Hi, John. My name is Eileen, and I'm the Director of Social Media & Social Influencer Marketing here at Autism Speaks. I am autistic, an author and storyteller and a mom of three beautiful kids. That adorable kid you see above? That's my son, Jude.

Jude is on the autism spectrum and so is his older brother, Charlie, who is nonverbal. Long before I worked at Autism Speaks, I turned to this pioneering organization for help—as the parent of a newly diagnosed severely autistic child and also as someone who received their autism diagnosis as an adult.

The resources, services, one-of-a-kind community and yes, kindness, we found at Autism Speaks made a world of difference for my family and me. And every day, I see more examples of how this organization improves and transforms the lives of autistic kids like my own, autistic adults like myself and their families and caregivers.

Today we're celebrating World Kindness Day with a 24-hour Flash Match! An anonymous couple who are longtime supporters and volunteer leaders at Autism Speaks will match every donation, dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000.

If you donate by midnight, your gift will be 2X MATCHED, up to $50,000, to support the complex needs of the autism community—so please, give now if you can.

Working in social media, I get asked about kindness and promoting kindness online. For me, as an autistic mom with two autistic children, kindness is all about patience. It's about little moments of grace and understanding. It's about choosing to say or do something nice instead of nothing at all...

When Charlie last visited the barber, we were hoping for the best, as haircuts can be challenging for people on the spectrum. But his barber, without missing a beat, found some Skittles and a small plate—Skittles are Charlie's favorite—and made sure Charlie could focus on the candy while they finished up the haircut.

It was a small gesture of kindness, but it meant so much. At the end of the day, those of us in the autistic community, no matter what stage of life we're in—only hope to feel seen and accepted for who we are.

Autism Speaks is a powerful force for kindness, belonging and life-changing support in our community, so I will ask directly: Will you donate today for DOUBLE the impact in honor of World Kindness Day? This 2X match is over at midnight!

Thank you for your kindness,

	Eileen Lamb Director, Social Media & Social Influencer Marketing Autism Speaks