CLEVELAND, Apr. 12th - In recognition of Autism Awareness month in April, the Cavs Better Halves (the significant others of Cavaliers players, coaches and team personnel), have teamed up with the Achievement Centers for Children and the Cleveland Clinic Center for Autism to educate fans of this disorder that affects close to 1.5 million children and adults in the United States.

Imagine…if you were unable to communicate. Imagine…
if you were in pain but couldn’t tell anyone...

The Better Halves will distribute Autism Awareness Night wristbands to fans entering all entrances of The Q for the Cavs vs. New York Knicks game on Thursday, April 13th at 8:00 p.m. The wristbands are courtesy of the Cavaliers and the Achievement Centers for Children.

Imagine…if you felt distracted, frustrated, obsessed and frightened, but you didn’t know why...

SPECIAL GUEST JASON MCELWAIN, an autistic high school senior from Rochester, N.Y., scored 20 pts. in three minutes for his team.

Special guest will be Jason McElwain, an autistic high school senior at Greece Athena High School in Rochester, N.Y., who helped break down the barriers of autism when his coach gave him the opportunity to suit up and play in the last game of the season - scoring 20 points by sinking six three-pointers and another shot in the last three minutes of the game, sending the crowd into a wild frenzy - who will be honored along with his varsity basketball team by the Cavaliers at halftime .

The Cleveland Clinic Center for Autism and the Achievement Centers for Children will have informational tables set up on the Quicken Loans Arena concourse in front of sections 202 and 205. Both organizations will be recognized at halftime for the work they do in improving the lives of children with autism and the support they provide to families.

Imagine…feeling this way ALL day, every day…

Autism is a neuro-biological, lifelong spectrum disorder that typically becomes apparent during a child’s first three years, often within the first 12-18 months. Autism affects functioning of the brain and therefore influences many aspects of a child’s development and learning. It also interferes with the normal development of reasoning, behavior, social interaction and communication. To learn more about autism, visit Achievementcenters.org and http://www.ccf.org.

Imagine…