Victor's Autism Foundation

 Victor K. Spyrou was born on Sept. 23, 1992 at Long Island Jewish Hospital in New York, the same hospital where his two older brothers came into the world. Though he showed no signs of social interaction or speech, his delayed development elicited no alarm on the part of his pediatrician. Multiple doctor visits ruled out various disorders and it was during one visit at Western Queens Developmental School that he was diagnosed with autism. Followup visits confirmed the autism diagnosis and though expected left his entire family in shock. Through intense ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) intervention, Victor made great progress making eye contact and developing an extensive vocabulary yet was still in need of constant supervision and coaching.

       Victor grew up in Whitestone, New York and his entire life was spent in schools serving individuals on the autism spectrum. He attended  Howard Haber School, Brooklyn Blue Feather and AHRC Middle High School. Victor had an infectious smile that brought joy to everyone in his presence.

       Victor loved SpongeBob SquarePants, pizza, long car rides, baking, puzzles and bowling. While growing up, he lived the life of a typical boy on the autism spectrum. Because Victor was special, he was doted upon and his needs took priority over everything else. He was loved by his family and adored by his teachers and caregivers. To this day, he is still referred to as “the baby.” His needless and senseless death in a residential facility on August 10, 2014 devastated his family and saddened everyone who met him during his short life.