Treasure Coast High School Junior Aaliyah Brown is competing in the community service division of the Florida Public Service Association. Autism has peaked her interest, and she has begun to work alongside autistic children of all age groups. She is working on the correlation between autism and reading. Reading has been shown to improve brain connectivity within students of autism, and she has been making strides in incorporating this into their curriculum. She believes that making reading a fun experience is the biggest step in progress. To put this theory to the test, she has begun reading to autistic children within her own school environment. Aaliyah has worked with Mr. Wiebenga, Mrs. Swieter, Mrs. Hammel, and Mrs. Maldonando. Through interactive activities, and books geared toward their general level of comprehension; she hopes to gradually extend learning.
