BY DAN NEWMAN
Staff Writer
MIDDLETOWN – From changing diapers to feeding and getting the kids dressed, managing a household is tough with kids around. For Adrienne Robertiello, it is no different.
“It’s not easy work, especially in the mornings,” Robertiello said. “It’s very difficult to get my three young kids up and going all at the same time, trying to get them ready for the school day. They keep me busy.”
What makes Robertiello all the more busy is that her eldest child, 4-year-old Marco, has autism, which further complicates matters.
“Things that kids take for granted, like putting on their own coat and basic things like that, are hard for him to do,” Robertiello said.
While it’s difficult for Robertiello and her husband, Tony, to do everything on their own, they recently received some help from her sister – and the assistance has nothing to do with wiping noses or tying shoes.
“I’m a Web designer, and so I thought I could maybe help out by creating a Web site that could get information out to the public,” said Lincroft resident Suzann Brucato. “I knew I could not help out directly, and so I wanted to reach out to others in the community.”
Brucato’s Web site, www.worksmarternow.com/autism , is an informational site for parents and children who have been touched by autism, a developmental disability that appears early in childhood and affects brain functions that are related to social interaction and communication skills.
Brucato says that although she has not made a direct impact on her nephew’s state, she has learned plenty about the disorder.
“I had no idea that one out of every 120 children is autistic, and I had no idea that so many people even later on in life still deal with the effects of it all,” Brucato said. “Throughout this whole process of finding out about autism, my knowledge has become much more expanded.”
Although the idea for the Web site was only hatched about three months ago, Brucato said that she plans to expand it so that there is as much information as possible out there for public consumption.
“My initial goal was to get the information out to the public, but even more importantly, I wanted to try and help my sister out in any way that I could,” Brucato said.
While Marco has trouble on a daily basis with his communication skills, there is one thing he does have in common with many other kids his age.
“He [Marco] really likes watching Elmo cartoons,” Tony said of the popular Sesame Street character. “He watches Elmo videos all day long, and at least it’s something he can get into and enjoy.”

