News and Knowledge

“Nearly three years ago I did not know a thing about autism,” says Navy Petty Officer First Class Justin Osborne. That was the day the doctor diagnosed his son, Jacob, who will turn 5 in May, with autism. While he left the doctor’s office understanding what autism was, he and his wife, Sarah, had no idea what to do next.

What they desperately needed was a guide to direct them along the path of advocacy. They found their own way, Osborne reports, using books, articles, Google, and their community of friends, family, and military contacts.

Osborne, who joined the Navy in 2001, met his wife while he was stationed in Virginia Beach, Va., and they married in 2002. Three children, Amilea, 7, Jacob, and Mary, who will be 3 in April, soon followed. “Jacob started showing signs of autism at 14 months and was officially diagnosed shortly after his second birthday. He received early intervention therapy for about a year and then started applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy when he was 3.” His son is just below grade level academically but is developmentally delayed in communication and socialization.

The First Step of Many
Today, Osborne advocates for military families who have a dependent registered in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) and other parents of children with autism. In his current assignment with Naval Operations (OPNAV) in Washington, D.C., he wrote multiple papers identifying the need to increase awareness of the Exceptional Family Member Program and for the program to provide additional support to families who have dependents registered as Exceptional Family Members. As he works with Navy leadership to enhance their support, Osborne’s first step is to find a way to ensure that families get information about military and community programs, resources, and services that are available in their local communities.

He is currently in the process of establishing a channel to pass needed information along to the families who need it and create a network of Navy EFMP families in the Washington, D.C. region. He also organized support groups that assist military parents in locating military and local community resources for their children and help them navigate through the Navy EFMP application process.

It’s obvious from his words and actions that Osborne is committed to the Navy and to families like his who need support and information for their children with special needs. He’s a man with a mission and on his way to fulfilling it.

Exceptional Commitment
That mission has not stopped him from additional work in service to others. He recently received the Combined Federal Campaign Hero award, a national award for exceptional commitment to Department of Defense activities as a federal employee and dedicated service to community-wide volunteerism on a personal level.

As team captain for his office, Osborne motivated the staff of 19 to raise more than $9,000 for the campaign, 223 percent above the original goal. “I personally talked to each member of my office about the CFC campaign and its importance. I informed them of various organizations and what services they provided to the community. I notified them about when and where CFC organizations were coming by to visit our area. I always made myself available to answer any questions that my colleagues may have had. That personal connection led to 100 percent participation.”

He believes in participation by volunteering as well. He gave more than 100 hours of his time in 2010 to nonprofit organizations like Homes for Our Troops Organization, the Washington, D.C. chapter of the U.S.O., and the Learning Disabilities Association of Montgomery County.

Osborne would be the first to admit he doesn’t have all the answers to the questions that military families with children with special needs may have but he’s happy to be the one those families can count on to find the answers, support, and information.