Autism will not define Lauryn Clark

Lauryn Clark (above) was diagnosed in January 2024 with Level Three Moderate to Severe Autism (Restricted Repetitive Behavior). Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice Lauryn Clark, now 3, was diagnosed in January 2024 with Level Three Moderate to Severe Autism (Restricted Repetitive Behavior) at two-years-old. April was Lauryn’s birthday month and Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month. Lauryn’s parents wanted to share their story about their daughter to shine a light on autism and why it’s important to not shy away from a developmental diagnosis, especially in the Black community. Autism is being diagnosed more frequently in Black and Hispanic children than in white children in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nothing is wrong with my child When Lauryn’s parents Jeronia, 28, and Khayree Clark, 29, discovered her diagnosis, everything started to make sense. The Clarks said they had speculated Lauryn was autistic due to early signs such as not keeping eye contact, flapping of the arms, spinning in circles, not focusing well, and her difficulty transitioning from one thing to the next. “When you think about autism, as a parent, you instantly think ‘what did I do wrong’, or ‘what could I have changed for her...