Just Bee: The Nonprofit Making the World Autism-Friendly

By Heather Rose Artushin, LISW-CP

You never know when a seemingly ordinary day can change the trajectory of your life. For Layla Luna, something as simple as eating dinner at a restaurant with her family set her on a path to change the way the world treats people with Autism—people like her son, Rio.  

Pictured: Rio as a baby and toddler, with his mother

“One day I took Rio and his sister to our favorite pizza restaurant,” Luna recalled. “It took forever to get seated, to get the pizza, then get the check.” In the meantime, my son Rio had a sensory overload meltdown. 

“He started having anxiety, crying, and banging his head,” she described. “The customers said things like, ‘Control your kid,’ and ‘What kind of mom are you?’ I remember crying and feeling mad and saying, ‘Why can’t people just be nice? Why can’t they just be kind?’ That’s when I grabbed my daughter’s swaddle blanket and noticed the bumblebees on it.” 

Pictured: Luna with her children, at an event representing Just Bee

That moment set in motion a movement to make the world a more accepting and welcoming place for people with Autism through the nonprofit organization Luna would go on to establish, called Just Bee. “My dad is a pilot,” she said, “and he told me that bumblebees have always mystified scientists. Aerodynamically they shouldn’t be able to fly. They do the impossible, just like people with Autism.” 

Luna founded Just Bee in 2019, partnering with Dr. Diane Cullinane to develop an online Autism sensitivity training for individuals, business owners, and first responders—anyone who wants to learn more about respecting and embracing neurodivergence. Businesses whose employees take the training can get verified as a “Bee Spot,” a place that is inviting and sensory-friendly for people with Autism. Through the Just Bee app, families can view a map of local Bee Spots where their child with Autism will be understood and accepted. Parents can also leave reviews of businesses they visit, empowering families with information to help them as they venture out into the world with their neurodivergent child. 

Luna sees this initiative as an opportunity, not only for people with Autism, but also for businesses.

“We are still on the comeback from COVID, and there's a lot of down hours and times that businesses are slow,” she explained. Offering “sensory-friendly” business hours during these quieter periods can give people with Autism and their families a chance to get out into the community, in a welcoming, judgment-free environment, in addition to helping businesses tap into a customer-base that they might not have realized they were missing. “If enough of us support businesses that support neurodiversity, and pizza is pizza, then it’s the power of the pocketbook, and that’s our voice, especially for my nonverbal son who has none,” declared Luna.

Pictured: Luna with Mayor Will Haynie of Mount Pleasant, SC

A mother-on-a-mission, Luna has quickly gained momentum on both a local and state level, working alongside Mayor Will Haynie of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina to declare April Autism Awareness Month and light up the town’s fountains blue. On April 4, 2023, the Town of Mount Pleasant became the first certified Autism Friendly Town in the Lowcountry. The same year, Mount Pleasant received the prestigious All-American City Award, highlighting the work of Just Bee in expanding inclusivity and positive experiences for families and individuals who are neurodivergent. Now the town is partnering with Just Bee to provide a sensory-friendly space for people with Autism and their families at the town’s most well-attended events. Affectionately known as the Bee Hive, the sensory-safe trailer was outfitted by Luna and her co-founder, Robert Judy, with high-quality sensory toys, lights, and comfortable seating, a safe haven in the midst of bustling community events. Luna hopes the Bee Hive will make families feel comfortable venturing out to crowded events, knowing there is a place for them to go if their neurodivergent child needs a break from the noise.

In partnership with Just Bee, Governor of South Carolina, Henry McMaster, recently signed Act H3340, amending South Carolina law to include those with developmental disabilities, including Autism, in the Endangered Person Notification system. Thanks to Luna’s advocacy, families in South Carolina can breathe easier knowing that there’s help when their Autistic family member goes missing. 

“As Just Bee’s impact continues to grow across the state, House Representatives Kathy Landing and Mark Smith are now championing Rio’s Bill, a solution to help save the lives of Autistic and Neurodivergent drivers and their families in South Carolina. This legislation would supplement first responder training with other tools to keep people with Autism safe when interfacing with law enforcement.”

Pictured: Rio with American flags

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 36 children have Autism. As the fastest growing diagnosis, Just Bee’s mission and vision is timely. “It’s like a silent discrimination,” said Luna. “Neurodiversity is a civil right. Brain differences should be celebrated.” Being a parent of a child with Autism has been a journey for Luna, with plenty of ups and downs. “My son will never be married, never have a best friend, never be on a baseball team. Letting go of what I watched everyone else have, it was so hard. I've cried an ocean for Rio, it is the deepest heartbreak,” she tearfully recalled. “There is something in that sadness. We can create this brilliant new road. I believe all of the parents like myself, that we have let go of so much promise for our children. I just want to say, why? Why do we have to give up everything? Let’s see what these children can create, what gifts they are going to give back.”

Pictured: Luna’s son Rio

In December, Luna partnered with the Mount Pleasant Town Center to host Lights & Love: A Very Special Holiday Walk for Autism and Neurodiversity Awareness, an event that has quickly become a cherished tradition both for the Town Center and local families. More than 400 children met Santa for the first time at this event, thanks to a very special sensory-friendly Santa who has a grandchild with Autism. “When I think of ‘Just Bee,’ it means to be inclusive, to be kind, that it’s about the possibilities not the disabilities, and to me that’s the southern way,” said Luna. “I think if this movement is home-grown and started here in the south, everybody will follow.”

Luna was recently honored with the 2023 Jefferson Award in the Lowcountry Region, recognizing her extraordinary acts of service in the community. Her vision continues to grow, with other projects in the works, including publishing a children’s book to increase understanding and empathy for peers with Autism. Creating a new narrative about Autism acceptance is what Just Bee is all about. For Luna, it all comes back to crafting a world that her son, and all children, can thrive in. Donations, volunteers, and partnerships can pave the way for greater impact, because we are stronger when we work together. 

Pictured: Just Bee logo

“He’s just Rio, that’s it. There’s nothing wrong with Rio,” she urged. “I don’t need to change my child. I always say, you just need to change the environment to fit the child. The Just Bee training can educate you, but ultimately it is individual people who have the power to change what’s in their hearts, to Just Bee the Change.” 

Visit justbeethechange.com to join the mission to make the world a better place for people with Autism and their families. 

Pictured: Heather Rose Artushin

About the Author

Heather Rose Artushin is a clinical social worker and writer on a mission to make a difference, one word at a time. Learn more by visiting heatherrosewriter.com and following @heatherrosewriter.