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 with autism named Ryan. She has been called "inspirational" and "passionate" by David Newton of ESPN.com (Source). Lorri Shealy Unumb is an Autism Light for the multitude of ways she helps the cause of autism through her advocacy and forward vision. Besides being a mother, her autism legacy includes three major areas. She is the author of Ryan's Law, a South Carolina Autism Insurance Law; the co-founder, along with her husband Dan, of the Autism Academy of South Carolina; and the Vice-President for State Government Affairs for Autism Speaks.

Ryan's Law: Lorri Shealy Unumb authored an autism insurance bill that was called Ryan's Law in honor of her son. Her passion was to help South Carolina Autism families who didn't have the means to give their children autism treatment. The South Carolina House and Senate passed Ryan's Law on June 7, 2007, by overriding then Governor Mark Sanford's veto (Source). Ryan's Law made South Carolina one of the first states in the United States to mandate health insurance cover autism treatment.

The following is a news feature on Lorri Shealy Unumb's efforts to pass Ryan's Law by WBTV3 Charlotte.


Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award: Here is a video where Lorri Shealy Unumb was a finalist in 2012 for the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award, which is given to a NASCAR fan who gives back to the community. She won the 2nd Annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award in 2012 and designated the $100,000 award to go to the Autism Academy of South Carolina, the autism organization she founded in honor of her son Ryan (Source).


Autism Academy of South Carolina: Lorri Shealy Unumb and her husband Dan founded the Autism Academy of South Carolina in 2010 and it is based in Columbia, South Carolina. Their website states their vision as follows: 

The Autism Academy of South Carolina (AASC) was born out of a vision to enhance the educational options that exist for children impacted by Autism in South Carolina. After searching the country in 2009 for "best practice" educational models, the founders, Lorri and Dan Unumb, decided to make it their mission to create an alternative education option that utilized the principles of Behavior Analysis to not only provide exceptional services for learners, but to also serve as a community resource for those impacted by autism (Source).

The AASC has an enrollment of approximately 18 children (Source). A promotional video from the Autism Academy of South Carolina on YouTube explains their work (Watch Video). 
Autism Speaks: Lorri Shealy Unumb serves as the Vice President for State Government Affairs with Autism Speaks. In her role she travels extensively and aims to replicate South Carolina's autism insurance mandate in other states.  In the five years since Ryan's Law passed, over 30 states have passed similar laws. You can watch a YouTube video of Lorri Shealy Unumb speaking in Missouri in support of autism insurance legislation. 
Advice to Parents: Lorri Shealy Unumb gave this advice for autism parents in a message to Autism Light on July 28, 2013. 

Take it upon yourself to educate those around you about autism, and assume that people want to help. They just don't know what to do. I certainly wouldn't have known how to be helpful to an autism family before my son was diagnosed. Assuming people want to help has been my philosophy in approaching the legislators I've worked with, and I've considered it my job to inform them about autism and what they can do (Lorri Shealy Unumb-7/28/2013).

Social Media: You can follow Lorri Shealy Unumb on the following social media areas. 

• Facebook Page.
• Twitter @lunumb

Special thanks to Lorri Shealy Unumb for being an Autism Light. Her efforts for the cause of autism now go far beyond their beginnings to help her home of South Carolina. The victories that she has helped win in state legislators for autism will have far reaching consequences for autism families. Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
The photo in this post is used with permission of Lori Shealy Unumb. 

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Autism Awareness Horse

Autism Light #294 is the Horse Autism Awareness.

Autism Awareness was an 8 year old race horse from California. He was injured in a race on April 14, 2013, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and he had to be euthanized because of the extent of his injuries. Johnny Taboada owned Autism Awareness and gave him his name to draw attention to autism, because his 13 year old son Riley has autism. Autism Awareness is the first horse to be named an Autism Light and the horse's name will be placed on the Autism Light Memorial Roll today.

Autism Awareness was more than a horse to those who followed him and to his owner Johnny Taboada, who told Horse Racing Nation, "He has something we can't explain; the horse is here for a reason, and it's a bigger purpose than racing (Source)."

The Blood-Horse staff at BloodHorse.com wrote a tribute to Autism Awareness on their site and they described the horse in this way. 

The 8-year-old son of Tannersmyman out of Sharp Victor mare Lady Essex, was bred in California by Jim Eaton, Paul Arndt, Dave Marabela, and Mr. and Mrs. Terry Smith. Johnny Taboada purchased the colt for $1,000 at the 2006 California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association's Northern California yearling sale.

Named to help draw attention to autism, a cognitive development disorder from which Taboada's 13-year-old son suffers, the colt earned $356,732. Autism Awareness was trained by Genaro Vallejo for all of his 39 starts and held a record of 5-5-2.

Autism Awareness scored his biggest victories in the 2008 El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) and the 2009 Berkeley Stakes (gr. III). He also placed in the Governor's Handicap at Sacramento and the Bull Dog Stakes at Fresno. [Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/78454/popular-runner-autism-awareness-dies#ixzz2aFlG7zo4]

After the race that caused his death, Johnny Taboada told Horse Racing Nation, "This is by far the saddest day of my racing career. Autism Awareness has always had a very special place in my heart. This is very hard to swallow, he was one of a kind (Source)."

Each race Autism Awareness was in he was able to raise awareness to the cause of autism by his name. May his life show other owners that the name of a race horse can have an impact on advocacy. Autism Awareness is a fitting Autism Light to represent horses around the world who are making a difference for autism, many through horse therapy. We expect he won't be the last horse to be an Autism Light.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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Frank Diaz

Autism Light #293 is Frank Diaz.

Frank Diaz is a 53 year old garbage truck driver for the City of Fresno, California. Greyson Kelly is a 4 year old boy with autism. Every Wednesday for the past two years, when Frank Diaz drove by Greyson's home on his garbage pickup route, the young boy would excitedly come out to see the big truck. Frank Diaz is an Autism Light both for how his weekly routine at work has brought joy to Greyson's life and for taking the time to show kindness by letting the boy sit in his garbage truck.

Here is a video of the news story that Brian Williams gave on the NBC Nightly News on Frank Diaz and his imapct on Greyson Kelly and his family.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Barbara Anderson noted in an article for the Fresno Bee, that Greyson has demonstrated growth in his communication over the years of greeting the garbage truck delivery. His first word was "truck" and recently he had a breakthrough when he uttered his first sentence, which was, "I want truck (Source)."  

Chrissy Kelly says this about her autistic son's reaction when the garbage truck comes each week. "You see the way he reacts. He lights up, his entire body feels joy (Source)."

Greyson's mother, Chrissy Kelly, has a blog called Life With Greyson + Parker, in which she chronicles her families journey with autism. In an entry on her blog called, people are good, Chrissy Kelly wrote a letter to Frank Diaz thanking him for showing special attention to her son Greyson and letting him sit in his truck. The article went viral and was viewed by over 10,000 people in the first few days. Here is the closing paragraph of the letter Chrissy Kelly wrote:

Sometimes I worry-How will the world treat my boys? And today was a beautiful reminder that people are good-all because of you, Frank. I saw the way your face lit up with joy that my son put there and I was so proud and so honored and so humbled to be a part of such a magical moment. Sometimes I hear phrases like People are so stupid, or crazy or mean. To them I say - No they aren't. You haven't met Frank (Source).

Here is a video of the news story by KSEE 24 in Fresno about Frank Diaz making a difference in the life of Greyson Kelly and his family.

we are fresno

view on site

Special thanks to Frank Diaz for being an Autism Light. His gift of inspiration to the Kelly family shows us that someone can become an Autism Light when they least expect it, and even in the midst of doing one's daily job.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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Cynthia Joyner

Autism Light #292 is Cynthia Joyner.

Cynthia Wild Joyner is from Chattanooga, Tennessee. She has a teenage son named Matthew who has autism. Cynthia Joyner was born on December 4, 1981, and died on July 20, 2013, as a result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Cynthia is survived by her husband Ricardo Joyner and two children, Matthew and Traci. Cynthia Joyner is an Autism Light both for her dedication as an autism mother and for the countless hours she volunteered with the Chattanooga Autism Center. Cynthia Joyner will be added today to the Autism Light Memorial Roll.

Here is a video of the news story on Cynthia Joyner's death.


Cynthia Joyner's obituary stated, "She was a fearless advocate for her son, Matthew, who has autism and volunteered countless hours of service to the Chattanooga Autism Center (Source)."

Chattanooga Autism Center: Cynthia Joyner was the 2013 Volunteer of the Year for the Chattanooga Autism Center. She was a tremendous asset to the work of this leading autism organization in Chattanooga, Tenneessee. Here are some of her contributions to the Chattanooga Autism Center according to an article by Yolanda Putman for the TimesFreePress.

• She was the coordinator for a fundraiser at Honest Pint in 2012 that raised $10,000.
• She worked with movie theaters to increase autism friendly showings.
• She fostered relationships with law enforcement to educate them about autism and facilitated some children with autism meeting officers (Source).

According to Alyce Benson, a clinical social worker who sees clients at the Chattanooga Autism Center, Cynthia Joyner's mission, "was to educate people about autism and to change attitudes from being judgmental toward autistic children and their parents to being more understanding (Source)."

Cynthia Joyner played an important role in caring for her teenage son Matthew who has autism and her death creates a critical need in the family. The Chattanooga Autism Center has committed $6,000 to help Cynthia Joyner's family with expenses. If you wish to make a donation for this need, make checks out to Ricardo Joyner, c/o Chatttanooga Autism Center, 1400 McCallie Ave. Suite 100, Chattanooga, TN 37404.

Funeral Arrangements: Cynthia Joyner's funeral will be at noon on July 26, 2013, at the Greater Sweet Branch Baptist Church in Olar, South Carolina. A memorial service in the Chattanooga area will be set at a later date.

The loss of Cynthia Joyner will be felt deeply by both her family and the Chattanooga Autism Center. Our thoughts and prayers for strength and comfort are extended to Cynthia's family, including her autistic son Matthew. May the example that Cynthia Joyner set in her life as a volunteer inspire others to step up to support autism organizations. The spirit of volunteerism is so critical in helping autism organizations accomplish their work.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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Ethan Fowlks

Autism Light #291 is Ethan Fowlks. 

Ethan Fowlks is a 6th grader with autism from Salt Lake City, Utah, who is a member of the Salt Lake Sidewinders' Under 12 Baseball team. Ethan Fowlks is an Autism Light because he is a very talented baseball player and is impacting the way people around him think of autism.

The Salt Lake Sidewinders' under 12 team were playing in a championship game in Cooperstown, New York on July 11, 2013. With his team trailing 2-0 in the 9th inning of the game against the Tallahassee, Florida Heat, Ethan Fowlks stepped up to bat and he hit a 3 run walk off home run to win the game for the Sidewinders. Thanks to Ethan's home run "the Sidewinders became the first Utah team to win a championship game at the Cooperstown Dreams Park in Cooperstown, New York, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame (Source)."

Here is a video of the news story that Jeremiah Jensen did on Ethan Fowlks' accomplishment in this championship baseball game.

Ethan described his walk off home run as "Probably one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. Having to make history to make Utah proud (Source)."

Guy Fowlks said about his son's baseball talent, "When I started throwing pitches to him, his ability to track and hit the ball was extraordinary. It was impressive. The baseball field became the one place where he was more normal. Put him on the field and let him play the game, that's where he wants to be. It's his world (Source)."

Rob Jeppsen, Ethan's coach, said, "Baseball has been a big enabler for Ethan. He's remarkable. He plays ball, has a good time and sits in the dugout with his friends (Source)."

Special thanks to Ethan Fowlks for being an Autism Light. His talent as a baseball player is an inspiration to others with autism who are wanting to be involved in competitive sports.  Read the Autism Light Sports page to read more about other sports players with autism.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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James Gandolfini

Autism Light #290 is James Gandolfini.

James Gandolfini, Jr. was a popular actor who was best known for his starring role as the mobster Tony Soprano in The Sopranos. Gandolfi was born in Westwood, New Jersey on September 18, 1961. James Gandolfini had homes in Los Angeles, California and Manhattan, New York, and his hometown was Park Ridge, New Jersey. James Gandolfini died on June 19, 2013 from a heart attack while in Rome, Italy. James Gandolfini is an Autism Light because his friendship and generosity to autism fathers extended to leaving $50,000 in his will to his college friend Doug Katz who has an autistic son named Andrew (Source). James Gandolfini will be added today to the Autism Light Memorial Roll.

Acting Career/Awards: James Gandolfini is best known for playing Tony Soprano in the HBO TV series The Sopranos which debuted in 1999 and ran through 2007. Gandolfini's exceptional career as an actor included winning three Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Golden Globes for Best Actor-Drama Series (Source). You can read more about James Gandolfini's complete career at his page at Biography.com or at IMDb. 

Here is a news story on Hollywood's reactions to James Gandolfini's Death. 

Friend of Autism Father Doug Katz: Doug Katz, a college roommate of James Gandolfini, has a 12 year old son named Andrew who has autism. Over the years James Gandolfini helped Doug Katz with some special expenses related to his autistic son, and at Gandolfini's untimely death his will included a gift of $50,000 for Doug Katz (Source).

Julie Marsh and Lorena Mongeli of the New York Post talked to Doug Katz about how much James Gandolfini had helped out through the years with their family's autism expenses. Doug Katz said this about James Gandolfini:

He got him nutritional supplements, anything Andrew needed to help him lead a better life. Jim sponsored gymnastics for my son. He always said, 'How can we help? How can we make it better?' And none of it was lip service. I'd rather have Jim alive than his money. You could never meet a nicer guy in the world. He was the glue that kept us together (Source).

Friend of Autism Father John Travolta: James Gandolfini was good friends with the actor John Travolta. John Travolta's son Jett Travolta had autism (Source). After Jett Travolta tragically died in 2009 at age 16, James Gandolfini stayed with his friend John Travolta for a week to make sure he would be okay.

Here is a video of John Travolta describing how much James Gandolfini's friendship meant to him.


Wikipedia: You can read more information about James Gandolfini on his Wikipedia page.

Special thanks to James Gandolfini for being an Autism Light and having a deep friendship with autism fathers Doug Katz and John Travolta. We mourn the loss of this generous friend who understood how financially and emotionally challenging autism can be. James Gandolfini made a real difference in two autism families, whether it was being present with John Travolta after the loss of his son or providing financial assistance to Doug Katz with his autism family expenses.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

The photo of James Gandolfini is attributed to Isabelle Vautier and is in the Creative Commons of Wikipedia.

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Garrett Giauque

Autism Light #289 is Garrett Giauque.

Garrett Giauque is a 13 year old boy with autism from Salt Lake City, Utah.  An amazing talent for drawing has surfaced in Garrett. Garrett Giauque is an Autism Light for the way his talent at drawing is serving as an inspiration to the autism community.

The following is a news story on Garrett's wonderful talent in drawing done by Peter Rosen of KSL.com-Utah.


In Garrett's Words: When asked to describe himself in the above news story, Garrett said, "Well Garrett's a different man and Garrett's a surviving guy, surviving autistic kid. Trying to survive this life and world (Source)."

Mormon Faith and Autism: In August, 2011, Garrett's mother April, who also has two other children with autism, wrote an article called, "Garrett Was God's Child First" which appeared in the Ensign, a publication of the Mormon Church. The article is very helpful in showing how faith, in this case Garrett's mother's Mormon faith, gives a perspective on autism. April Giauque writes in the article about what she has learned from Garrett:

What I have learned from Garrett and our other children who fall within the autism spectrum is that they are children first and people with autism second. I imagine that it is much the same way that our Heavenly Father sees all of us: we are His children first, and we have trials and experiences second. Our children want love, attention, help, success, and praise. They want their pain to be eased, and they want to feel hope. They enjoy life differently than many people do, yet their needs and wants are similar to those of most everyone  (Source)."

Autism Contributes to Garrett's Artistic Ability: Garrett's mother, April said, "The ability that autism has given him in the sense of how to focus, how to look at detail, how to create things. That is going to be his gift back to the world."

Future Plans: While 13 is young to have one's future planned out, Garrett's mother foresees that he might have a career someday working in a museum and drawing animals (Source).

Special thanks to Garrett Giauque for being an Autism Light. We look forward to hearing amazing things about how his talent develops in the future. For more information on artists with autism visit the Autism Light Art page.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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Ruby Tingum

Autism Light #288 is Ruby Tingum.

Ruby Tingum is a Golden Retriever who lives with Bruce and Caroline Tingum's family in Encinitas, California (part of San Diego County). She is an autism service dog who is very gentle around children and received her training from Tender Loving Canines Assistance Dogs, Inc. Ruby's role is to protect Garrett Tingum, a 10 year old boy with severe autism. Ruby Tingum is an Autism Light for the help she provides to the Tingum family and Garrett Tingum as he navigates through life.

In addition to autism, Garrett Tingum has mild cerebral palsy, apraxia (motor planning disorder), and pica (eats non-edible items). Garrett's most dangerous behavior is his tendency to escape his home and run into the street or go into people's homes. Ruby has been especially trained to find Garrett when he goes missing. Here is a video on Ruby's story of comforting the Tingum family.

  

Caroline Tingum described Ruby and Garrett's friendship in the above video, "Garrett has a friend. He's never had a real friend before. You know you don't think of children with autism as being lonely just because they can't express it. Ruby has filled that void I think."

Special thanks to Ruby and all the talented and loving dogs who are making a difference around the world for autism. If you liked this post you may like to read about other Autism Lights with the label "Animal". Ruby Tingum has also been featured on our Golden Light blog as Golden Light #8.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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Watson Dollar

Autism Light #287 is Watson Dollar. 

Watson Dollar is a 20 year old man with autism from Magee, Mississippi in the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area. After two decades of silence, Watson has amazingly started to communicate with the use of his iPad. Watson Dollar is an Autism Light for demonstrating to the world that communication can surface even later on in the life of someone with autism.

Watson Dollar's last word was uttered in 1993, when he said "Lights" before having surgery on his ears. He was diagnosed with autism on May 17, 1993. Through the years Watson remained silent although he was given speech therapy to try and help him communicate. His mother Pam Dollar said in the video included in this post, "Never give up, because that big breakthrough can come when you least expect it. Watson was 20 years old when this big breakthrough came for him. And at that point we just assumed we probably were where we were going to be."

On November 11, 2011, Watson Dollar miraculously communicated his first words in two decades through his iPad in a conversation with his mother. The words he typed was part of a discussion about not using his mother's glass because she was sick. He then typed the words, "I love you, Mom. Very much (Source)."

Emily Le Coz of The (Jackson, Mississippi) Clarion Ledger wrote a news story on Watson Dollar's communication. In the video below Emily Le Coz explains that now that Watson can communicate he has goals to develop friends, erase false stereotypes about autism, and to find a job.

 
When the news broke recently of Watson Dollar's breakthrough, it served as a bright light to the autism community. Watson Dollar is a living example that has given many parents of older children precious hope that they can hold on to.

Special thanks to Watson Dollar for being an Autism Light. We look forward to hearing more from Watson as his communication serves as an inspiration and window into the world of one who has autism.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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Spencer Timme

Autism Light #286 is Spencer Timme.

Spencer Timme is 20 years old and was born in San Diego, California. He currently lives in Norfolk, Virginia where he attends James Madison University. Spencer's older brother Mitchel has autism. Spencer Timme is an Autism Light for the special relationship he has with his brother Mitchel who has autism.

The following is a video that Spencer Timme developed about "What it's like to have a Brother with Autism". The video has had over 122,000 views as of today and it was featured on the Most Watched Today Website. In the description of the video, Spencer Timme wrote, "A short video I made about what is like to have an older brother with autism. I hope you enjoy it and see how blessed I am to have Mitchel as my brother. I love him to death and I want everyone to see how awesome our bond is!"

In the above video, Spencer Timme says about his brother Mitchel. "Our relationship is special. Not one person understands him the way I do. Our bond is strong. He is the most important person to me. I'll always protect him. He is my brother."
Student: Spencer Timme is a student at James Madison University in Norfolk, Virginia. He is a majoring in International Marketing/Business Spanish and is scheduled to graduate in 2014.  While in school he is working as a Product Tester for Nike and he is serving as a Marketing Intern at Hampton Roads Piranhas.
Advice to Other Autism Siblings: Spencer Timme provided this advice via Autism Light to pass on to other autism siblings about improving their relationship with their autistic brother or sister.  

Some advice I have is for the siblings to have patience with their autistic sibling. I can tell right away when my brother feels any sort of anxiety and I try my best to never rush him with anything and let him do things at his pace. Another huge bit of advice is just to make your presence known around your sibling. Not in an authoritative way but for instance if he or she is watching TV, just hang out in the same room with them. Even though sometimes it isn't acknowledged, they know you're there. My brother and I are very comfortable around each other and I think that comes with time of just being around each other even though sometimes we are just silently doing our own activities. 

You can follow Spencer Timme on the following social media areas.

• Facebook Page
• LinkedIn
• Twitter @TheYoungGooner_
• YouTube Channel

Special thanks to Spencer Timme for being an Autism Light and giving the autism community a glimpse at his relationship with his brother. We look forward to hearing amazing things in the future about Spencer and Mitchel. If you wish to email Spencer Timme and share your autism stories you can contact him at timmesc@dukes.jmu.edu.

If you enjoyed this post you may wish to read about the other Autism Lights with the label Siblings. These people share the special perspective in their story of having a sibling with autism.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

The photo in this post was used with permission of Spencer Timme.

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Iris Halmshaw

Autism Light #285 is Iris Halmshaw.

Iris Grace Halmshaw is a 3 year old from Market Horborough, England who is nonverbal and has autism. Iris also is an artist who creates awe-inspiring paintings. Iris Halmshaw is an Autism Light for giving to the world her gift of art and for demonstrating the exceptional artistic talent that some people with autism have.

Here is a MSN news story on Iris Halmshaw and her painting.



Peter-Jon Halmshaw, Iris' father, told the Leceister Mercury that "When she started doing art therapy we thought it was amazing, but we're her parents so we think everything she does is amazing. But lots of other people started saying it was great. It went beserk from there (Source)."

Arabella Carter-Johnson, Iris' mother, said, "Her autism has created a style of painting which I have never seen in a child of her age. She has an understanding of colours and how they interact with each other (Source)."

The National Autistic Society shared this tweet describing the work of 3 year old Iris Halmshaw.

Her work evokes the likes of Monet and Jackson Pollock. Iris Halmshaw (3) continues to amaze with her #artistic skill http://t.co/mcoi52GUD5
— Nat Autistic Society (@Autism) July 4, 2013

Some of the prints of her paintings have sold for several hundred dollars and are available to the public through her website at irisgracepainting.com. Iris Halmshaw's family is planning an art show in the future where they will sell originals of some of her paintings to raise funds for her ongoing autism therapy.

Social Media: You can follow the growth of Iris Halmshaw and her artwork on the following social media areas.

• Facebook - Iris Grace Painting
• Twitter @IrisPainting
• YouTube Channel of Arabella Carter-Johnson (Iris' Mother)

Special thanks to Iris Halmshaw for being an Autism Light. Your artwork is an inspiration the autism community and those that appreciate art. We look forward to hearing more exciting things about Iris and her artwork in the future. For more information on artists with autism visit the Autism Light Art page.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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Harrison Teuber

Autism Light #284 is Harrison Teuber.

Harrison Teuber is a 15 years old young man from Northern Illinois who has autism. As part of his vocational training he created a free grocery service for families with special needs children in the Winnetka and Northfield, Illinois areas located in northern Cook County, Illinois. Harrison Teuber is an Autism Light for providing a practical service that helps special needs families in his community.

Here is a news video on Harrison Teuber's service by Chris Walker of the Chicago Tribune.


Autism blogs like Joy's Autism Blog, Autism Epicenter, and Autism from a Father's Point of View have shared the challenges of taking some children with autism to the grocery store. Harrison Teuber is filling an important need for special needs families to be able to obtain their groceries and avoid the noise and struggles of navigating the supermarket with children that are unable to handle the experience.

Special thanks to Harrison Teuber for being an Autism Light.  Perhaps his vocational training program will spawn ideas that can be tried in other communities across the country and world. 
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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Enrico Micheli

Autism Light #283 is Enrico Micheli.

Enrico Micheli was a prominent autism expert in Italy. He died in a mountaineering accident on July 3, 2008 at the age of 58. Enrico Micheli is an Autism Light for the difference he made to advocate and provide intervention for autism in Italy. Enrico Micheli will be added today to the Autism Light Memorial Roll.

Information on Enrico Micheli along with a photo of him can be found on page 112 of Adam Feinstein's book A History of Autism: Conversations with the Pioneers (Source).

Adam Feinstein wrote an obituary on Enrico Micheli after his untimely death that appeared in Volume 4, Number 12 2008/2009 in the Looking Up (The Monthly International Autism Newsletter) and he has given permission for it be reprinted here. It is very helpful in giving a picture of the tremendous influence Enrico Micheli had on autism in Italy.

ONE OF Italy’s leading autism experts, Enrico Micheli, has died in a tragic mountaineering accident at the age of 58, leaving friends, family and colleagues stunned with shock. He was killed on July 3, 2008. 

Micheli, who had been working with autistic individuals since 1970, was one of the first people in Italy to insist that autism was organic in aetiology and to introduce TEACCH into Italy. 

From 1983 to 2000, he was based at the San Paolo-Università in Milan, where his approach was primarily cognitive-behavioural. 

He was a founder of the Committee for Correct Information on Autism and he took part with parents in Lombardy in the movement for the regional autism project. He was also on the board of the Osservatorio Regionale Autismo (Regional Autism Observatory). 

Together with his colleagues in Milan, and with his wife,  Cesarina Xaiz, from whom he was inseparable, Micheli  drew up a model of assessment and intervention for individuals with special needs, which was presented to Division TEACCH in North Carolina in 1998. 

Among his books was Gioco e interazione sociale nell’autismo (Play and Social Interaction in Autism), which introduced many ideas to help the development of interaction in autistic children. 

His last work, editorially speaking, was Verso l'autonomia (Towards Autonomy),  a kind of manual aimed at children, adolescents and adults with disabilities which prevent them from actively understanding the world and the rules which govern it - especially individuals with autism and mental retardation. 

For Micheli, the role of families was crucial. He believed they must play a concrete and active role in the education of their children. 

Moreover, Micheli was a great believer in the role of the school, which he felt could represent a place of learning and development, provided that the teachers were properly trained. 

A charismatic and indefatigable figure, Micheli saw autism as a challenge which drove him all over the world in search of anything that might prove useful to Italian children. 

A huge debt is owed to Micheli who brought  a behavioural model back from the United States to Italy, where for decades there was tremendous ignorance about autism. His work led to a debate about the anachronistic psychodynamic training which was still the norm in Italy at that time - and which blamed the parents for their child’s autism - and many of his colleagues followed him down the correct path. 

Micheli’s life was characterised by his struggle against a health system which was not always open to his innovations. Despite the difficulties he encountered, he never once lost hope that he could knock down the wall of preconceptions behind which his adored autistic children were living. 

Micheli  declared in an interview in 2005: “Sincerely, I believe that we have taken important steps forward, especially in terms of living conditions and in the ability ... to deal with the problems facing families - parents and siblings alike. Today, parents discover their child’s problems earlier, they find out that he or she has developmental difficulties on the autistic spectrum earlier and so they know what to do to help the child. And they also discover earlier that there’s a chance they won’t  be alone with their problems. And that’s no small thing.” 

He always emphasised the importance of his encounter with English and American writings on autism. “I’ve had the great good luck to begin working directly with the children and to study psychology and psychiatry while I was working with them. My encounter with English and American literature on autism, and with the psychology of behaviour and development,  which I learned directly from teachers like Elizabeth Newson, Eric Schopler and Gerry Patterson ... all this changed the way of thinking about autism, developmental disorders and child psychiatry in our country. 

“What I learned I put into books, articles and above all in the training of colleagues, teachers, parents and work with hundreds of children and families. I am proud of my ability to build my knowledge of a child not only on tests or conversations but also on the interchange with dads and mums, and to be able to explain the nature of the child’s difficulties and the possibilities of improvement in a way that the parents can understand. 

“Knowledge is the first step on the path to health and well-being.” 

(Obituary Written By Adam Feinstein, Source).

Publications: Enrico Micheli authored some important autism articles for the International Journal of Mental Health that can still be read online today.

• A Training Guide For Parents of Autistic Children [International Journal of Mental Health, Vol. 28, No. 3, Fall, 1999, pp. 100-105].
• Dealing with the Reality of Autism: A Psychoeducational Program in Milan, Italy [International Journal of Mental Health, Vol. 29, No. 1, Spring, 2000, pp. 50-71.]

Enrico Micheli's autism work had a tremendous influence on the autism community in Italy.  It is fitting that he is the first Autism Light from Italy. May his dedication and diligence to the cause of autism in Italy be an example to those left behind.

Special thanks to Adam Feinstein for his historical information on Enrico Micheli's autism work that was essential to helping this Autism Light post be as detailed as possible on this Autism Hero in Italy.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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Autumn Moser

Autism Light #282 is Autumn Moser.

Autumn Moser is a 9 year old Golden Retriever from Ellsworth, Wisconsin. She is owned by Jason and Melissa Moser. In July, 2012, when Autumn was 8 years old, she was instrumental in finding a missing boy named Scotty (Scott) who has autism. Autumn Moser is an Autism Light because she was able to find a missing boy with autism even though she had no special search and rescue training. Autumn is the third Golden Retriever to be featured at Autism Light. Others included Jim and Nuala Gardner of Scotland who had a Golden Retriever named Henry and Sophie Perlzwig, a Golden Retriever in New York.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, July 3, 2012, a little boy named Scott Meyer went missing from his Pierce County, Minnesota home. Scott Meyer was 5 years old at that time and is nonverbal because of his autism. The community searched for 20 hours to find the boy and were concerned because of the hot weather at the time. Jason Moser had his Golden Retriever Autumn come with him as he searched for Scott. At about 8am on July 4, 2012, Autumn led his owner Jason to an area hidden under a tree near a small slope where they found Scott Meyer about a half a mile from his home but near a dangerous body of water (Source).

The following is a news story on the rescue of Scott Meyer by Autumn and her owner Jason Moser.

The Two Little Cavaliers blog praised Autumn's efforts in this way.

After 20 hours of the community searching for the lost little boy it was an 8 year old Golden Retriever with no special search and rescue or other service dog training that eventually helped to find the little boy. A dog that was almost left home because of the heat and no special training. Jason Moser who is Autumn the Golden Retriever’s owner said he decided to bring her in the end because she loves kids and loves giving them kisses (Source).  

Read more information on Autumn finding Scott Meyer at the following blogs and news websites.

• Two Little Cavaliers Blog
• The Daily Golden Blog
• The Star Tribune
• The Huffington Post

Special thanks to Autumn and all the talented and loving dogs who are making a difference around the world for autism. If you liked this post you may like to read about other Autism Lights with the label "Animal".

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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Arthur Fleischmann

Autism Light #281 is Arthur Fleischmann.

In honor of Father's Day 2013, we wanted to honor a very special autism father who is the co-author of the book Carly's Voice, which tells the inspirational story of his nonverbal daughter.  Arthur Fleischmann is partner and president of john st advertising and lives in Toronto, Canada with his wife Tammy Starr and their children Matthew, Taryn, and Carly. His daughter, Carly Fleischmann, was the first Autism Light and the inspiration for the start of the Autism Light blog. Arthur Fleischmann is an Autism Light because of his dedication as an autism father, and his autism advocacy through speaking and writing about Carly's breakthrough in communication.

Education: Arthur Fleischmann received his B.A. in English Literature and Economics from Brandeis University. He earned an M.B.A. from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University (Source).

The following is a video where Arthur Fleischmann explains about Telling Carly's Story.


Carly's Voice: Arthur Fleishchmann co-authored the book Carly's Voice. Carly wrote the last chapter of the book and Arthur wrote the rest of the manuscript. It was published in April, 2012. Carly's Voice has been translated into 6 languages and may be ordered from Simon & Schuster and you can read excerpts at Carly's website at http://www.carlysvoice.com/.

Arthur Fleischmann said about his journey in the early years as an autism father: "If we had done what so many people told us to do years ago, we wouldn't have the child we have today. We would have written her off. We would have assumed the worst. We would have never seen how she could write these things —how articulate she is, how intelligent she is (Source)."

John st. advertising: Arthur Fleischmann is president and partner with the john st. advertising firm, a top advertising agency in Toronto, Canada. His staff page at john st. says:

His career included stints in sales (Xerox) and marketing (Kraft/General Foods), before deciding on a life in advertising. In starting john st. in 2001, his goal was to create a “creative collaborative” without the silos or bureaucracy or territorialism he’d seen in his previous lives. He believes creativity is a powerful business tool and has led his team to win more advertising effectiveness awards than any other agency in the last decade (Source).

Lavin Agency Speaker's Bureau: Arthur Fleischmann is a speaker through the Lavin Agency Speaker's Bureau. You can read his speaker's page at the Lavin Agency.

Autism Live: The following is a video where Arthur Fleischmann was featured on the "Let's Talk Autism" segment of Autism Live on June 20, 2012.


Social Media: You can follow Arthur Fleischmann on the following social media areas.

• Facebook
• Twitter @torontoadguy
• LinkedIn

Special thanks to Arthur Fleischmann for being an autism light. His dedication to his daughter Carly and to telling her story is promoting autism awareness around the world. Happy Father's Day to all the autism fathers working hard to make the best possible life for their children. If you wish to read about other autism fathers featured over the years at Autism Light search with the label Fathers.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

The photo in this post is used with permission of Arthur Fleischmann.

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Rebecca Mullican

Autism Light #280 is Dr. Rebecca Mullican.



Dr. Rebecca Mullican

Dr. Rebecca Mullican is a professor in Special Education, and a professional presenter and researcher on the subject of autism.  Dr. Mullican resides in the greater Jackson, Mississippi area with her husband Bryce. In 2012 she founded the Jackson Autism Center in Jackson, Mississippi. Dr. Rebecca Mullican is an Autism Light because of the impact her diverse autism work is having to improve the lives of those with autism and to inspire and teach those who will one day work with those with autism.

Education: Dr. Rebecca Mullican earned her PhD. in Special Education from the University of Southern Mississippi. She wrote her dissertation on the subject of "Family Experiences and Children with Autism who use Speech Generating Devices."

Philosophy: Dr. Rebecca Mullican's approach to the education of those with autism is that "there is no one treatment or therapy method that works for all individuals on the autism spectrum. As a professional in the field of autism, it is important to be exposed to many therapies and treatments so that you can make an informed decision regarding each child or individual you work with. What works for one may not work for another (Source: Email from Rebecca Mulllican to Autism Light on 5/30/2013)."

Professor: Since the Fall of 2012, Rebecca Mullican has served as a Visiting Professor in Special Education at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Jackson Autism Center: Dr. Rebecca Mullican founded the Jackson Autism Center in 2012. It was a transition that brought her full circle from teaching to operating an intervention center. The Jackson Autism Center says, "Dr. Rebecca Mullican has a passion for providing intervention services to children with disabilities. Rebecca left the classroom and founded Jackson Autism Center to make a greater impact for kids with disabilities, families, and the community. She believes that each child needs a program built around how he or she learns; there is not a one-size-fits-all (Source)."

The following news story features Dr. Rebecca Mullican sharing about her work at the Jackson Autism Center on Autism Awareness Month.



For more information on the Jackson Autism Center visit their website at www.jacksonautismcenter.com.

Diverse Methods:  Dr. Rebecca Mullican has been trained in diverse approaches to autism treatment. "Her trainings range from ABA and verbal behavior to SCERTS, social stories, augmentative and alternative communication, and LAMP. She also has years of experience with behavior challenges and positive behavior support (Source)."

Conference Speaker: Dr. Rebecca Mullican has been a presenter at several autism or disability related national conferences. The conferences she has spoken at includes the ATIA (Assistive Technology Industry Association), TASH, and Autism Society of America.  

Publications: An article by Dr. Rebecca Mullican called "Building Communication Skills Through Speech Generating Devices" appeared on pages 6-7 of the June/July, 2013 issue of The Autism Notebook - South Florida.

Hobbies: Dr. Rebecca Mullican enjoys movies, traveling, photography, scrapbooking, and spending time with family when she has time. She also has a dog named Samson and a cat named Toby (Source).

Social Media: You can follow the work of Dr. Rebecca Mullican at the Jackson Autism Center on the following social media areas.

• Facebook - Jackson Autism Center
• Twitter @JacksonAutism

Special thanks to Dr. Rebecca Mullican for making a difference for autism in both her national influence as well as her day to day work at the Jackson Autism Center in Mississippi. The autism community in Mississippi is fortunate that Dr. Rebecca Mullican is shining her light for autism. You may find out more about Dr. Rebecca Mullican by reading her online resume. This post will be linked today on the Mississippi Lights post at Autism Light. You can find out more in that post on all the Autism Lights from the state of Mississippi.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

The photo in this post was used with permission of Dr. Rebecca Mullican.



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Wikipedia

Autism Lights on Wikipedia

The following Autism Lights have their own Wikipedia pages that you can visit and interact with. Simply click through the link to get to their page on Wikipedia. It would great to have a Wikipedia like website for all people connected to the autism story. Click on this link for a post on that dream.

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A
Allstate
David Amaral
Applied Behavior Analysis (Spotlight)
Edward Asner
Hans Asperger

B
Boston Red Sox
Dan Burton
George W. Bush

C
Jim Calhoun
Brian Calley
Will Clark
Gary Cole
Colgate Women's Ice Hockey

D
Byron Dafoe

E
Ernie Els
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

F
Doug Flutie
Jeff Francoeur

G
James Gandolfini
Michael Gibbons
Eddie Guardado

H
Tommy Hilfiger
James Hobley
HP

I
iPad

K
Olaf Kolzig


M
Bernard Marcus
Dan Marino
Roy McDonald
Jason McElwain
Robert Menendez


N
Lloyd Nolan

P
Jim Palmer
Derek Paravicini
Clara Clairborne Park
Holly Robinson Peete
Rodney Peete
Philadelphia 76ers
Alex Plank
Jim Price

R
Dave Rice
Bernard Rimland

S
Teddi Siddall
Chris Smith
Sylvester Stallone
Darryl Strawberry

T
Robbin Thompson
Toys "R" Us

W
Reggie Walton
Richard Wawro
White Castle
Stephen Wiltshire
Kate Winslet
Bob Wright

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Chris Smith

Autism Light #279 is Chris Smith.

The Honorable Chris Smith serves as a member of the United Sates House of Representatives, representing the 4th District in the state of New Jersey. He has served in the House of Representatives since 1981. Chris Smith was born in 1953 and resides in Hamilton, New Jersey. Rep. Smith's passion to help those with autism has been evident through his long and consistent record of advocacy and leadership on behalf of autism friendly legislation. Rep. Chris Smith is an Autism Light because his political leadership has been a light for the cause of autism.

Here is an interview that Chris Smith did in 2012 with WZBN about his autism work and his concern for the cause.


Family: Chris Smith is married to Marie Smith. They have four grown children.

Initial Advocacy: The beginning of Rep. Chris Smith's work in autism can be traced back to 1998, when he was contacted by  autism parents Bobby and Billie Gallagher of Brick, New Jersey, who had concerns about the number of families with autism in their community. Because of this constituent concern, Smith asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to research the prevalence of autism in New Jersey. While New Jersey has one of the highest rates of autism in the United States, there is evidence now that virtually all communities across the country without prejudice have been impacted by autism.

Autism Legislation: Chris Smith has a long record of support for autism legislation. "Smith’s landmark legislation enacted in 2000—the Autism Statistics, Surveillance, Research and Epidemiology Act (Title I, P.L. 106-310) created the first comprehensive federal program to combat autism. In 2011, another piece of legislation he authored, The Combating Autism Reauthorization Act (CARA),” now Public Law 112-32, was enacted and will provide $693 million to continue federal programs through 2014 (Source)." There is a section of Chris Smith's website that that is dedicated to highlighting all of his autism achievements.

House Autism Caucus: In 2001, Rep. Chris Smith and Rep. Mike Doyle (Pennsylvania's 14th District) founded the House Autism Caucus and they serve as co-chairs of the caucus (Source).  There are currently 133 members of the House of Representatives who are part of the Autism Caucus.

Congressional Autism Hero: Chris Smith received the "Congressional Autism Hero" Award in April, 2013 from Autism Speaks.  Smith said about the award, "We must seek ways for early diagnosis, effective treatment and even hope for a cure someday. There is so much more work to do, but I am especially honored to receive this recognition during National Autism Month (Source).”

Here is a video of Congressman Chris Smith addressing Autism New Jersey's 29th Annual Conference in 2012. In it he discusses the past victories and future goals that he shares for the autism effort.


Other Legislation: Other caucuses besides Autism that Chris Smith has chaired which reveal his social concern include: Pro-life, Alzheimer's, Lyme Disease, Spina Bifda, Human Trafficking, Refugees, and Combating Anti-Semitism. According to the independent watchdog organization Govtrack, Chris Smith is ranked 2nd among U.S. House Members for the amount of legislation that he authored over the last two decades that has made it through the political process to become law.

Wikipedia: You can read more about Chris Smith on his Wikipedia Page.

Social Media: You can follow Chris Smith at the following social media areas.

• Twitter
• YouTube
• Facebook

Special thanks to Rep. Chris Smith for his years of advocacy for autism in the United States Congress. Autism legislation surely wouldn't have passed without the help of heroes like Chris Smith working so hard to break through the political differences in Washington for the cause of autism.

Note: If you liked this post you may wish to read about Sen. Robert Menendez who was Autism Light #54. He is another New Jersey Politician, who has a passion for autism advocacy.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

The photo of Chris Smith is in the Public Domain.

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