Dominique Gillespie’s passion for working in the special needs community started with her nephew who was diagnosed with autism when he was three years old. “We grew very close together,” Gillespie, an Exceptional Children’s teacher in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School district, said. “That is my person. He will always be my person.” Her nephew is 17 now, and Gillespie said she’s seen a lack of opportunities for him to interact with other children his age with diverse needs.