YOU MAY HAVE NOTICEDBOTH KATIE AND I AREWEARING LIGHT BLUE ...IT'S FOR AUTISMAWARENESS DAY.THE AIM -- TO RAISEAWARENESS ABOUTPEOPLE LIVING WITHAUTISM SPECTRUMDISORDER THROUGHOUTTHE WORLD.TAKE A LOOK AT THELATEST STATS FROM THEC-D-C ...IN 20-18 -- IT WASDETERMINEDAPPROXIMATELY ONE IN59 CHILDREN ISDIAGNOSED WITH ANAUTISM SPECTRUMDISORDER OR A-S-D.THE CONDITION ISABOUT 4-TIMES MORECOMMON AMONG BOYSTHAN GIRLS.AND WHILE THERE'S NOSPECIFIC LINK TO WHATCAUSES AUTISM -- ONEYOUNG MAN IS ON AMISSION TO EDUCATEAND MOVE BEYONDLABELS ...MEET DAVID PHILLIPS --A 27-YEAR-OLD LIVINGWITH CEREBRAL PALSY.AFTER PERSONALLYEXPERIENCING WHAT HECALLS THE PIT-FALLS OFSPECIAL EDUCATION ANDSEEING THE IMPACT ITWAS HAVING ON HISFRIENDS AND FAMILYWITH AUTISM HEDECIDED TO TAKEACTION.THE TOWN OFTONAWANDA MANLAUNCHED A WEBSITEAND YOU-TUBE CHANNELDEDICATED TO BETTERUNDERSTANDINGAUTISM.AND WHILE DAVID ISNOT AN EXPERT IN THEFIELD -- HE HOPES HISSITE WILL SERVE AS ACONVERSATIONSTARTER OR SOUNDINGBOARD ALLOWINGPEOPLE TO BETTERUNDERSTAND PEOPLEOF ALL ABILITIES.DAVID PHILLIPS: "YOUCAN'T PAINT EVERYBODYWITH THE SAME BRUSH,WE ARE ALL UNIQUE."DAVID PHILLIPS: "JUSTBECAUSE AN INDIVIDUALCAN'T TALK, AND EVEN IGET THIS - THEY SEE I'MIN A WHEEL-CHAIR BUTINSTANTLY THEY TALKDOWN TO ME BECAUSETHEY THINK I CAN'T TALK."DAVID PHILLIPS: "EVEN IFYOU DON'T THINK THEYCAN HEAR YOU, YOU'REWRONG, WE CAN HEARYOU - EVEN IF WE CAN'TTALK BACK TO YOU, TALKTO US, WE'RE NOT GONNABITE, WE'RE NOT SUGAR,WE'RE NOT GONNA MELTYOU - WE'RE JUST ANORMAL EVERYDAYHUMAN."YOU - WE'RE JUST ANORMAL EVERYDAYHUMAN."WHAT AN INCREDIBLEGUY.NOW AGAIN, DAVID ISNOT AN EXPERT IN THISFIELD -- BUT HE HOPESHIS WEBSITE -UNLOCKING THE KEY TOAUTISM -- AND HIS YOU-TUBE CHANNEL CAN BE ARESOURCE FOR ANYONENEEDING OR SEEKING ASUPPORT NETWORK.