Meet Veronica R.

Veronica Robinson’s dedication to advocacy has been an important part of her life journey. It all began when her son, Alex, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the age of three. As an African American parent, she faced numerous challenges in securing support for her child. This experience ignited her mission to advocate for Alex. She educated herself about autism and used every available resource to promote her son’s growth and development. All the sacrifices and hard work she put into supporting her child culminated in a deeply emotional moment in her life.

Alex graduated from high school and performed the national anthem solo. He also closed the graduation ceremony as the valedictorian. It was an emotional moment for Veronica to see her son achieve this milestone after all the hard work and sacrifices she made in supporting her child, especially overcoming the obstacles they faced due to the color of their skin. Today, her son Alex is a 25-year-old college graduate working full-time with her mom. 

Veronica’s dedication to our community stands out. She is a seasoned attorney and a passionate mother advocate, drawing on her personal experiences to provide families with compassionate guidance. Her work focuses on empowering families of individuals with developmental delays or disabilities, helping them navigate complex legal processes like guardianship, and ensuring they have the resources they need for a brighter future.

Veronica is the CEO of the African American Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities, a Florida Children’s First board member, and an attorney-ad-litem representing children in dependency and educational matters. She is also the owner and attorney at the Law Offices of E.F. Robinson, P.A. 

We had the privilege of sitting down with Veronica to learn more about the importance of advocacy and the challenges that African American families face in obtaining resources for their loved ones with autism.

Q&A with Veronica R:

What would you tell parents of a child with autism about the importance of advocating for their child’s rights? 

If you don't do it, no one else will. You can't rely on anyone else to do it—not the teachers or ESE specialists. You need to understand the literature, be aware of what's available, know your child, and engage with resources. I have much more sympathy for those who might not have an education or the same socioeconomic background I do because they might not even realize there's a note in their child's backpack about an IEP meeting. Those are the ones who fall behind when there isn't a parent to advocate for them. So, keep pushing, understand your child, and stay informed about available resources.

What are some of the challenges African American families in our autism community face?

Delayed diagnosis and numerous mislabels characterize the situation. When a child presents with certain symptoms or traits in a white family, they might label the child as having autism. The question arises: what criteria are they using? They write it up accordingly, often denying any intellectual delay. I see this in our work; we coordinate services for individuals with disabilities as a waiver support coordination agency. Frequently, when reviewing evaluations, it seems that if the family is white, the diagnosis leans toward autism, and they skip the IQ testing altogether. However, for a black family, the diagnosis often shifts to intellectual disability, with autism sometimes tagged on, but the focus remains on the intellectual disability. Moreover, they typically do not test the white child exhibiting autistic behaviors for intellectual disability. Understandably, the appropriate parties welcome the autism label, avoiding the label of intellectual disability because, frankly, the resources are lacking. Many think, if you have an intellectual disability, your learning potential has limits. In contrast, with an autism diagnosis, there are numerous resources available; even educational funding differs significantly between intellectual disability and autism. While perhaps this disparity is justified, everyone deserves an opportunity for thorough testing to identify the true issues so that appropriate solutions can be implemented. 

We call this series "Community Supporter.” What does it mean to you to be an ally or supporter of the autism community?  

It's a duty. And it's my responsibility to advocate. It's my responsibility to inform and educate. When I see injustice, it's my responsibility to advocate. I've even linked it with my law firm by advocating for people who are getting a divorce and who have a child with special needs. There are special considerations with that. There's an extended period; some children will not leave the home, and they can't. And that parent needs access to resources because now that home is not together, it's broken down. So, they're going to need even more resources to be able to help their young ones. 

We have participated in the Autism Speaks Walk for a few years, and now we're preparing to return with our team. We're organizing a fundraiser, which will be a casino night. We look forward to supporting Autism Speaks this year. 

What advice would you offer to the community, specifically to African American families with autistic loved ones? 

Early diagnosis is key. Don't ignore the signs. It's so easy to feel sorry for yourself as a mother or a parent of somebody with autism, like, why me? And it's so easy to get into that kind of depressed mode; my advice is don't stay in it long. You must advocate, get to work, and not have time to stay in it long. And then, after enduring and while you are bound to share, share what works, share what doesn't work, so that you can help other people. 

Learn more about the African American Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities.