Walking against silence

Newport Harbor High School junior Jason Cernius, 17, likes shooting hoops and playing pingpong with his little brother, 15-year-old Andrew.

“I didn’t think that he would be able to do the things other brothers do at first, but I taught him how to play sports,” Jason said.

Andrew, who has problems with language and social skills, was diagnosed with autism at age 3. He was diagnosed with brain cancer when he was 16 months old and given only a 20% chance of survival. He didn’t know his own name when he was diagnosed with autism.

Today, he attends a school in Mission Viejo for children with special needs and can read and write a one-paragraph essay.

He enjoys puzzles and computer games, but has trouble making eye contact with others and answering questions.

Jason and his sister, Natalie, 13, sometimes have trouble explaining to their friends how their brother is different.

“They don’t know what autism is; they think he’s just a weird kid,” Natalie said.

That’s why the Cernius family helped found the Walka for TACA walk-a-thon at Newport Harbor High School. The annual event raises money for Talk About Curing Autism, a Costa Mesa nonprofit that provides support and education for families dealing with autism.

Jason’s other sister, Ariana, started the Walka for TACA event last year when she was a senior at Newport Harbor, but has since moved away to college.

Jason said he wants the fundraiser to become an annual event at Newport Harbor and has taken over planning for this year’s walk-a-thon.

Natalie, an eighth-grader at Ensign Intermediate School, also is volunteering at the event.

Last year’s inaugural Walka for TACA event raised about $10,000 for Talk About Curing Autism, said Lisa Ackerman, the nonprofit’s executive director.

Autism is often called a “silent epidemic,” because families affected by the disorder are often so stretched to the limit of just caring for their children with the disorder that they don’t have time to hold fundraisers or to try to raise public awareness about it, Ackerman said. The Cernius family is the rare exception, she said.

“That’s what is so hard about autism,” Ackerman said. “It’s a disease that takes the entire family just to survive the day, so it’s rare to find someone who has the time, desire or money to help because they are so impacted.”

Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the United States, and affects one in every 150 children in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The nonprofit, which provides educational programs for parents of children with autism, has seen a growing demand for its services, Ackerman said.

Talk About Curing Autism began in November 2000 with 10 families, but has rapidly expanded and now serves 16,000 families across the country.

The charity provides much-needed support to families dealing with autism, said Poita Cernius, mother to Ariana, Jason, Andrew and Natalie.

“When Andrew was diagnosed in those days, they said ‘OK,’ he had autism and you had to go out and do your own research on it. Now I tell people they can go to the TACA website.”

If You Go

What: People will walk to raise money to support families dealing with autism at the Walka for TACA event. There also will be entertainment, refreshments, and children’s activities.

Where: Newport Harbor High School, 600 Irvine Ave.

When: Registration begins 8 a.m. Saturday. The walk begins at 9:30 a.m.