auri clothing line online?

CV:By visiting websites www.hope4autism.org and www.carmenveal.com

MIL: Do you have a face book or Twitter?

CV: Yes, facebook and twitter is CarmenVeal for me personally. SaniAuri for my clothing line and hope4autisminc for the nonprofit.

MIL: Music Is Life Magazine would like to say thank you for taken time out your busy schedule to do this interview with us. Do you have any last words for our Readers?

CV:Yes...my personal words of advice. Despite your personal struggles know and believe anything and everything is possible. With faith, perseverance, and an optimistic mindset, you will get very far in life.