April designated as World Autism Awareness Month. Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers
to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech
and nonverbal communication. According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects an
estimated 1 in 36 children in the United States today. This month’s featured rider is autistic and is
actively involved in raising awareness for his disability.
German Cervantes was born in Visalia and raised in Dinuba. He lives with a very supportive family-
father and mother, his sister and her husband and their two children. German was 8 years old and in
second grade when first diagnosed with autism. He has been using his voice to educate others since he
was 14 years old when he read aloud a term paper about autism to his 8 th grade English class.
Now 28, he has become a strong advocate for the autism community and will travel to any place he can
tell his story, including speaking engagements at various conventions and Fresno State. This has also led
to a regular presence on Instagram and TikTok. His personally recorded messages are viewed by people
locally, outside the state and internationally.
German enjoys video games and computing. He has turned his computer repair hobby into a
homebased business just by word of mouth. Thus, proving his message that many autistic people can
lead valuable and fulfilling lives, if given the right level of support.
German was introduced to horseback riding at a young age but it was during a vacation trip to Mexico in
2019 when he took his first ride that he discovered how much he enjoyed it. He came to Happy Trails
through Central Valley Regional Center (CVRC) after his service coordinator thought riding might be a
good outlet to recover from COVID isolation.
He loves his time at Happy Trails enjoying opportunities to interact with the horses, spreading his
message about autism to a wider group of listeners and being able to reunite with people he hasn’t seen
in a long time. One such reunion came when he ran into his elementary school principal who happened
to be volunteering in a Happy Trails class. It was a pleasant visit for both of them.
On Tuesday, April 11 German Cervantes was honored by the Tulare Board of Supervisors for the many
ways he is bringing awareness to Autism. A very proud moment for German and for all of us at Happy
Trails.
