Xavier DeGroat from Michigan, US, has made history as the first person with autism to take part in an internship with the White House. During his internship, Xavier had the chance to check out Marine One, have lunch with many staff members including his friend Andrew Giuliani (son of former New York City Mayor Rudy
Articles that focus on standing up for people with autism; includes individuals, groups, non-profits, fundraisers, etc. who actively fight for and support spreading awareness and creating an understanding. Includes legal fights supporting people on the spectrum.
Encouragement Speaker Derrick Hayes gives an AUTISM Interview by asking six questions through each letter in the word AUTISM to give readers an insightful perspective from parents, experts, entrepreneurs, and other leaders in the field. Jennifer Block lives in Greenville, South Carolina with David, her husband of 13 years. They have two children, Brayden (eight)
in Autism Advocacy by Derrick Hayes
Is autism a disability? If it’s not a disability, what is autism? Is it a disorder? Or is it simply a different way of responding to people and the world around us? These are questions many parents ask, as well as people on the spectrum themselves. Unfortunately, the answers are far from straightforward. According to
in Autism Advocacy by Sharon Longo
Autism Warrior: Claire Cookson Chief Executive Officer of DFN Project SEARCH, a total immersion transition-to-work program for students with learning disabilities and autism spectrum conditions looking to achieve competitive employment. In April 2020, Claire Cookson was appointed the new CEO of DFN Project SEARCH, a supported internship program designed to enable the inclusion and empowerment
Today’s AUTISM interview is with Alicia Hardigree, a mom of two adults with autism. For every AUTISM interview, I ask six questions based on each letter in the word “autism” to gain insightful perspectives from parents like Alicia. She resides in Greenville, South Carolina, with her husband of 25 years, Morris, and their two children,
in Autism Advocacy by Derrick Hayes
Autism Warrior: Nicole Vander Meulen Nicole Vander Meulen strives to be a catalyst for change. She is not just the managing partner at Vander Meulen Law Firm and a member of the Madison Metropolitan School Board—she is also open about her identity as a woman with autism. She resides in Madison, Wisconsin, with her cat,
in Autism Advocacy by Claire Delano
Encouragement Speaker Derrick Hayes gives an AUTISM Interview by asking six questions through each letter in the word AUTISM to give readers an insightful perspective from parents, experts, entrepreneurs, and other leaders in the field. Today’s AUTISM Interview is with Lola Dada-Olley, who is a mother of two children on the autism spectrum and also
in Autism Advocacy by Derrick Hayes
Autism Warrior: Sheletta Brundidge Mother, author, broadcaster, and podcaster, Sheletta Brunbridge does it all. She has four children; the youngest three have autism spectrum disorder. She is a radio talk show host, a public television commentator, and the creator of SHElettamakesmelaugh.com, a platform that produces and distributes podcasts by and for people of color. Three
in Autism Advocacy by Claire Delano
Encouragement Speaker Derrick Hayes gives an AUTISM Interview by asking six questions through each letter in the word AUTISM to give readers an insightful perspective from parents, experts, entrepreneurs, and other leaders in the field. Today’s AUTISM Interview is with Carol Basile, PhD, who doctors told to put her six-year-old-son in an institution and move
in Autism Advocacy by Derrick Hayes
I was ecstatic when I found out I was going to be a father! When my son Gunnar was born in 2001, I was over the moon. I knew my life would be forever changed, but I didn’t know just how true that statement would be. I dreamed of getting my son into all types
In the autism community, the prevailing idea is that boys significantly outnumber girls on the autism spectrum. Common estimates suggest that the boy: girl ratio is 4:1. Recent studies have found that, in fact, there are more girls on the spectrum than previously recognized, with current estimates of the boy:girl ratio ranging from 3:1 to
in Autism Advocacy by Marcia Eckerd
Autism Warrior: Brian Lyons Eleven-year-old Brian, also known as Jr. Fire Chief Brian Lyons, is a vibrant youth leader with a heart of gold. Diagnosed with autism when he was three years old, Brian relied on sign language to communicate until he was around four. Brian’s world changed one day when he and his mother
in Autism Advocacy by Amy KD Tobik
Encouragement Speaker Derrick Hayes gives an AUTISM Interview by asking six questions through each letter in the word AUTISM to give readers an insightful perspective from parents, experts, entrepreneurs, and other leaders in the field. Today’s AUTISM Interview is Matt and Navah Asner, who both had children with autism before marrying and becoming the Brady
in Autism Advocacy by Derrick Hayes
Autism Warrior: Russell Lehmann Award-winning motivational speaker, poet, author, and advocate, who continues to overcome his personal struggles with autism to travel the world and share his knowledge, compassion, and hope. In 2003, eleven-year-old Russell was admitted to the psychiatric ward at his local city hospital and stayed for five weeks. Later that fall, he
Encouragement Speaker Derrick Hayes gives an AUTISM Interview by asking six questions through each letter in the word AUTISM to give readers an insightful perspective from parents, experts, entrepreneurs, and other leaders in the field. Today’s AUTISM Interview is with Jill Gambill is a Public Service faculty and Coastal Resilience Specialist for the UGA Marine
in Autism Advocacy by Derrick Hayes
Sometimes we get so caught up in the everyday tasks of living that we forget to dream. Along with dishes, carpools, piles of laundry, last minute school projects, and doctor appointments, we also get to ponder the future, create a bucket list of adventures, and imagine a mental utopia of what life could be. Join
in Autism Advocacy by Rachel Bédard
Encouragement Speaker Derrick Hayes gives an AUTISM Interview by asking six questions through each letter in the word AUTISM to give readers an insightful perspective from parents, experts, entrepreneurs, and other leaders in the field. Today’s AUTISM Interview is with Lisa Satira Brozek, who is an autism parent and writer of “Differently Abled Man,” a
in Autism Advocacy by Derrick Hayes
Encouragement Speaker Derrick Hayes gives an AUTISM Interview by asking six questions through each letter in the word AUTISM to give readers an insightful perspective from parents, experts, entrepreneurs and other leaders in the field. Today’s AUTISM Interview is with Chelsi McFadden. She is a firefighter’s wife, the mother of three boys, and a couples
in Autism Advocacy by Derrick Hayes
Autism Warrior: Silvia Planas-Prats Founder of Miami Is Kind Foundation, an industrial bakery offering employment opportunities for all kinds of professionals with autism or other disabilities, including bakers, customer service representatives, and warehouse operators. For 20 years, Silvia was confident in the successful progression of her career as a businesswoman, but after the birth of
There are many social groups in our society going on most days of the week, all organized around topics of interest or values that people share. One particular group that meets in Newport Beach, California is a remarkable one. It may be one of only a couple of its type in the United States and
in Autism Advocacy by Emma Cladis
Encouragement Speaker Derrick Hayes gives an AUTISM Interview by asking six questions through each letter in the word AUTISM to give readers an insightful perspective from parents, experts, entrepreneurs, and other leaders in the field. Today’s AUTISM Interview is with Chad R. MacDonald, who is a writer, speaker and autism advocate in New York who
in Autism Advocacy by Derrick Hayes
Encouragement Speaker Derrick Hayes gives an AUTISM Interview by asking six questions through each letter in the word AUTISM to give readers an insightful perspective from parents, experts, entrepreneurs, and other leaders in the field. Today’s AUTISM Interview is with Nicole Sugrue. She is the co-founder of two nonprofits in Port Washington, New York that
in Autism Advocacy by Derrick Hayes
You’d think it would have been easier. I live in California, after all, the only state with an entitlement act for developmentally disabled children and adults. Enacted in 1977, a stated purpose of the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act is to provide “…an array of services and supports sufficiently complete to meet the needs and choices
Encouragement Speaker Derrick Hayes gives an AUTISM Interview by asking six questions through each letter in the word AUTISM to give readers an insightful perspective from parents, experts, entrepreneurs, and other leaders in the field. Today’s AUTISM Interview is with Rayni Anderson Brindley, Senior Vice President of Organizational Development with Devereux, who is responsible for
in Autism Advocacy by Derrick Hayes
Our son, Himal, was only two years old when he was diagnosed with profound, non-verbal autism. Fifteen years later, despite all the unknowns and challenges ahead, we have never felt more hopeful about his future. As the parent of a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), do you feel genuinely optimistic about your child’s future?
Autism Warrior: Gemma Bryan Founder of Autism Aware Bears, a program that raises autism awareness through special stuffed bears found by or sent to families and kids, who are encouraged to share pictures of their adventures together on the AutismAwareBears Facebook page. Gemma is based in North Lincolnshire in the UK, where she lives with
Encouragement Speaker Derrick Hayes gives an AUTISM Interview by asking six questions through each letter in the word AUTISM to give readers an insightful perspective from parents, experts, entrepreneurs, and other leaders in the field. Today’s AUTISM Interview is with Kiedra Hinkle-Tyson, who is a single mother of a nine-year-old child with autism named Brandon.
in Autism Advocacy by Derrick Hayes
Autism Warrior: Jessica Kingsley Formerly Managing Director and owner of Jessica Kingsley Publishers Jessica Kingsley Publishers is a publishing house committed to social change. The autism list is foremost amongst its extensive publishing program across the social and behavioral sciences and is pre-eminent in this field. Specializing particularly in books on Asperger’s syndrome (autism level one), the focus has
in Autism Advocacy by Amy KD Tobik
Isolation and engagement are two things on my heart and mind. I was a teacher for 25 years in a school that had a program for Autistic children. The children enrolled in the program at a very young age. One of the program’s goals was to thoughtfully integrate the Autistic children into the school’s academic
Nadine and David Seback are the parents of an amazing 20-year-old young man on the autism spectrum named Noah. He is nonverbal but has learned along with his parents to point to letters on a letter board to communicate, so he now is a strong advocate for nonverbal individuals on the spectrum. I met
Autism Warrior: Siena Castellon Creator of www.QLMentoring.com, a fun and engaging website designed by a teen to provide mentoring, support, resources and information specifically tailored for autistic youth and children with learning differences. Siena is autistic, dyslexic, and dyspraxic. She also has ADHD. When Siena was 13 years old, she searched online for information about
in Autism Advocacy by Amy KD Tobik
What better time to initiate a conversation about encounters with the criminal justice system than during autism awareness month? As parents, we are all-too-familiar with the child who is bullied or victimized. But parents are surprised to learn that their child is at an increased risk of being detained in the back of a police
Many parents have found in enormous benefit in Autism Support Groups for families. These have given much needed encouragement, comfort, and advice. In this article we discuss the benefits of joining one as well as helping you find one in your area. Benefits of autism support groups People on the spectrum and their
in Autism Advocacy by Kim Barloso
The other day, I was reading a People Magazine article about actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus and her battle with breast cancer. Fortunately, she’s in recovery and getting back to her normal life. But what struck me most about her article were these comments: “I can’t say it’s a club I ever really wanted to be a
in Autism Advocacy by Deanna Picon
Angeline Francis Khoo is the founder of Rosie On Fire, a fashion company dedicated to hiring people with autism into roles that play to their strengths. She said was inspired to provide these opportunities after seeing her siblings, who are on the autism spectrum, overlooked in the job market. “We do this by focusing on creating
in Autism Advocacy by Amy KD Tobik
Over the past few decades, Dr. Temple Grandin has become a respected speaker, author, and prominent advocate for autistic populations. Diagnosed with autism at the age of two and nonverbal until she was four years old, Grandin’s childhood was enriched by one-on-one speech therapy and the extra assistance of a caregiver. With a degree in
in Autism Advocacy by Amy KD Tobik
Encouragement speaker Derrick Hayes gives an AUTISM interview by asking six questions through each letter in the word AUTISM to give readers insightful perspectives from parents, experts, entrepreneurs, and other leaders in the field. Today’s AUTISM Interview is with Belinda Lerner who is the Executive Director for the NFL Player Care Foundation and Vice President of NFL Alumni Affairs
in Autism Advocacy by Derrick Hayes
Richie Smith is a managing director of Awesometistic, a unique autism training business. Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at 33 years old, Richie’s goal is to generate autism understanding and acceptance wherever he goes. Can you share with me what life was like growing up without an official autism diagnosis? Growing up without a diagnosis
in Autism Advocacy by Amy KD Tobik
Encouragement Speaker Derrick Hayes gives an AUTISM interview by asking six questions through each letter in the word AUTISM to give readers insightful perspectives from parents, experts, entrepreneurs, and other leaders in the field. Today’s AUTISM Interview is with Luke Vincent who runs a YouTube channel called Vincentville where the family shares their autism story. They do their best
in Autism Advocacy by Derrick Hayes
Encouragement Speaker Derrick Hayes gives an AUTISM Interview by asking six questions through each letter in the word AUTISM in order to give readers an insightful perspective from parents, experts, entrepreneurs, and other leaders in the field. Today’s AUTISM Interview is with Luis Bayardo who is a father of four: two girls and two boys
in Autism Advocacy by Derrick Hayes
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