Woman Provides ‘The Answer’ For Parents Of Children With Autism And Developmental Differences

Debra Vines is the Founder of the Answer, an organization that has programs and provides resources for families of children and adults with Autism and Developmental Differences. Photo provided by With An Eye PR.
Debra Vines is the Founder of the Answer, an organization that has programs and provides resources for families of children and adults with Autism and Developmental Differences. Photo provided by With An Eye PR.

Woman Provides ‘The Answer’ For Parents Of Children With Autism And Developmental Differences

By Tia Carol Jones

Debra Vines founded The Answer in 2007 after seeing a need for help with people that had Autism and Developmental Differences.

Vines saw firsthand how challenging it was to find resources because of her son. The Answer started with a support group, with the goal to bring families together, and to see what those families needed, to be whole.

Several programs were created from that support group. They include Spectrum University, a tutoring and workforce development program for children and adults with Autism and Developmental Disabilities; Spectrum Socialite, a program that teaches young ladies about sexual education; First Responders Training, which teaches first responders how to interact with people with Autism and Developmental Differences; Bullying Is Not the Answer, an antibullying program; and Just for Men, a group for fathers and men who are caregivers to help them grow. The Answer serves people between the ages of 6 years old to 40 years old.

In March, The Answer hosted its 3rd Annual Autism & Developmental Difference Expo. There were more than 300 people in attendance. In addition to more than 60 exhibitors, there was a panel discussion that included Actress and Founder of the Holly-Rod Foundation, Holly Robinson Peete; Vanessa Schmidt, Assistant Executive Director for Proviso Area for Exceptional Children; Natashee Scott, Assistant Deputy Mayor of Community Safety; Necole Mills, MA Disability Non-Profit Leader; and Vines. The discussion was moderated by Illinois Senate Leader Kimberly Lightford. There was an opportunity for parents to get their children screened by speech therapists for Autism.

Vines said she received a lot of positive feedback from the Expo event. She added the parents left feeling empowered by the resources and the panel discussion.

“The families left with a great amount of resources. When my son Jason was diagnosed in 1988, Expos and having resources right in the community were not there for us. The families left very very empowered. They left hopeful with the resources they received and they were able to network with other families,” she said.

Next up for The Answer is the 17th Annual Autism Walk, which will take place April 27th at Proviso West High School. The walk was started to raise money for children and adults to go to a horseback riding camp for a week. It was expanded to include a scholarship for diverse learners. More than 600 students have been sponsored throughout the last 17 years.

The walk is another opportunity for families to connect with other families love ones with Autism and Developmental Differences. The day includes face painting, a photo booth, as well as live entertainment.

The Answer also advocates for people with Autism and Developmental Differences, which includes Individualized Education Plan Support. The organization has acted as a resource to ensure students’ needs are being met educationally. In 2020, Vines and the Answer advocated to ensure people with disabilities were counted in the Census.

For more information about The Answer, visit the answerinc.org.

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