Two boys sit around a toy train set playing. Sean and TJ don't talk to one another, but they seem to be enjoying themselves.

Sean is 24 years old, TJ is 4. Neither one knows the other is living with autism.

“Sean will watch a video over and over and over and he laughs every time," says Alicia Morris, Sean’s oldest sister and TJ’s mother. "TJ will do the same thing, and they’re just happy and they’re having fun.

“It’s not very exciting, but this is how they like to play.”

This is a fairly typical Saturday at her home. Morris has been an advocate for those with autism for years. Holding two perspectives as both a sibling and a parent, she knows how hard it can be to new families.

“I can’t think I know of any other family growing up that had a brother with autism," Morris says, typing a message into a Facebook group. "It’s really nice to make connections with other families. I’m still learning a lot of things I didn’t know before, because not all autistic kids are the same.”

A few years ago, Alicia started the Facebook group "CNY Families of Autistic/Special Needs Children." It's a place for families to ask and answer questions about raising special needs kids, or just to talk about what they’re going through with people who understand.

“They wouldn’t be able to post this on their regular wall," Morris says. "Nobody would know what they’re talking about.”

She says the most important thing for families is being real with one another. There will be great days, and some that are not so great, she said.

“We do have our meltdowns just like everyone else,” Morris said. “There is no picture perfect family out there. When my son is having a meltdown, it’s a completely different story.”

Alicia says autism awareness is about building a community of support, and bringing families together to build up one another is an important piece of the puzzle.

The Facebook group is not open to the public, but is rather a closed group page. Alicia will accept pretty much everyone who requests, she said, but she asks that anyone who wants to join send her a message with their request, because it's important to her to keep the group a safe space where all feel welcome.