San Ramon Students Help Raise $400K For Autism, Founds Autism Education Nonprofit

SAN RAMON, CA — California High School senior Danya Prakash has founded a nonprofit to help support autism awareness, advocacy and education.

Prakash started Humanities in Focus her freshman year at Cal High, when she witnessed a group of students mocking autistic classmates. “It wasn’t loud, but it was in how they mimicked how the autism class moved or spoke. I felt helpless,” she said. “I realized how uncomfortable people are with difference, and how rarely true acceptance is taught. I didn’t want to just feel upset, I wanted to take action.”

Since it was founded in January 2024, Humanities in Focus has expanded into three chapters internationally, with over 40 student officers. It also helped raise $400,000 at an auction for the Morgan Autism Center, a school for autistic children in San Jose. The funds helped support the expansion of classrooms, student supplies, and campus resources.

The nonprofit has also started a Spotify podcast “Beyond the Diagnosis,” which features autism advocates, authors, behavior specialists, professors, and more. Prakash said she is trying to fix the prevalent notion that autism is something to be “fixed” or “gotten rid of.”

“I’ve learned that autism is not one single experience: it varies across every individual and every family,” she said. “I’ve seen how much strength it takes for parents to advocate every single day, and how cultural stigma can still silence conversations in many communities. This journey taught me that the most important thing we can do is listen without judgment.”

In addition to the podcast, Humanities in Focus is also developing an educational app tailored for autistic learners, and planning to launch in-person outreach programs that include panels, family workshops, and school events.

“Inclusion starts with listening,” she said. “Autism isn’t something to fear or fix. It’s a different way of experiencing the world. You don’t need to be an expert to make change. You just need to care enough to start.”

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