AUTISM ACCEPTANCE MONTH

Inspired by little brother, Glendale student founds autism nonprofit

Anish Padiyar learned first-hand about the neurological condition: ‘It’s just a different ability’

Autism: Bringing Change has organized a number of events over the past year for families touched by autism, including a group hike up Thunderbird Mountain.

(Photo provided by Autism: Bringing Change)

Anish Padiyar, 17, and his brother Avaneesh, 10.

(Photo provided by Anish Padiyar)

Autism: Bringing Change set an initial fundraising goal of $500. By the end of the cycle, ABC raised $968.20, all of which was donated to AZA United, a nonprofit that provides therapy and support services to families across Arizona.

(Photo provided by Autism: Bringing Change)

What began as a personal challenge for one student at Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale has grown into a student-led effort to raise money — and awareness — for families navigating autism across the Valley.

For founder Anish Padiyar, the inspiration behind Autism: Bringing Change (ABC) is close to home. His brother, Avaneesh, 10, has nonverbal autism, a condition that has shaped his family’s daily life and revealed how difficult it can be for families to access therapy.

It pushed him to act.

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Inspired by little brother, Glendale student founds autism nonprofit

Anish Padiyar learned first-hand about the neurological condition: ‘It’s just a different ability’

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