Teen Plans Arcade For Autism Fundraiser In Red Bank

RED BANK, N.J.— The upcoming "Arcade for Autism" in support of Autism Family Services of New Jersey (AFSNJ) is the brainchild of an area teen who himself has two siblings on the autism spectrum.

The interactive event is from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, June 4, at YESTERcades, 80 Broad St., in Red Bank, said Andrew Visconti of Freehold Township, the organizer of Arcade for Autism.

Gaming will include retro arcade games such as pinball, but also include vintage gaming such as Nintendo and gaming on Xbox and other platforms, he said.

"I do a lot of community service activities with MAST and the NJROTC," Visconti said, "but lately, I've geared much of my service outside of school to autism efforts — especially after seeing how challenging things have been for my sister, who struggled with virtual learning during the pandemic."

Autism Family Services is a a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people and families affected by autism.

Visconti said he has three siblings, an older brother has PDD (pervasive development disorder) and my younger sister has ADHD, "so both are on the autism spectrum," he said.

Visconti is a rising senior at the Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST) on Sandy Hook, and is Chief Petty Officer in MAST's NJROTC Unit. He said also received support from MAST for this out-of-school effort.

NJROTC Commander T.M. Smith-Yeoman served as his advisor, and he noted that "she promoted the event on the MAST and NJROTC social media pages," he said.

Outside of school, he said he manages three Facebook Community Organizations, which he co-founded with my brother in 2015:

• We CAN Help NJ: This supports food pantries, pet adoption centers, recycling efforts, and other charitable causes and now includes a special focus on autism resources.
• Social Sense NJ: Advocates for the responsible use of social media and the prevention of cyberbullying and includes articles on the cyberbullying of autistic and other disabled persons.
• Take a Hike NJ: Promotes the benefits of outdoor recreation and now includes information showing how hiking helps autistic children with sensory issues.

In 2020, Autism Family Services of New Jersey (AFSNJ) awarded a college scholarship to his brother, he said.

" They provide a lot of great autism resources, so I wanted to do something to give back to the organization," he said.

He added that he got the idea for the Arcade for Autism event in April, after the The College of New Jersey Technology Student Association High School Conference.

"I was MAST's Team Leader for the Video Game Design Challenge, and our game won second place statewide. This inspired me to use gaming to support AFSNJ," he said. The game he and his fellow team members created is called "Pyramid Scheming" and had an Egyptian theme harking back to archaeological digs of the early 1900s.

He said this is the first time he has organized and hosted an event like this.

"I will continue working as an Autism Advocate for AFSNJ and plan to volunteer my services as a lifeguard at their Autism Beach Bash this September," he added.

Go to the Autism Family Services website for more information about the fundraiser and to make a donation.