A mother's pursuit of creating a better environment for her autistic son took form on Layla Luna's fateful 2018 trip to a Los Angeles-area pizza restaurant that saw patrons rebuke her for not keeping her boy, Rio, in check as result of his sensory overload reaction to the large crowd and bright lights of the public venue.

Luna and her two children — all of whom relocated to the Lowcountry in 2001 — were ultimately ordered to leave the establishment. And though the experience was defeating in its immediate aftermath, it served the purpose of lighting a fire within Luna to found an organization, known as Just Bee, focused on forging a new world where individuals with autism and neurodivergent development are treated equally, fairly and compassionately, with recognition of their civil rights.

Luna shared the plight of a growing population of people on the spectrum during her Oct. 18 visit with the Rotary Club of Mount Pleasant.

Rotarians seated inside the Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall were clued in on the rapid rise in individuals diagnosed with autism in the past 20 years to the tune of 600 percent. To wit, one in 36 children are presently diagnosed with autism in the U.S.

The condition manifests itself in challenges that children and adults on the spectrum have with communication and socially connecting with others. Many, in fact, demonstrate difficulty in looking someone directly in the eyes and also struggle to recognize and respond to common social cues, such as a wave, pointing or a facial gesture.

The now 15-year-old Rio, according to Luna, was born with those types of characteristics, along with being non-verbal, as the teenager typically conveys his thoughts through his personal iPad.

But while Rio and others with similar conditions don't employ the same response mechanisms that are typically associated with common social behavior, Luna affirmed that they possess strong interests and enjoy things much in the same way many other folks are passionate about books, sports, hobbies, etc.

And though they may repeat the same words or phrases, flap their arms or walk on their tippy toes, several people on the spectrum, she added, are highly intelligent and crave friendship and affection.

Through her efforts as the CEO of Just Bee, Luna explained how the organization's phone app has emerged as the Yelp of autism by allowing businesses to undergo training to better understand the needs of the autistic population.

Participant merchants who take the pledge, she said, earn a certification that gives their business the distinction of being an autism-friendly setting. As such, these shops recognize the sundry ways to accommodate those with communicative and/or behavioral impairments by dimming the florescent lighting during non-peak hours, as well as silencing cell phone ringers and handing out spin toys to help people cope with their fidgety movements.

Further, Luna has collaborated with local police to design a database with the names of autistic individuals who may wander off and get lost.

On that note, she acknowledged the challenges that police officers encounter when faced with an autistic individual who may be in the midst of a meltdown.

"Our first responders have seconds to decide: 'Is that 250-pound young man who is screaming and slamming, and coming at me ... is he on drugs or is he on the spectrum having a sensory overload?' This needs to be in the conversation because unfortunately it usually doesn't go to the benefit of the person in the spectrum," detailed the keynote speaker, who mentioned that those with mental illness are six times more likely to be killed by law enforcement.

"There's been terrible things that have happened. Again, with any knowledge or identity or education or awareness, this is a tough call."

Luna's plan to mitigate the risk of injury or death of an autistic subject during a police encounter is to furnish the potential victims with licenses and IDs flashing a bee symbol, much like the wheelchair image is used for the physically disabled.

The married mother of two also referenced that 85 percent of the 5.6 million autistic adults in the U.S. are either unemployed or underemployed.

"One of the scariest things as a parent is wondering where will my son fit in? What is his future?" she observed.

So far, companies like Microsoft are leading by example through their initiative to hire employees from an untapped pool of neurodivergent job candidates.

Luna went to note examples of individuals who may lack verbal skills, but have been blessed with exceptional bookkeeping and organizational abilities.

"Sometimes you have to think: What is success? Is success having $1 million, a college degree, or is success having a purpose in life?

"We're not here to cure anyone. My son is perfect just the way he is," she continued. "I really believe the real reason why so many children are being born with autism is because they are here to cure us. We are a circus. Look at our world right now. It is very difficult. When you have an individual on the spectrum, they teach you, they change your eyes forever."