KCET To Air ‘Autism: Coming Of Age’

Independent KCET Los Angeles will partner with the Verizon Foundation for a special live, on-air event Autism: Coming of Age, Nov. 8 at 8 p.m.

The special event, hosted by SoCal Connected’s Val Zavala and Wheel of Fortune’s Jim Thornton, explores the complexities and challenges of Autism and includes on-set appearances by Timothy McCallion, Verizon’s West region president, and Lori Gangemi, president-CEO of AbilityFirst, an organization that provides programs and services to help those with physical and developmental disabilities reach their full potential. Parents and grandparents of children enrolled in AbilityFirst programs will also be present.

Autism: Coming of Age provides an inside look at the lives of three adults with autism and includes interviews with their families and support teams. Autism and disability experts from Massachusetts, New York, Washington, Virginia and Pennsylvania also discuss the current system, impending challenges and possible outcomes for the future.

“We are pleased to be able to help raise more awareness and support around such an important topic that can be so demanding on families and difficult to navigate,” said Bohdan Zachary, KCET VP of broadcasting and program development. “The show also demonstrates the exciting new developments around the disability and how organizations like AbilityFirst are trailblazing new opportunities for those living with Autism.”