Durant Mayor Martin Tucker reads a proclamation during last week’s city council meeting designating April Autism Awareness & Acceptance month. In the middle is Brina Dutton, founder of The Owen Academy and The Owen Foundation. Also shown are board members Rebecca Rowland and Dedra Gallegos, and Vice President Charlee Laborico. In the back are City Manager Pam Polk, Council member Clint Morrison, Vice Mayor Mike Simulescu and council members Humprey Miller and Danny Sherrer. Matt Swearengin | Durant Democrat
Durant Mayor Martin Tucker during last week’s city council meeting presented a proclamation designating April Autism Awareness & Acceptance Month.
Reading from the proclamation, Tucker said that autism affects an estimated 1 in 21 children and 1 in 45 adults. Autism causes challenges with verbal and non-verbal communication, social interaction and repetitive behaviors.
“Whereas each person and family affected by autism should have access to reliable information, supports and opportunities to live up to their greatest potential and whereas, the City of Durant, Oklahoma, is honored to take part in the annual observance of Autism Awareness & Acceptance Month to address the diverse needs of autistic individuals and their families.”
Tucker presented the proclamation to Brina Dutton, founder of The Owen Foundation and The Owen Academy. Dutton said the foundation was started in 2021 as a non-profit organization so they could have sporting camps for children with autism.
“My son Owen is 10,” Dutton said. “He loves basketball. It’s one of his favorite things to do and so one of the first things we did was we started a basketball camp and then soccer and cheer and now, we have a 5K that’s coming up here in Durant on April 11th. But, what I wanted to say is Durant, of all of the cities in the immediate Texoma, Grayson and Bryan County, Durant was the first one that reached out to us wanting to do the Autism Awareness Month Proclamation and as a mom of a kiddo on the autism spectrum that means so much.
“Durant has just been incredibly welcoming, and I’ve worked with the local police department with The Owen Foundation as far as getting autism safety training and you guys have been super adamant about that and believe it or not, that’s just not been the norm in most cities.
“It has to be really brought to their attention and then they do it, but Durant actually came to me. You guys were the first one that came to me wanting to do this proclamation. This is our third year to do it, so thank you for that on behalf of not just me and not just The Owen Foundation but our entire community.”
The Owen Academy opened two years ago and it had an open house and ribbon cutting from the Durant Area Chamber of Commerce recently at its new location, 1600 N. Washington Ave. It is Durant’s first pediatric applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy clinic that offers child-guided, play inspired, ABA therapy to children ages 2-12 with an autism diagnosis.
“We just walked into a new facility, The Owen Academy over on Washington, and we love it,” Dutton said.
