Martin Luther King, Jr., was a tireless civil rights leader whose commitment to meaningful change made a lasting impact on communities around the world. In recognition of MLK Day, this edition of E-Speaks features content about work being done in the autism community to bridge gaps in access to resources and how autism thought-leaders are addressing disparities among underserved communities.

Autism Speaks hosts autism researchers, public health leaders, government officials, self-advocates and family advocates in Washington, D.C., to discuss solutions to health disparities in autism care as part of its Thought Leadership Conference on Health Equity.

A recent study by Autism Speaks researchers illustrates that children with autism have nearly four times higher odds of having unmet health care needs compared to children without disabilities. Furthermore, while the CDC reports the overall prevalence of autism in the U.S. is 1 in 59 children, the reported prevalence among white children is 7 percent higher than African-American children and 22 percent higher than Hispanic children.

Janet Williams, mom to a son on the spectrum and outreach director for Autism Speaks, shares her thoughts on breaking down barriers to autism diagnosis and care and the importance of connecting with impacted families across the vast autism community.