Ileana Ros-Lehtinen: “every morning Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jimmy Morales helps his 6-year-old daughter get ready for school. Like many…”

“every morning Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jimmy Morales helps his 6-year-old daughter get ready for school. Like many 6-year-old kids, Nora sings along to Britney Spears, N-Sync or Cristina Aguilera. Once at school, she introduces her dad to all of her classmates, gives daddy a kiss and a hug, and sends him off to work. While to most people this may sound like a normal day in the life of a 6-year-old for Nora, many of these achievements have come only as a result of hard work. Unlike most little girls, Nora would not like to wear ribbons or clips in her hair. She could not look her parents in the eye nor tell them about her day with her grandparents. In fact, Nora's parents were not even sure she recognized her own name. The reason: 4 years ago, Nora was diagnosed with autism; a neurological disorder which impacts a half a million people in America. The world through the eyes of an autistic child is a complex puzzle with no solution. Autism affects the normal development of the brain and it impacts in the area of social interaction and communication skills. As a result, children living with autism have a difficult time responding appropriately to their environment. This includes playing with friends and forming relationships, even with their own parents. Autism is four times more prevalent in boys than in girls, but it does not discriminate. It knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries.”