Opportunities Unlock Potential

In the United States, 17% of children of ages 3 to 17 have a developmental disability, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control. For reasons not completely understood, that percentage has risen during recent decades. About one in 36 children has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder; that number, too, is growing.

Knowledge and resources are critically important to anyone who loves and cares for a child with disabilities. My heart goes out to parents and caregivers who have to go it alone in areas without support organizations such as the Emerald Coast Autism Center.

My appreciation of the challenges faced by people living with autism, in particular, was greatly enhanced by the time I spent in Tallahassee with an incredibly kind and respectful person, Kevin Graham. Prior to meeting him, what little I knew about autism I had gained from watching a television segment about the disorder on 60 Minutes. That piece focused on how digital technologies have improved the lives of people with autism.

In 2016, Graham helped establish Autism Cooks, an initiative that aims to bring people with autism and others together at events offering instruction in skills including baking.

Graham had been working at Lucy & Leo’s Cupcakery, a business located upstairs from the Paisley Café, where Jeri’s Midtown Café is now located. Like a neighbor calling upon a neighbor for a cup of sugar, Graham would occasionally visit Kiersten Lee at the cafe to obtain ingredients needed by the cupcakery. One day, Lee asked Graham if he would like to cook with her.

For starters, Graham had limited verbal communication skills and lacked confidence, but as months passed, Lee saw Graham grow passionate about cooking while becoming more sure of himself and gaining independence. He began to speak much more clearly and learned his way around a kitchen.

Graham was hired by the Paisley Café and then Jeri’s Midtown Café as a host, and he excels in that role. When I met him, he talked about his love of cooking and how it enabled him to grow and enjoy his life more fully. He invited me to cook with him one afternoon, and I immediately said yes.

I arrived at the kitchen one Sunday afternoon when the cafe was closed. I wore nonslip shoes as Graham had instructed. I was to be his sous chef, and to this day, that was the greatest job I have ever had.

We made lemon zest, basil and parmesan sauce to go with homemade pasta and prepared banana pudding for dessert. As we co-created the meal, he described what he felt he could do to help people, especially children, with autism. His certainty about making an impact was impressive.

Unintentionally, I added tears to the sauce. I had been moved by Graham’s joyfulness and the gratitude I felt for everything he was teaching me about life.

My passion for supporting people with autism was born that day, and I am genuinely delighted to announce that this year’s Best of the Emerald Coast Winners Soirée will benefit the Emerald Coast Autism Center. See page 86 for the complete list of all the incredible winners in the 2023 Best of the Emerald Coast readers choice poll. 

I encourage you, too, to turn to page 34 and learn more about the Emerald Coast Autism Center and its impact in Okaloosa and Walton counties and surrounding areas. All donations made to the organization through the end of the year will be matched by the Dugas Family Foundation.

Please join me in helping autistic children on the Emerald Coast gain the opportunity to learn and grow and to experience independence, passion and joy just like my dear friend Graham has. I thank the Emerald Coast Autism Center for all that they do.

Much love,

McKenzie Burleigh,
Associate Publisher

mburleigh@rowlandpublishing.com