WHEELING — On Friday, March 27, more than 300 people tuned in to a Facebook Live concert put on by local musician/singer Tim Ullom. There was no band, no lights, just a man with his guitar and microphone that brought hundreds together in a night of unity, all while raising money for the Augusta Levy Learning Center. The fans were chatting and laughing and for the first time in weeks, there was some feeling of normalcy.

Ullom took requests throughout the night playing the crowds favorites and at times, was joined by his two sons who danced and helped their dad sing, especially when it came to John Denver’s “Take Me Home Country Roads”.

Ullom’s wife, Kayla, was also present to help with the logistics such as video. And the Tim Ullom Band logo converted to puzzle pieces for autism awareness. People from as far away as Hawaii and Kansas tuned in to enjoy the uplifting concert.

Throughout the concert, Ullom paused to talk to fans who tuned in and to ask for donations for the Learning Center stating, “They have given me all I ever wanted, so please help me give a little back to them.”

Development Director Staci Stephen said, “Tim contacted me and informed me that he wanted to put on a Facebook live concert. He asked if it would be OK if he donated any tips he received to the Augusta Levy Learning Center. My answer was ‘absolutely’. I don’t think at that time either one of us had any clue of just how much money that would actually be.

“I tuned in on Friday night and I was in awe as he raised an astronomical amount of money in a very short amount of time. Fundraisers usually take a lot of time and a lot of planning and he had raised almost $1,000 in the first 20 minutes,” Stephen said,

By the end of hour two, he had raised $5,286 which has since increased to $5,541.

The concert was also a great way to kick off Autism Awareness Month.

“Following the devastating fire (in 2018), the Ohio Valley community wrapped their arms around us and kept us going, but for the community to show up at a time when everyone is struggling is just an amazing feeling and we can’t thank you all enough,” Stephen added.

Stephen said due to the COVID-19 pandemic, services temporarily have been suspended at the Augustra Levy Learning Center. She said it has been hard on the families and staff, and Ullom’s concert was a real brightener.

The costs per year for children with ASD in the U.S. are estimated to be between 11.5 billion and 60.9 billion that can be broken down to $40,000 to $60,000 per child per year. With the median household income in West Virginia falling almost $17,000 below the national average at $43,469, this presents huge obstacles for families of individuals with ASD.

In 2011, the West Virginia Legislature passed the Autism Insurance Law requiring public and private insurance companies to pay for the diagnosis and treatment of autism; however, self-funded insurance plans are exempt from the state law and in some cases require an astronomical amount for co-payments and deductibles before they will cover services. Some families have been required to pay $60-$90 a day in co-payments for a total of $1,200-$1,800 a month and $14,400-$21,600 a year respectively. Lack of funding combined with lack of treatment programs means that fewer than 4% of children with autism are receiving effective treatment in West Virginia.

Augusta Levy works to decrease the financial gap for families. That is why every penny that is raised is a crucial piece to the autism puzzle. Please consider helping ALLC raise awareness for a disorder that has become more prevalent than Juvenile Diabetes, childhood cancer, and AIDS in children combined. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communications. ASD often comes with multiple other conditions such as anxiety, seizures and epilepsy, OCD, gastrointestinal symptoms, sleep problems, motor difficulties, and ADHD just to name a few.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in 54 individuals have been identified with ASD. ASD is four times more common among boys than among girls and is growing at a rate of 10-17% every year. If your child is not meeting the milestones for his or her age, or if you think there could be a problem with the way your child plays, learns, speaks, or acts, talk to your child’s doctor and share your concerns. Don’t wait. To learn some of the red flags to watch for, you can visit https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/