Butler Tech student hopes to use art to raise autism awareness

Butler Tech student Nick Simmer is dedicating his artistic passion to helping reduce the stigma surrounding autism spectrum disorders, and he recently received national recognition for doing so.  Simmer's pitch for a graphic novel exploring the daily challenges of living with autism finished second place in a contest held by the Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship, earning him $1,000 to continue creating art that will educate non-autistic people. "He could use his art ability to create cartoons and social stories to help those with disabilities overcome any issue they might be having," Project Life instructor Jacob Krause said. The excitement isn't just for Simmer -- it's for the hundreds of families who can benefit from his drawings and the social stories they tell. "It was outstanding," Simmer said. "I feel confident about what the future will mean to me and everyone else."