James Gandolfini

  • Subscribe to our RSS feed.
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Digg

Thursday, 29 September 2011

Nathan Christensen

Posted on 03:50 by Unknown
Autism Light #53 is Nathan Christensen.

Nathan Christensen is a 17 year old from South Jordan, Utah.  Nathan Christensen has autism and didn't speak until age 7, but autism didn't stop him from rising to great heights in the Boy Scouts of America's scouting program. Nathan Christensen is an Autism Light for his outstanding achievements in the Boy Scouts of America scouting program.

Nathan Christensen recently earned the Eagle Scout Award. According to the Boy Scouts of America Fact Sheet, only 5% of boy scouts earned the Eagle Scout Award in 2010. However, Nathan didn't stop at the requirements for an Eagle Scout. In addition to being an Eagle Scout which requires earning 21 merit badges, Nathan Christensen added 111 more and earned all of the 132 merit badges available by the Boy Scouts of America.

Here is the news story published at CNN about Nathan Christensen's accomplishment of earning all Boy Scouts of America merit badges.





Nathan says he would rather be defined for this outstanding and rare accomplishment in the Boy Scouts of America than for having autism. His remarkable efforts, in taking on every challenge available to him by the Boy Scouts of America, are more than thousands of neuro-typical boys could accomplish in their days in scouts (including the one writing this post). Any boy achieving this exceptional feat in the Boy Scouts of America would distinguish themselves above their peers and should receive public recognition for it.  In fact, in 2008, Fox News shared an AP report on Shawn Goldsmith, a neuro-typical young man from New York, achieving the same feat as Nathan Christensen (Source). For more information on Nathan's accomplishments read the article on him at AllHeadlineNews.com.

Nathan Christensen is a role model and hero to all boys, especially those with autism, who may doubt their ability to finish just the 21 merit badges necessary to achieve Eagle Scout. Something tells me that the adults and young men in the Boy Scouts of America won't soon forget this accomplishment from someone with autism. We expect to continue to hear outstanding things about Nathan Christensen in the future.

The Boy Scouts of America can be a good program for some boys with autism. It is possible for boys with autism to grow through their involvement in this program. For those considering this activity for boys on the autism spectrum there are two helpful resources I have discovered.
  1. Autism and Boy Scouts is a content rich website on issues facing parents who are deciding about Boy Scouts for their sons with autism.
  2. Elizabeth M. Johnson has written a helpful article for Scouting Magazine called Boys with Autism Can Thrive in Scouting-With Help.
Thank you Nathan Christensen for showing the world that autism does not have to limit a person from merit in either the Boy Scouts or in life.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 


This Autism Light post went into syndication at Autisable. 
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Posted in Autisable, Autism, Boy Scouts, Has Autism, Utah | No comments
Newer Post Older Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • Will and Lisa Clark
    Autism Lights #71 are Will and Lisa Clark. Will and Lisa Clark are from Louisiana. They have a son named Trey who has autism. Will Clark was...
  • Lisa Ackerman
    Autism Light #23 is Lisa Ackerman. Lisa Ackerman is making a tremendous difference for autism most visibly through the organization she foun...
  • Dylan Hockley and Anne Marie Murphy
    Autism Lights #247 are Dylan Hockley and Anne Marie Murphy.  Autism Light is honoring Dylan Hockley and Anne Marie Murphy in the same post b...
  • Dr. Bernard Rimland
    Autism Light #90 is Dr. Bernard Rimland. Dr. Bernard Rimland passed away on November 21, 2006. He lived most of his life in San Diego, Calif...
  • Nia T. Hill
    Autism Light  #136 is Nia T. Hill. Nia T. Hill is a Writer, Director and Producer from Los Angeles, California. Nia Hill is the Director/Pro...
  • Lorri Shealy Unumb
    Autism Light #295 is Lorri Shealy Unumb.  Lorri Shealy Unumb is an attorney from Lexington, South Carolina. She is also a mother of a son wi...
  • Goldie Lauffenburger
    Autism Light #44 is Goldie Lauffenburger. Goldie Goldie is a Bansenjs mixed rescue dog who resides in Oklahoma. She is also companion to Joy...
  • Connecticut Lights
    The State of Connecticut is the home currently to 10 Autism Lights. They include parents, grandparents, an uncle, educators, individuals wit...
  • Camille Proctor
    Autism Light #144 is Camille Proctor. The signature line on Camille Proctor's email says, "Autism Doesn't Discriminate!" B...
  • Eric Peacock
    Autism Light #256 is Eric Peacock. Eric Peacock is an Autism Uncle from San Carlos, California. He is the CEO and Co-founder of MyHealthTeam...

Categories

  • ABA (15)
  • Actor (7)
  • Actress (3)
  • Adoption (2)
  • Adults (2)
  • African American (18)
  • Alabama (4)
  • Alaska (1)
  • Animal (11)
  • Argentina (1)
  • Arizona (6)
  • Arkansas (1)
  • Artist (10)
  • Aspergers (20)
  • Athlete (24)
  • Attorney (3)
  • Aunt (2)
  • Australia (4)
  • Austria (1)
  • Author (25)
  • Autisable (47)
  • Autism (294)
  • Backlight (8)
  • Behavioral Analyst (4)
  • Biomedical (10)
  • Blog (1)
  • Blogger (14)
  • Boy Scouts (2)
  • Business (9)
  • California (38)
  • Camp (1)
  • Canada (11)
  • CEO (21)
  • Chile (1)
  • Chiropractor (1)
  • Christian (14)
  • Christmas (2)
  • Church (4)
  • Clergy (2)
  • Coach (5)
  • Colorado (2)
  • Conference (1)
  • Connecticut (10)
  • Corporation (10)
  • Dancer (2)
  • Deaf (1)
  • Delaware (1)
  • Dentist (1)
  • DIR (1)
  • Disaster (1)
  • District of Columbia (2)
  • Donor (3)
  • Events (3)
  • Faith-Based (9)
  • Father (69)
  • Film Director (4)
  • Fireman (2)
  • Florida (16)
  • Foster Parent (1)
  • Foundation (17)
  • Fundraising (17)
  • Georgia (6)
  • Germany (1)
  • Ghana (1)
  • Grandparent (9)
  • Has Autism (67)
  • Hawaii (1)
  • Hispanic (1)
  • Horse Therapy (1)
  • Hyperbaric (1)
  • Idaho (1)
  • Illinois (12)
  • India (2)
  • Indiana (6)
  • Insurance (1)
  • Iowa (3)
  • IPad (13)
  • Ireland (3)
  • Italy (1)
  • Japan (1)
  • Jewish (4)
  • Journalist (2)
  • Judge (2)
  • Kansas (1)
  • Kentucky (1)
  • Kenya (2)
  • Landmark (2)
  • Legislation (5)
  • Light It Up Blue (2)
  • Links (1)
  • Louisiana (2)
  • Maine (3)
  • Maryland (5)
  • Massachusetts (14)
  • Memorial Roll (29)
  • Michigan (6)
  • Military Families (2)
  • Minnesota (4)
  • Mississippi (6)
  • Missouri (3)
  • Montana (1)
  • Mormon (1)
  • Mother (57)
  • Movie (10)
  • Music Therapy (2)
  • Musician (28)
  • Nebraska (2)
  • Netherlands (1)
  • Nevada (4)
  • New Hampshire (2)
  • New Jersey (11)
  • New Mexico (1)
  • New York (22)
  • News (2)
  • North Carolina (1)
  • North Dakota (1)
  • Norway (1)
  • Object (1)
  • Ohio (8)
  • Oklahoma (1)
  • Oregon (2)
  • Organizations (9)
  • Parent (83)
  • Pennsylvania (11)
  • Personal Care (1)
  • Peru (1)
  • Photographer (1)
  • Physician (7)
  • Poet (4)
  • Police Officer (2)
  • Politician (10)
  • Press Release (2)
  • Principal (1)
  • Professor (5)
  • Psychologist (5)
  • Research (10)
  • Rhode Island (2)
  • Russia (2)
  • Safety (4)
  • Schools (6)
  • Sensory Room (1)
  • Sibling (10)
  • Social Networking (3)
  • Software (3)
  • South Africa (2)
  • South Carolina (2)
  • South Dakota (1)
  • South Korea (1)
  • Speaker (1)
  • Special Post (11)
  • Speech Pathologist (1)
  • Sports (22)
  • Spotlight (2)
  • State Light (5)
  • Storyteller (1)
  • Student (11)
  • Teacher (11)
  • Television (1)
  • Tennessee (2)
  • Texas (9)
  • Theatre (1)
  • Twitter (1)
  • Uncle (2)
  • United Kingdom (22)
  • University (2)
  • Utah (3)
  • Vermont (1)
  • Virginia (7)
  • Volunteer (1)
  • Washington (1)
  • Website (4)
  • West Virginia (1)
  • Wisconsin (2)
  • Wyoming (1)

Blog Archive

  • ►  2013 (54)
    • ►  July (12)
    • ►  June (5)
    • ►  May (4)
    • ►  April (14)
    • ►  March (4)
    • ►  February (5)
    • ►  January (10)
  • ►  2012 (144)
    • ►  December (8)
    • ►  November (16)
    • ►  October (1)
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  August (5)
    • ►  July (18)
    • ►  June (11)
    • ►  May (6)
    • ►  April (18)
    • ►  March (21)
    • ►  February (15)
    • ►  January (24)
  • ▼  2011 (117)
    • ►  December (23)
    • ►  November (18)
    • ►  October (22)
    • ▼  September (31)
      • Sen. Robert Menendez
      • Nathan Christensen
      • Dr. Stephen Edelson
      • Recovering Autistic Children (Give Away)
      • Curtis Maybin
      • Dr. Daniel Openden
      • Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
      • Frank Nappi
      • Dr. Phillip Demio
      • Brian Herritt
      • Brian Rubin
      • Goldie Lauffenburger
      • Gianna Hitsos
      • B.J. McKelvie
      • Lisa Carling
      • Laura Shumaker
      • Roy McDonald
      • Dr. Temple Grandin
      • Autism Light Poem
      • Stephen Wiltshire
      • Jack and Maureen Fanning
      • Dillon Howard
      • Dr. David Amaral
      • Dan and Claire Marino
      • Cynthia Howroyd
      • Richard Everts
      • Larry Oliveri
      • Richard Evans
      • Christian Mast
      • Margaret Simons
      • Cathy Hutch
    • ►  August (14)
    • ►  July (4)
    • ►  June (5)
Powered by Blogger.

About Me

Unknown
View my complete profile