we only got to a few of them. we invite people to buy the book and hear more of what you have to say on these topics. thank you for spending one hour on c-span. mr. hess: thank you for having us. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> all q&a site or as a podcast at c-span.org. >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government, presented by these television companies and more, including spark light. >> the greatest town on earth is what you call home. we are all facing our greatest challenge. we are working around the clock to keep you connected. we are doing our part so it is a

little easier to do yours. >> spark light supports c-span as well as other providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. >> middle and high school students participated in c-span's studentcam competition in what the president should address this year. all month we are featuring the winners. our second prize middle school winner is will morrison, an eighth grader at the davis academy in atlanta, georgia. the when entry is titled, "the missing piece for autism." ♪ >> this is a public piece. you find them laying around your house and when you clean out your vacuum. but it is also the symbol for autism. >> the neurological and behavioral disorder that is

categorized by issues regarding communication to interaction and in repetitive or restricted behaviors. >> the most common misperception about autism is many people think that you have a child with autism is that they are brilliant in some way, like rainman. i think sometimes that's all people know is the reference to that movie. >> many people with autism could be lacking in areas, you can do amazing in others. >> for example, years ago a young man came to ms. agnes and said he needed help because he was stuck in a job doing dishes at a restaurant and couldn't get promoted. he said what can you do, and i said -- and he said he had a

certificate from a college and i work -- and i want to work at a television station. i thought he could and we had a network with a tv manager. i took him over there and he was hired and the next year he was training the new people, and the other tv station lured him away. >> unfortunately there are no shortage of problems in the autism community that have not been addressed enough in congress and by the president. >> and there is one main factor making these problems for the autism community severely worse, covid-19. covid-19 has been affecting jobs and millions of americans are still unemployed. to make matters worse -- >> according to the -- people

with autism. >> finding work for people with autism was already difficult. >> i was unemployed for three years i saw one rejected after another. >> according to ajay drexel autism institute, nearly 42% on the autism spectrum never worked for pay during their early 20's. there are many people who use or autism to their advantage. >> i noticed a lot of things most people don't notice. right in front of the veterinary facility. >> he was also using his autism to his advantage. >> showing you the world differently than others and in my everyday life even during the pandemic.

>> opportunities for individuals with disabilities is the right thing to do. it is the smart thing for government. >> many individuals with autism can't take care of themselves alone. therefore they need special support. example, my brother chase. chase had trouble taking care of himself and needed special support we couldn't always give him. he is now in a group home where he gets what he needs. these homes have a growing waitlist that can be as long as decades. >> there are not many homes in the atlanta area and is hard to find one close to you. >> there are some states that still have large congregate facilities, where a lot of people with all kinds of intellectual and developmental

difficulties are housed together. there have been closings of larger facilities and lots moved to smaller homes. >> many of these homes weren't open anymore because of covid-19 . according to the georgia department of public health, people such as my brother that are in a long-term care facility would fall under group one a and the vaccine distribution in georgia. hopefully we can see him. >> in 2020, one in 58 children born in that year would be diagnosed with autism. >> more people being diagnosed with autism, these issues are incredibly important to be

addressed by congress and the biden administration. >> i have talked to members of the senate and they are very receptive. >> congress needs to address the effects of covid-19 and additional employment opportunities and resources, additional funding and research for autism. >> all winning entries are available online at studentcam.org. ♪ >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government, funded by these television companies and more, including comcast. >> i used to think this was just a community. it is more than that. comcast is partnering with centers to create wi-fi enabling for student and low income families can get the tools they need it for anything. >> comcast supports c-span as a

public service along with these other television writers, giving you a friend proceed -- television providers, giving you a front row seat. >> today starts the second week of the trial for derek chauvin, the former minneapolis police officer charged in the death with george floyd. watch live coverage of the trial today at 10:00 a.m. eastern on c-span two, online at c-span.org , or listen live on the c-span radio app. and if you missed our live coverage, you can watch at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span two and anytime on demand at c-span.org. >> coming up, axios'in the week ahead in washington. and conservative author steve days talks about the day's news. later, nicole lewis looks at coronavirus in u.s. prisons.