If youve never heard of Baltimorean Jim Adams, the National Retail Federation is hoping you will soon, thanks to a promotional campaign by the trade group.

Adams owns Falls Road Running Store on Falls Road. A full page advertisement featuring a photo of Adams with running shoes draped around his neck appears today in Politico in print and in electronic newsletters as part of a five day-campaign of full-page ads featuring stories of shop owners across the country.

Making connections can be a challenge for many teens, but it has been especially tough for Erron Gerstein, an 18-year-old student with autism at Vernon Hills High School.

Although he wanted to socialize with other students, simply approaching them was often daunting.

But Erron has become more bold since he enrolled in Tutorial: A Program for Independence, a new class offering this school year.

Starting a conversation it was hard, he said. Tutorial instructors teach me how to take the initiative or make a conversation. I get to be around people I enjoy.

The program, created to address the increased enrollment of students with autistic spectrum disorders in the past...