Thomas Russell

Autism Light #191 is Thomas Russell. 

 

Thomas Russell is from Laurel, Montana. He is a 23 year old artist who has autism. When asked what it is like living with autism, Thomas replied, "It's not that different than living everyday normal life (Source)."  Thomas Russell is an Autism Light for his excellence as an artist with autism.

Thomas Russell graduated from Laurell High School. He is the son of Charles and Brenda Russell. He works in his family lawn care business and part-time at Subway. However, his true love and gift lies in being an artist.

Here is a sample of one of the amazing pieces of artwork that Thomas Russell did. This portrayal of the Autism Awareness ribbon will be sold to raise support for autism awareness and will continue to raise awareness when it is displayed by the eventual owner. It will also be added to the Autism Light Art Page.

Thomas Russell gave this advice to kids with autism, "Don't let anyone stop you from following your dreams."

Thomas Russell is very blessed to have his siblings Alex and Tara Russell and Anna Meadows in his life. Thomas's life motivated his sister Anna Meadows to become a special education teacher and she currently works with elementary students. Anna Meadows did a video project called "The Heart of Autism" for one her graduate classes on her brother's life that can be viewed on this link of his Facebook page.

Perhaps the best way to understand someone is to ask their mother. Thomas' mother Brenda Russell said, "Thomas is one of the coolest people I've ever met. He has an awareness--almost like an extra sense. He's the most compassionate kid I know. He will do whatever he can to help anybody (Source)."

To view Thomas Russell's work online you can visit his website at www.thomasrussell000.blogspot.com or his Facebook page. There was also an article done recently by The Laurel Outlook about his work called Living with Autism.

Special thanks to Thomas Russell for being an Autism Light. He truly has a gift to communicate through his art. We expect to hear great things in the future about his artwork.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.


Photo: The photos in this post were used with permission of Thomas Russell and his sister Anna Meadows.

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Kathy Medina

Autism Light #190 is Kathy Medina.

Kathy Medina is from Clovis, California. She and her husband Glenn have three children, including a son with autism named Zack. Kathy was a Life Insurance Agent for 15 years with American United Life, and left that position in order to be able to home school her son Zack. She is the author of the book Finding God in Autism and has developed a fantastic website that compliments the book and offers around the clock spiritual encouragement to families living with autism. Kathy Medina is an Autism Light because of the lives that she has touched with spiritual encouragement in the face of autism through her writing and website.

Author: Kathy Medina is the author of the book Finding God in Autism. The book includes Biblical resources to help parents raise their child with autism that the author gathered in her study and in conversations with clergy. You can find an outline of the book on the front page of the website www.findinggodinautism.com.

You can purchase the book at her website for $9.99 plus shipping.  Group discounts are available. Kathy mentions on her website that 50% of the people who purchase the book later purchase an extra copy for a friend.

Prayer Book: Kathy Medina also has a 63 page E-Book available called Livin on a Prayer. For information on its content and ordering it visit her website.

Education: Kathy Medina is a graduate of Fresno Pacific Bible College (now Fresno Pacific University).

Website: Kathy Medina's website www.findinggodinautism.com has rich resources focused on themes of her book. It has diverse spiritual resources that will encourage families with autism or any special needs with faith-based questions.

Home Schooling: Kathy Medina is devoted to assuring her son Zack has a good education. She started out by using curriculum from the Lovaas Institute. She has used  RDI (Relationship Development Intervention) curriculum since 2005 and is very pleased with the results for her son. For those considering home schooling, Kathy Medina advises people to consider if it meets their unique situation. Kathy says, "Home schooling has worked well for us. I can't recommend it to everyone. It is a great sacrifice."

Kathy and her son Zack

Diverse Treatments: Kathy Medina has tried several treatments in the past with her son, including the gluten free/casein free diet, specific carbohydrate diet, occupational therapy, speech therapy, supplements, IV Secretin, ABA, SonRise, hyperbaric oxygen chamber,  cranio-sacral therapy, AIT, Sensory Learning Institute, saunas, clay baths, and chelation. Kathy Medina told Autism Light, "We are still on the road to recovering Zack using the Body Ecology Diet, vital sounds listening therapy, the MMS protocol, supplements, horse therapy and RDI."


Church Life: Zack Medina attends Sunday School and the class at their church uses a curriculum from the organization Joni and Friends. Joni and Friends will help any church set up special classes for special needs students. 

Encouragement:  Kathy Medina offered this friendly advice to parents of children with autism.

I talk to many parents who are overwhelmed and discouraged by what they think is the future. I have found it to be much more productive to not look to far into the future but to focus on the present. I focus on what my child can do. I am grateful what he has overcome. I have found that if you do not control your thoughts your fears will be magnified.

Kathy Medina believes that parents need support in dealing with autism and that they can find that on a spiritual level.

I see many parents exhausting themselves trying to help their children. None of us were designed to go this road alone. Each of us can get God's favor. But to get God's favor, we must do our part and seek a relationship with Him.We need to ask our Almighty God for wisdom, direction and strength. If we seek God we will gain character, endurance, patience, wisdom and know unconditional love. We will become the people that God wants us to become. 

Special thanks to Kathy Medina for being an Autism Light and helping people with faith questions related to autism. For more information on Kathy Medina visit her biography on her website.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.


Photos: The photos in this post were used with permission of Kathy Medina.

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Gwen Rhodes

Autism Light #188 is Gwen Rhodes.

Gwen Rhodes is the principal at the Gonic School in Rochester, New Hampshire.  On Wednesday, January 25, 2012, a 10 year old student of hers named Andrew Brown had wandered away from the school into the nearby Cocheco River. Andrew Brown also has autism. Gwen Rhodes jumped into the icy Cocheco River to save Andrew Brown. Gwen Rhodes is an Autism Light for having the quick thinking to save a student with autism in an icy river, even though it meant putting herself at risk.

Gwen Rhodes was reluctant to be labeled a hero.  She said, "This is just something that was a circumstance and you did what you needed to do when the circumstance happened, but what we do every day is what makes people that work in schools heroes (Source)."

Gwen Rhodes may not want to be labled a hero but she is one to Andrew's father Chris Brown, who said, "She’s a hero to me and I’ve always said she’s like a second mom (Source)."

The following is a news story from the event done by WBZ-TV in Boston.





For more information on this heroic story view these online articles.

• Brave Principal Dives Into Icy River to Save Autistic 10 Year Old Student
• Principal Saves 10 Year Old Student from Icy New Hampshire River

Special thanks to Gwen Rhodes for being an Autism Light for a student that had wandered into harms way. Thankfully we won't know what may have happened if Gwen Rhodes hadn't dived into the icy river after Andrew Brown. As the first school principal to be an Autism Light, Gwen Rhodes is representative of administrators who are diligent in their task of protecting children, especially those with autism and special needs.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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Ban Ki-Moon

Autism Light #187 is Ban Ki-Moon. 

 

Ban Ki-Moon was born on June 13, 1944 and is from South Korea. Ban Ki-Moon has served as the Secretary-General of the United Nations since 2007. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon is an Autism Light because of his efforts to use his position to lead the United Nations to further awareness of autism around the world through it's member countries.

April 2 was adopted by the United Nations as World Autism Day in 2007.  On April 2, 2012, Ban Ki-Moon gave this year's message as Secretary-General. The complete message is at this link. In the message Ban Ki-Moon said,

The annual observance of World Autism Awareness Day is meant to spur such action and draw attention to the unacceptable discrimination, abuse and isolation experienced by people with autism and their loved ones.  As highlighted by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, people with autism are equal citizens who should enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms (Source). 

The following is a video of a speech Ban Ki-Moon gave in 2010 for Autism Awareness month. In his speech he talks about working with Autism Speaks.

UN Autism Stamps: On April 2, 2012 the United Nations released six autism awareness postage stamps and two special envelopes designed by artists with autism. The artists were recognized in a April 2 ceremony led by Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon (Source). A press release on the stamps shares the inspiring autism stories of all the artists who designed the stamps.

Other Information: Additional online articles about Secretary-General Ki-Moon's advocacy for autism can be found here.

• Autism Awareness Day Spotlights Discrimination
• Major U.N. Conference Proclaims Inclusive International Cooperation Key to Autism

You can read more about UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on his Wikipedia page.

Special thanks to Ban Ki-Moon for leading the United Nations to take such a clear stand on the need to end discrimination against people with autism. These efforts are raising autism awareness in the international communities that follow the leadership of the United Nations. Ban Ki-Moon becomes the first Autism Light from South Korea.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.


Photo: The photo in this post is in Creative Commons of Wikipedia. It is attributed to Gobierno de Chile.

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Charles Colson

Autism Light #186 is Charles Colson.

Charles "Chuck" Colson was born on October 16, 1931 in Boston, Massachusetts. He died on April 21, 2012 from complications of a brain hemorrhage. Some people have heard of him as a Special Counsel from 1969-1973 for U.S. President Richard Nixon. Others were introduced to Colson for his role the last 36 years as a leader and prolific author in evangelical Christianity, and founder of the organization Prison Fellowship. But not everyone may know that Charles Colson, the towering figure that he was, was brought to his knees in order to communicate with his now 20 year old grandson Max who has autism. It was with vigor and enthusiasm that Charles Colson approached being a grandparent of a child with autism for the last years of his life, and he has helped the autism community by talking publicly about how his faith was impacted by having a grandson with autism, especially as he witnessed the love demonstrated by his daughter Emily, as she raised Max as a single parent. Charles Colson is being named an Autism Light for the contributions he has made to autism awareness as a grandfather and as a leader in the faith-based community. Charles Colson was placed on the Autism Light Memorial Roll and this post updated, as he passed away the same day he was named an Autism Light.

Christianity: Charles Colson converted to Christianity in 1973. He served his prison sentence for his role in Watergate, and out of that experience he founded the organization Prison Fellowship in 1976. Prison Fellowship is the world's largest organization for prisoners in over 100 countries. Much of his writings are available for reading at the Colson Center website.

Awards: Charles Colson has received numerous awards. Two awards Colson received were the Others Award from The Salvation Army in 1990 and the Presidential Citizens Medal by President George W. Bush in 2008.

Author: Chuck Colson is a prolific author or co-author of over a dozen books about his life, faith and views of society from 1976 to 2011. His first book Born Again was published in 1976 and his most recent The Sky is Not Falling was published in 2011. The book Dancing with Max that he co-wrote with his daughter Emily is of a personal nature like Born Again. You can read more about Charles Colson's books and awards at his Wikipedia page.

Biographer Jonathan Aitken in his book Charles Colson: A Life Redeemed said about Colson:

With infinite patience and constant attention he has built a close and good relationship with his autistic grandson, Max. This private achievement has required more effort and more love than many of Colson's public achivements (Source). 

Jonathan Aitken also concludes that, "Colson communicates well with all his grandchildren, even though he is in some ways closest to Max as both a father figure and a grandfather (Source)."

Dancing With Max: Charles Colson wrote the introduction and epilogue to his daughter Emily Colson's book called Dancing with Max that was published in August, 2010.  Emily Colson raised Max as a single parent, making Charles Colson a father figure as well as grandfather to Max. One of the highlights of Charles Colson's family and ministerial life includes being given the opportunity to baptize his Grandson Max, who made a profession of the Christian faith. The following is Colson's weekly segment called 2 Minute Warning from September, 2010 where he discusses the book Dancing with Max. 

Although Charles Colson is a leader in the Christian world who has wrote dozens of books and spoke to millions of people around the world about his faith, he said that he continues to learn new things about God by witnessing the unselfish love demonstrated in his daughter Emily toward her child with autism. Here are two favorite quotes from Charles Colson directed toward parents of children with special needs.

• "Watching Emily, and other parents of children with special needs, has taught me what it means to love in the biblical sense of the word agape (Source)." 
• "Being the parent of an autistic child, or any child with special needs, requires a level of commitment and dedication that is impossible to understand unless you've been there (Source)." 

Here are some additional online information on Charles Colson's discussion of autism.

• Breakpoint: Charles Colson had a website called Breakpoint with regular features. He has a Breakpoint Article called Autism and Agape: What Max and Emily Taught Me.
• Dr. James Dobson Family Talk: Charles Colson and Emily Colson were on the Family Talk Radio Broadcast discussing their relationship with Max. Their Interview with Dr. James Dobson can be listened to online. 
• Joni and Friends: An inspiring report on Chuck Colson's relationship with his grandson Max can be found on the Joni and Friends episode called "When Disability Hits Home".
• World Over:  The World Over segment from May 19, 2011 features an interview with Charles Colson and Emily Colson about their relationship with Max and the book Dancing with Max.

Social Media: You can interact with Charles Colson, his family, and work on his Facebook page.

Funeral: For updates on services for Charles Colson's check the Official Updates from Prison Fellowship.

Special thanks to Charles Colson for caring about autism and being a wonderful grandfather to Max. Your efforts are an example to the multitude of grandparents of people with autism, especially those that share your Christian faith.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.


Photos: The photos in this post were used with permission of the administrator of the official Charles Colson Facebook page. 

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David Myatt

Autism Light #185 is David Myatt.

David Myatt is from Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, United Kingdom. This is about 100 miles North West of London, 25 miles south of Birmingham and 10 miles east of Stratford upon Avon. David formed the Halo Driving School in Leamington Spa in November, 2011. David Myatt has Asperger's and one of the specialties of his business is teaching individuals with autism how to drive a motor vehicle. David Myatt is an Autism Light for being the visionary behind a program that can help people with autism gain greater independence through driving independently. 

Prior to starting his Halo Driving School (Leamington Spa), David Myatt worked as a Print Production Manager at Cranfield University. David describes the challenges he faced of being on the Autism Spectrum and learning to be a driving instructor this way:

The training was painful and near impossible for me at first, it wasn't until I was introduced to a trainer who is also on the spectrum that I really began to truly understand what was required of me as an instructor. I think this experience made me realise just how difficult a task learning to drive could be for some young people, and led me to specialise in teaching others on the spectrum. 

While neuro-typical individuals can benefit from the Halo Driving School also, there is a niche for autism under David Myatt's leadership.You can find information on Halo Driving School, enrollment, contact, and fees a their website at www.halodrivingschool.co.uk.

Because of the specialization in training people with autism Halo Driving School and David Myatt receive referrals from a variety of autism organizations, including the National Autistic Society, Warwickshire County Council Service Directory, and the support groups "Special People" and "Autism West Midlands" based in Birmingham.

David Myatt offers this advice for people with autism that are seeking to learn to drive.

Many driving instructors here in the UK use "one size fits all" training systems for their pupils, the only variable being the speed at which the training is delivered. Clearly this can cause problems for many pupils on the spectrum, who often require the transfer of the necessary skills presented in a way that they can easily relate to. Try to find an instructor who has specific experience of teaching pupils on the spectrum, and get feedback from those pupils if possible. Specialist training is easier to come by now for instructors, one course of training in particular is "Revolutions" developed by Julia Malkin MBE which aims to give instructors a good understanding of the issues people with autism face when learning to drive.

Social Media: You can follow Halo Driving School (Leamington Spa) on Facebook.

David Myatt finds his work at Halo Driving School to be very rewarding and satisfying. He described his experience this way:

I think the most rewarding part of my work comes from finding a tailored learning path that works for each individual pupil, developing their skills, and then seeing them progress towards becoming a safe, confident, independent driver. So much is said about the struggles and difficulties people on the spectrum face, so seeing them show what they CAN achieve, with the right help and support, never fails to give me a buzz.

Special thanks to David Myatt for helping individuals with autism learn to drive. Although we know that each individual must put forth their own effort to achieve this goal in their life, it is truly a blessing that people with autism can turn to someone who can relate to their struggles as they learn this skill.

Other Articles: For other online articles on David Myatt consult these news stories.

• Aspiring Drivers with Autism Taught By Lemington Man (BBC)
• Teaching Autism Sufferers To Drive (Lemington Observer)

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.


Photos: The photos in this post were used with permission of David Myatt.

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Melinda Smith

Autism Light #37 is Melinda Smith.
A Backlight Encore!
Original Post: September 13, 2011

Melinda Smith lives in Canberra, Australia. She is a mother of two sons and one of them has autism. She is also a poet. As a parent of a son with autism she writes for those experiencing autism from one experiencing autism. Melinda Smith is an Autism Light for how her poetry brings awareness to autism.

Melinda describes her diverse life this way on her website, "I have been at various times a Ph.D. student in Japanese History, a teacher of English as a Second Language, a lawyer, a tea maiden, a tour guide, a barmaid, a software salesperson, a legal editor and a law teacher (Source)."

Melinda Smith's poem, 'autistic child with acute auditory processing disorder' won a National Competition in 2010 sponsored by the Australian Poetry Centre.  Melinda Smith has received a local grant of support from artsACT to write autism related poems for Autism Awareness Month in April, 2012.

Autism Light asked Melinda Smith about her favorite autism related poem from her site, and she directed us to the one called "First...Then...". In a prelude to this poem Melinda Smith writes:

"If you have people in your family or circle of friends who still don't get why you've been acting so weird since your child with difficulties was born, make them read this."

It wouldn't do it justice to quote a line from the poem here, because one needs to read the full poem to understand its deep meaning, so I encourage you to read it at her CircleQuirk Website. She is truly an inspirational poet.

Melinda Smith published her book of autism poems with Ginninderra Press in April, 2012. The actual book launch is taking place at events during the week of April 9, 2012. The book is a short collection of 24 of Melinda's autism poems and is named after her favorite poem First...Then... The poems reflect on people with all types of different relationships to autism such as parents or siblings, and also notes the perspective of both non-verbal and verbal individuals with autism. You may find information for purchasing her book at a section of her website dedicated to this book. Autism Light congratulates Melinda Smith on the release of this book of autism poems.


Melinda Smith's poem "Autistic Acrostic" was featured on Dr.Tony Attwood's Website. The poem reflects on a parents experience of facing a meltdown from their child. The first letter of each line spells an acrostic of a very important word. The poem goes like this. 

Autistic Acrostic

Any day now, it will lift.

Under your mask of howls, I see

Two knowing eyes reproaching me,

Incensed that I should try to shift

Some blame, for this, our hell, to you.

Mummy feels like howling too.  (Melinda Smith)

For more information on Melinda Smith's poetry and work you may check out the following Websites.

• WordPress Blog for her general poetry

• CircleQuirk blog for her poetry about autism

• Aspie in the Family
 Blog (Guest Post)

• Scottish Autism
 Blog (Guest Post)

Social Media: You can follow Melinda Smith's autism tweets on Twitter @FirstThenASD.

Special thanks to Melinda Smith for being a poet that touches on themes that relate to the autism community.  Your poetry is a light that is bringing autism awareness through poetry.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

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Photo: Photo in this post used with permission of Melinda Smith.

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Arizona Diamondbacks

Autism Light #184 is the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are a Major League Baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They were an expansion team that had their first season in 1998. During their 14 years as a team they have been very supportive of community charities through their Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation. One of the beneficiaries of their funding has been the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center. The Arizona Diamondbacks  are Autism Light for their assistance with Arizona autism programs as well as their hosting of an annual Autism Awareness game.

The Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation's top grant each year is called the Grand Slam Award. The Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SAARC) was the first ever recipient of the Grand Slam Award and in 2010 they became the first organization to win the Arizona Diamondbacks Grand Slam Award a second time. The 2010 grant is used for the SARRCs Good Deeds program for teenagers. The following video explains what the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center did with their grant.

The Arizona Diamondbacks or D-Backs as they are sometimes referred to won the World Series in 2001. Playing in just their fourth season, they hold the record as the fastest expansion team to win a World Series.  Kirk Gibson is the current manager of the team.

On April 20, 2012 the Arizona Diamondbacks will host their 5th Annual Autism Awareness Game. The event is sponsored by Autism Speaks, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, and the Arizona Diamondbacks. For information on purchasing a ticket to this special game visit this page of their website.

Social Media: You can follow the Arizona Diamondbacks on the following social media.

• Twitter @Dbacks
• Facebook
• Google+

Wikipedia: You can also find out more about the Arizona Diamondbacks at their Wikipedia page.

Special thanks to the Arizona Diamondbacks organization for supporting autism. Their help has made a difference in the capacity of the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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Anita Lesko

Autism Light #183 is Anita Lesko.

Anita Lesko is from Pensacola, Florida. Anita was diagnosed with Aspergers at age 50, and lived the first five decades of her life without knowing about how Aspergers impacted her relationships and life. Autism though has not held Anita back from working to help others. She is an anesthesiologist, author, speaker, trainer, and one of a group of leaders seeking to establish a mentor program for people with Aspergers.  Anita Lesko is an Autism Light for the important role she has filled in bringing awareness of autism through her writing and working to establish a program for mentors for people with Aspergers.

Anita Lesko is working with Dr. Tony Atwood and Craig Evans on a Aspie Mentor series. Craig Evans was Autism Light #178 and you can learn more about him at his entry on Autism Light. The first book is Been There. Done That. Try This!  In the video below Anita announces her book and also asks for the help of anyone with Aspergers to take her survey so the results can be used to determine the most relevant content for the series and give insight for the mentor program going forward.  The survey can be taken at her official website at www.bornwithaspergers.com.


Anita Lesko announces "Been There. Done That. Try This!" The first book in the Aspie Mentor series.
In addition to her key role in the new Aspie Mentor series, Anita Lesko is also the author of Asperger's Syndrome: When Life Hands You Lemons, Make Lemonade, which was published in August, 2011. In November, 2011 Anita directed the DVD Born with Asperger's.  In the book she writes:

Asperger's syndrome is poorly understood by most people. In fact, many people in the medical and mental health fields truly do not comprehend the magnitude of the challenges that people with Asperger's face much less how to help them.

More information on her book is available on her website. Anita also appears in Chapter 7 of Dr. Temple Grandin's new book Different...Not Less.  Dr. Temple Grandin was Autism Light #38 and has her own feature at Autism Light that readers may enjoy checking out.

Anita Lesko was interviewed by Craig Evans at Autism Hangout and here is the video of that conversation that was released in December, 2011.

Asperger's Support Group: In 2011, Anita Lesko started an Asperger's Support Group in her community. She has 25 consistent members who range in age from 10 to 65 years old. Parents are also sometimes involved in the group alongside their children. Anita Lesko writes this about her experience:

I have been conducting my group with positive thinking and have really made a difference in so many of their lives. It makes me very happy, and it makes me want to do more, on a global scale, to help them live their best life possible.

Speaker: Anita Lesko enjoys speaking to others about Asperger's. She had the opportunity to speak at the Inclusion conference in March at the University of West Florida.

Profession: Anita Lesko received her Master of Science in Anesthesia from Columbia University in 1988. She passed her board certification for Nurse Anesthetists on her first attempt in December, 1988. She has worked full-time as an anesthesiologist for 24 years. In her role as an anesthesiologist she is assigned patients with ASD. Because of her experience as someone with Aspergers she is well suited to give special care for patients with ASD going through medical procedures. She dims the lights in the pre-op area, operating room, and recovery room. She also tells her coworkers in the hosptial to minimize touch, movement, and noise. Anita Lesk told Autism Light, "This is a very rewarding experience, because I immediately tell the patient and family in pre-op that I have Asperger's, and I've actually had mom's burst out crying and throw their arms around me that I'm going to be taking care of their beloved child with autism."


Special Interests: Anita is also a photographer. Inspired by the movie TOP GUN, she served as a military aviation photojournalist from 1995-2002 and had her work internationally published. During this time she got to fly in an F-15 fighter jet, a Navy training helicopter, and spend a lot of time with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.

Future Plans: Anita told Autism Light, "I have now put my laser-focus on helping others with Asperger's Syndrome. Working together with Dr. Tony Attwood and Craig Evans, we are going to create the biggest Asperger Mentor system on the planet."  If you would like to contact Anita Lesko with any questions on her Aspie Mentor series, the related survey, or any other issue, she invites you to contact her at the email of anita@bornwithaspergers.com.

Special thanks to Anita Lesko for being an advocate for the needs of people with Asperger's Syndrome. The autism community benefits from having her efforts as an Autism Light.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

This post went into syndication on Autisable.

Photo: The photo in this post is used with permission of Anita Lesko.

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Timothy Welsh

Autism Light #81 is Timothy Welsh.
A Backlight Encore!
Original Post: November 9, 2011

Tim Welsh Works With His Son Tanner

Timothy Welsh is from Catlin, Illinois.  His teenage son Tanner has autism.  Timothy Welsh has survived two heart attacks and today thrives as an autism parent advocate and co-founder and Executive Director of the new organization called AutismAid. Timothy Welsh is an Autism Light because of his influential advocacy for the needs of families dealing with autism. His outreach on social media and expertise in diverse subjects impacting autism families helps him share light on autism to the world on a regular basis.

Twitter:  Timothy Welsh's handle on Twitter is @TannersDad.  He chose the handle in honor of his son Tanner who has autism. The last words Timothy Welsh remembers Tanner saying before he withdrew into the nonverbal world of autism were, "My name is Tanner!  My name is Tanner!" At the time this story was updated Timothy Welsh had posted 72,500 tweets on Twitter. A Few days after this post was originally published he passed 10,000 followers on Twitter. The following YouTube video is a 45 minute interview that David Kaufer did with Timothy Welsh for his YouTube series called "Behind the Tweets". It is a very helpful interview to understand today's autism light.

Autism Aid: Tim continues his mission to build unity in the community #UWAC, provide a base line safety net for families and end discrimination. In partnership with Successful BusinessMan Lawrence "Larry" Goldfarb (Father of a 14 year old with Autism), they are proud to introduce AutismAid. They will be working with Corporations to fund critical need projects in the Autism community through the most effective and efficient service orientated regional non profits. Their goal is to lead by example ending politics, returning the most to communities for direct local service and Paying it forward. Tim says it is very important that families, friends, and relatives stand up and be counted. He asks that we encourage everyone go to the facebook page and like share and nominate your Local Service provider for grants. The website for Autism Aid is www.autismaid.org, and Facebook page is www.facebook/AutismAid. For more information on AutismAid contact Tim Welsh at the email of RealTannersDad@Gmail.com.

Timothy Welsh was interviewed by Craig Evans of Autism Hangout about his new role as Executive Director of Autism Aid.  Craig Evans was Autism Light #178.  Here is the video of that interview.



Generation Rescue: Timothy Welsh is a blogger for Generation Rescue. One of his blog posts for Generation Rescue that tells more about his story was called "An Ordinary Family".  Timothy Welsh is also a "Rescue Angel" for Generation Rescue which is the designation for a family that has seen an improvement in the life of someone with autism due to biomedical intervention.  Part of Timothy Welsh's biomedical plan for his son Tanner includes a gluten and casein free diet, vitamins, and the use of Methyl B12 cream.

Board of Directors: Timothy Welsh serves on the Board of Directors of the following important Autism organizations.

• Autism Society of Illinois: Timothy Welsh is on the borad of directors of the Autism Society of Illinois. This is one of the most respected state chapters of the National Autism Society of America organization.
• Mason Allen Medlam Foundation: Timothy Welsh serves on the board of directors of the Mason Allen Medlam Foundation.  Safety for those with autism is one of Timothy Welsh's passions.

Social Media: You can connect with Timothy Welsh at the following social media areas. He is likely to interact with you if you engage him in conversation.

• Facebook
• Google+
• Twitter @TannersDad

Speaker: Timothy Welsh also is a conference speaker.  One of his sessions at a past Autism One conference is available at this link.

Special thanks for Timothy Welsh for being an Autism Light and being tireless in advocacy for autism.  Timothy Welsh is truly an example of how one parent can make a difference for autism through the world of social media.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

Photos: The Photos in this post are used with the permission of Timothy Welsh.

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Shinji Tejima

Autism Light #182 is Shinji Tejima.

Shinji Tejima is from Fukuoka, Japan. He works at the Showa Studio Automobile Repair Shop. Shinji built a very expensive motorcycle that is a replica of a famed motorcycle that was featured in the 1988 Japanese animated science-fiction movie Akira. Rather than let it sit safe in his garage, he is riding it across the country of Japan to raise funds for a Japanese autism support group called the Bokura Company. Shinji Tejima is an Autism Light for riding this special bike across Japan for autism awareness and to raise funds for an autism charity.

Shinji Tejima's bike is the only one of its kind officially recognized by Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo and it took seven years and cost $121,000 U.S. funds to build (Source). Here is a video of Shinji Tejima on his motorcycle trip that includes stops in Osaka, Nagoya, and on Shodo Island in Japan. Other videos can be seen on a YouTube Channel dedicated to the project.

Online Articles: Read more about Shinji Tejima at the following online articles.

• AKIRA Bike Rides Across Japan for Autism Charity
• Akira's Kaeda Bike Goes on Road Trip Throughout Japan
• Geek Stuff: Awesome Fan Built Akira Bike
• The Akira Bike of Your Dreams is Racing Across Japan

Shinji Tejima is the first Autism Light from Japan. Special thanks to Shinji Tejima for raising funds for autism in Japan through this one of a kind bicycle. This project is certain to raise awareness for autism in Japan.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.


Image: The image in this post is in the Wikipedia Creative Commons.

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John Mikkiah Thompson

Autism Light #181 is John Mikkiah Thompson.

Easter Sunday is known for featuring the life changing music of the Christian faith. For this Easter Sunday we wanted to feature a young man whose life has been touched by autism and whose autism has been touched by Christian music and its message of Christian faith. John Mikkiah Thompson is 18 years old and from Shelbyville, Indiana. He has autism and did not speak until he was age 8. John Thompson is also an up and coming Christian music singer who sings almost every weekend at church somewhere. When not singing John works as a page at the Shelby County Library. John Mikkiah Thompson is an Autism Light for the awareness he brings to autism when he shares his excellent musical talent. 

If you notice John Mikkiah Thompson sings with a lot of heart behind his words, perhaps it is because the music came to this young man with autism before he had any words. And he credits this victory to the act of the God he praises and adores through his music. John's father Grant Thompson said, "By the time John was 8 years old he could listen to just about anything and play it the same day. This is what the Lord used to "unlock" John Mikkiah Thompson's tongue. When he holds that Mic in his hand or sits down behind the piano, a Miracle take splace right before your eyes EVERY SINGLE TIME. All of the autism disappears and you would never, ever known that it even existed."

The following is a video of John Mikkiah Thompson singing his song "I Believe" on GodTube. 

John Mikkiah Thompson from johnmikkiahthompson on GodTube.

Many of John's songs can be heard on videos at his YouTube Channel. Singles of three of his songs are available on his iTunes page as of right now. They are Take the First Step, You Made Me Who I Am, and God Has a Plan for Me. You Made Me Who I Am was written by John's father Grant and a version of him singing this is below.

Dann Veldkamp of The Center Grover Community Newspaper describes John's experience on the stage this way, "Once John Mikkiah's talent was recognized his career started to take off. In 2010, he won the 'Shelby Idol" contest and swept multiple categories in the Franklin Fall Talent Contest. He appeared at the 2010 Indiana State Fair and formed the National Anthem at the opening of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May, 2011 (Source)."

The following is a video of John singing at the Strand in Shelby, Indiana. He is introduced with the master of ceremonies reading a letter from his family that tells a story of how autism, music, and faith have been a part of John Mikkiah Thompson's life. 

John Mikkiah Thompson offered the following advice for people with autism about finding success in life:

Never Give Up and the Lord Will Help You!

Social Media: You can follow the work of John Mikkiah Thompson at the following social media:

• Facebook
• YouTube Channel

Booking: John Mikkiah Thompson plans to take his singing on the road in the future. He plans to share his songs of praise to his Lord with many people. If you would like information on scheduling John Mikkiah Thompson to sing at your church or event, please email him at crimsoniu1@embarqmail.com.

Special thanks to John Mikkiah Thompson for singing the songs of praise and blessing churches and community groups with your talent. We expect to hear great things about about your music in the future.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo in this post is used with permission of John Mikkiah Thompson.

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Spotlight on the News

Spotlight #2 is Autism News.

Autism is frequently in the news because of it's global impact on so many areas of society. The autism community should welcome news stories on the condition, because it raises awareness and helps educate the public. There's nothing quite like free advertising. One can find some interesting studies and insight in autism news. However, not all news is accurate or helpful, but every positive has a negative.

Here's links to some of the latest headlines from a variety of diverse places and perspectives found at the time this post was written or updated. Any bias or agendas of the news writers are their opinion alone and not that of Autism Light.

Autism Researchers Zeroing in on a Genetic Cause      

Pregnancy Length May Influence Severity of Autism

About 10% of Autistic Kids "Bloom" With Therapy: Study
Doctors Want to Redefine Autism: Parents Worried

Obama on World Autism Day
Young Man With Autism Appeals to Obama

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There are a variety of resources to keep up on the latest Autism News. Here's a short list. Use your own judgment if they can help you in your autism journey. Autism Light does not endorse all news stories from these external websites.

• Alltop - Autism News
• The Autism Newswire is operated by Curtis Mayben (Autism Light #51).
• Autism News Reader (Mobile Phone App)
• Autism Speaks - News
• The Medical News Today: Autism
• Science Daily: Autism
• Topix - Autism News

Please leave a comment if you have other sources of Autism News. 

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This spotlight topic was originally published on April 7, 2012. It will be updated as warranted.

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The photo in this post is in the Creative Commons of Wikipedia.

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Sara Winter

Autism Light #180 is Sara Winter.

Sara Winter is from Toronto, Canada. She is an aunt of a child with autism. She has spent over a decade working as a teacher's aid for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in school settings and serving as an aid to her 12 year old nephew who has autism. Sara is also a writer who writes on subjects that raises awareness for autism. In January, 2012 Sara Winter launched a social platform site for tweens and teens with Autism called Squag™ that she and her family had spent two years creating themselves. Sara Winter is a Autism Light for creating the unique Squag™ website to meet the special social needs of young people with autism and for being a writer, aunt, and aide, that shines a light for autism each day.

Here is a video that provides an overview of how the Squag™ site works.

Autism Light asked Sara Winter how Squag™ came to fruition.  She said,

We started Squag™ because we felt kids with autism were often underestimated in their daily life and that many environments weren't conducive to the way they communicate. Our goal is to give kids a safe place to be themselves, build original ideas and gain some confidence with the idea of friendship to take with them wherever they go.

The platform was named Squag™ because it was one of the first words of Sara's loved one with autism. "Squag" was one of his first words - his word for "square" back in the early days of his diagnosis and treatment therapy. The word reminds how far he's come and how far we know he'll go (Source)." You may go to www.squag.com to find out all about the Squag™ social platform and sign up.

One of the questions parents may have about Squag™ is how it keeps kids safe in contrast with the potential concerns by other social media sites. Sara Winter explained the security protocols this way:

The Squagpad itself (the parent/child communication) is a totally private experience. We follow strict privacy laws and just received our truste certification. For our launch of the peer-to-peer capabilities, later this spring, we are working with several special needs organizations with coded membership to ensure that everyone is safe. Parents are the members and hold all usernames and passwords. When they register, they will be taken through a proper application process to be considered. We will also require their credit card. Our staff will be moderating all of the activities and as well, parents will have transcripts from every squag session – all of their activities will be accessible right from their dashboard.

Social Media:  You may follow Sara Winter's work at Squag™ at the following social media areas:

• Facebook
• Twitter @squagdotcom
• Twitter @sarawinter_

Other Articles: Here are some other articles on Sarah Winter and Squag™:

• Squag: Social Media for Teens and Tweens with Autism
• New Software for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Sara Winter - Founder of Squag.com

Writer: Sarah Winter writes for the following sites and publications:

• The Huffington Post Canada 
• Friendship Circle International
• The Autism File Global
• Autism Aspergers Digest
• The Squag blog.

Advice to Parents: Sara Winter gave this advice on how aunts or uncles of children with autism can help parents and families with their special needs.

My advice is to do whatever you can to be a part of that child’s daily life. Do not wait to be told what to do or asked for help. Jump in and be useful. Facilitate nights out for the parents whose child has just been diagnosed. Babysit. Do dishes. Figure out what interests the child has and educate yourself. Find frameworks where you’re confident (for some it’s cooking, for others it’s hockey cards) and have that be the activity that you and your loved one go back to again and again. Our whole family is better for knowing and loving my nephew; he makes us all better every day.

Special thanks to Sara Winter for the devotion she has to her nephew with autism and for being the founder of Squag™.  We expect to hear great things in the future about how Squag helps young people with autism growing socially in a safe environment.


Related Posts: If you like this post, you may enjoy these others on people who founded other autism social networking sites. Like Squag each fulfills a unique niche'.

• Craig Evans - Autism Hangout
• Eric Peacock - MyAutismTeam

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo in this post is used with permission of Sara Winter.

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Karen Tuohy

Autism Light #179 is Karen Tuohy.

Karen Tuohy lives in Wilmington, Delaware. Karen is a special education teacher and a single mother of two adult children with autism. She is also a volunteer with Autism Delaware. Karen Tuohy is an Autism Light for her diverse efforts day in and day out to make the world a better place for children with autism and those who love them. Karen Tuohy is the first Autism Light from the state of Delaware in our ongoing search across the world for bright lights for Autism.

Education: Karen Tuohy received her BA in Psychology and a Certification in Regular Education, K-6 and Special Education, K-12 in 1980 from the College of New Rochelle.

Karen Tuohy with her two adult children

Teaching: Karen Tuohy has served as a Special Education teacher at Heritage Elementary School in Wilmington, Delaware for 18 years. The school is a mainstream school and the special education program serves children of a variety of disabilities. In 2000 she was named Teacher of the Year at the school. One of her roles in the school environment is to facilitate an after school sibling group for students who have a family member with a disability. In the group siblings are able to talk about issues that are unique to their lives while participating in social activities such as a game or art project. Karen Tuohy gives this advice to parents of special needs children about working with their local school.

As a special education teacher, I advise parents to remember that they are the best resource any teacher has. You know your child's strengths, interests, triggers, and what incentives will work with your child better than anyone else. Please share that information. It will make your child's schooling as successful and comfortable as possible. If your child needs an accommodation to ease his access to the regular education curriculum, please make sure that the accommodation is written into his Individualized Education Plan. This will ensure that the accommodation will be implemented across the school day and into the next grade.  Talking with school personnel about your child does not need to be adversarial. We all want what's best for your child. Go to conferences and IEP meetings with an open mind, and a list of what you'd like to see changed or implemented. You are the most important member of your child's team.  

Autism Delaware: Karen Tuohy serves as a volunteer for Autism Delaware and received their Outstanding Autism Delaware Volunteer award on March 30, 2012. Karen says, "My involvement with Autism Delaware began slowly as I realized how much they've given me and my children and it has been very beneficial to me and my children who are now adults. It has given us a supportive community that accepts us - blemishes and all."  Some of the volunteer roles Karen has filled include:

• Working the Registration Table at Every Walk for Autism
• Annual Golf Outing
• Hosting the Weekly Bowling Event Throughout the Year
• Helping with Bowling and Swim Practices for the Autism Delaware Special Olympics Team. 

The mission of Autism Delaware is "to create better lives for people with autism and their families in Delaware."  For more information on Autism Delaware visit their website at www.delautism.org.

The following video shares more about what Autism Delaware is doing in the state.

Karen Tuohy summarizes her advice to parents of special needs children in this way:

Being a parent of two special needs children has made me a better teacher and, yes, a better person. I've learned not to sweat the small stuff- when I do, I miss out on so many precious moments in life. To other parents of special needs children, I would advise to get invovled in their local Autism organization. At Autism Delaware, I was able to access resources, recreational opportunities, and social interactions for my children. Since I've been a single working parent for almost 20 years, with no immediate family in the area, members of Autism Delaware have been my sounding boards, my brainstorming team, my lifeline, in effect, my sanity.

Special thanks to Karen Tuohy for being a teaching light for autism and a hard working volunteer at Autism Delaware. The world is a better place because a kind and competent mother of two children with autism is serving as a special education teacher at Heritage Elementary School in Wilmington, Delaware.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photos: The photos in this post were used with permission of Karen Tuohy.

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