GRACIE is 9 years old and in the 4th grade. She loves acting, drawing and of course WRITING! Her favorite colors are Purple and Orange (like Halloween). Her Motto is: WHY BE ORDINARY WHEN YOU CAN BE EXTRAORDINARY? She dreams of being a Fashion Designer or an Actress... or BOTH when she grows up. She hopes that this magazine will help other siblings of kids with autism know they are not alone and that SHOUT OUT is a place where they can chill out and read about other people who understand.

Sharon, AKA MAMA, is a freelance writer and humor columnist for Westchester Family Magazine in NY and writes feature pieces for many different Regional, National and International publications. She is an Autism Advocate willing to talk to anyone in an effort to spread awareness. She currently is working on her first book, The Don't Freak Out Guide to Parenting Kids with Aspergers which she hopes will be released late Spring or early Summer 2013. Sharon is so excited to be able to share her love of writing with her baby girl Gracie while also reaching out to other siblings through Shout Out! Sharon has a blog Mama's Turn Now- How my son with Aspergers is teaching me to be happy, and a Facebook Community by the same name which she invites all the moms and dads to check out!

Jay is 11 years old, in 6th grade and oh yeah has Aspergers. He enjoys reading comic books, playing on the computer, Doctor Who, Greek Mythology and learning new things. He dreams of being a psychologist when he grows up specializing in helping people overcome their phobias. He is proud to help his sister with this project by doing his monthly THROUGH MY EYES column. He hopes that other siblings will perhaps understand a little better what it is like to have Aspergers.

When we were talking about what the theme for March should be, I said Spring which made Grace think of Butterflies. Then she got all excited and said , "YES... Butterflies. How to help your sibling SOAR... you know giving them Wings!" And well it took off from there. I love this idea, because that is exactly what we hope this magazine does to you all... offers you support and encouragement to test your own wings out. Then and only then can you feel comfortable to help your sibling soar. We can't wait to hear how far you and your sibling FLY! Happy Spring everyone. Here's to spreading your wings! Love, Mama and Grace

Jay is reading this book in school and said it is a MUST read and would be perfect for this issues You Gotta Read book. We agree. Just take a look at what Amazon says about the book WONDER! August Pullman was born with a facial deformity that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. WONDER, now a #1 New York Times bestseller and included on the Texas Bluebonnet Award master list, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance.

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