Alabama Lights

The State of Alabama is the home currently to 3 Autism Lights. They include a teacher, a sibling of someone with autism, and an individual with autism.

Alabama Autism Lights

Teacher:

1. Scott Parks is a special education teacher at Spanish Fort High School in Baldwin County, Alabama.

Individuals with Autism:

1. Ethan is a 6 year old boy with autism who survived being kidnapped for a week in 2013 in Midland City, Alabama.

Sibling:

1. Michael Gibbons is a prize fighter from Birmingham, Alabama whose brother has autism.

You may reach all these posts by searching the blog through the "Alabama" Label.

Alabama Autism Events

Please notify Autism Light if you have events in Alabama you want us to list.

Alabama Advocacy

Autism Votes has an excellent website on Alabama Autism Advocacy Resources.

Alabama Resources

Autism Speaks has started a website page for Alabama Autism Resources, which is currently in need of further information.

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The map of Alabama is from the Wikipedia Commons.

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Mississippi Lights

The State of Mississippi is the home currently to 5 Autism Lights. They include two professionals, two who have autism, including the first person ever diagnosed with autism, and a high school club.

Misissippi Autism Lights

Professionals:

1. Dr. Rebecca Mullican is the founder of the Jackson Autism Center and lives in the Jackson, Mississippi area.
2. Dr. Mark Yeager is known as the "Father of the Mississippi Autism Movement". He lives and practices in Smith County, Mississippi.

Individuals with Autism:

1. Watson Dollar learned to communicate through an iPad after decades of silence. He is from the Jackson, Mississippi area. 
2. Donald Triplett is the first person to be diagnosed with autism. He turns 80 this year and lives in Forest, Mississippi.

Other:

1. Hernando High School Interact Club has led two annual community observances for the "Light It Up Blue" Campaign for Autism Awareness. They are located in the city of Hernando in DeSota County, Mississippi. 

You may reach all these posts by searching the blog through the "Mississippi" Label.

Mississippi Autism Events

Please notify Autism Light if you have events in Mississippi you want us to list.

Mississippi Advocacy

Autism Votes has an excellent website on Mississippi Autism Advocacy Resources.

Mississippi Resources

Autism Speaks has started a website page for Mississippi Autism Resources, which is currently in need of further information.

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The map of Mississippi is from the Wikipedia Commons.

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Connecticut Lights

The State of Connecticut is the home currently to 10 Autism Lights. They include parents, grandparents, an uncle, educators, individuals with autism. Some of the country's most influential autism advocates call the state of Connecticut home. Several who died in the Sandy Brook Elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, 2012 are Autism Lights as well.

Connecticut Autism Lights

Individuals with Autism:

1. Josephine Grace Gay was a 7 year old with autism from Newtown, Connecticut who died in the school shooting there on December 14, 2012. 
2. Dylan Hockley was a 6 year old with autism from Newtown, Connecticut who died in the school shooting there on December 14, 2012. 
3. Eytan Nisizweig is a young adult who has autism and has a gift for art and music. He is from Riverside, Connecticut and his work can be purchased at EytanArt. 

Autism Parents

1. Darlene Boore is an autism mother from Manchester, Connecticut. She is the co-founder of All Seasons Community, a nonprofit autism organization in Connecticut. 
2. Gary James is an autism father who is from England but now lives in Connecticut. He is the founder of Apps for Children with Special Needs and has been instrumental in promoting the helpfulness of the iPad for autism families around the world. 
3. Susan Nisizweig is an autism mother who founded EytanArt to help share her son Eytan's ability to make the world a better place. She is from Riverside, Connecticut. 
4. Dan and Carey Tedesco are autism parents from Shelton, Connecticut. They along with Rob Tedesco founded the business HandHoldAdaptive to produce iPad Apps that would help people with autism communicate better.

Autism Grandparents

1. Bob and Suzanne Wright are from Fairfield, Connecticut. They founded Autism Speaks and are autism grandparents.
2. Jim Calhoun is now retired but he was the long time men's basketball coach for the University of Connecticut.  He lives in Connecticut and is an autism grandfather. 

Autism Uncle

1. Rob Tedesco is an autism uncle form Shelton, Connecticut. Along with Dan and Carey Tedesco he founded HandHoldAdaptive to produce iPad Apps that would help people with autism communicate better. 

Autism Teachers

1. Rachel D'Avino was an autism behavioral therapist in Newtown, Connecticut who died in the school shooting there on December 14, 2012. 
2. Anne Marie Murphy was the special education teacher in Newtown, Connecticut who died in the school shooting there on December 14, 2012. 

You may reach all these posts by searching the blog through the "Connecticut" Label.

Connecticut Autism Events

Please notify Autism Light if you have autism events in Connecticut you want us to list.

Connecticut Advocacy

Autism Votes has an excellent website on Connecticut Autism Advocacy Resources.

Connecticut Resources

Autism Speaks has an excellent website page of Connecticut Autism Resources.

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The map of Connecticut is from the Wikipedia Commons.

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Georgia Lights

The State of Georgia is the home currently to 5 Autism Lights. They include individuals with autism, an autism mother, a professional athlete, and businessman. The Georgia delegation at Autism Light are outstanding examples of the diversity of autism.

Georgia Autism Lights

Individuals with Autism:

1. Cortland Hale is from Snellville, Georgia. He has autism and is a former football player with Brookwood High School. He is listed on the Autism Light Sports page.
2. David Militello is a young singer who has autism from Georgia. He has been honorably nicknamed the "Little Michael Jackson".  He is listed on the Autism Light Music page and a YouTube video of his performance is included here.

Autism Parents:

1. Camille Proctor is an autism mother who founded The Color of Autism Foundation and is an autism advocate. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Other:

1. Jeff Francoeur is from Lilborn, Georgia. He plays Major League Baseball for the Kansas City Royals and was recognized for his great attitude toward a fan with autism.
2. Bernard Marcus is from Atlanta, Georgia. He is the co-founder of Home Depot and the benefactor for the Marcus Autism Center.

You may reach all these posts by searching the blog through the "Georgia" Label.

Georgia Autism Events

Please notify Autism Light if you have additional events in Georgia you want us to list.

 

Georgia Advocacy

Autism Votes has an excellent website on Georgia Autism Advocacy Resources.

Georgia Resources

Autism Speaks has an excellent website page of Georgia Autism Resources.

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The map of Georgia is in the Wikipedia Commons.

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Florida Lights

The State of Florida is the home of 15 Autism Lights. They include parents, individuals with autism, politicians, and athletes. People who live in Florida with autism are blessed that the state is the home to several foundations started by autism parents who live in Florida.

Florida Autism Lights

Individuals with Autism:

1. Joshua Banks is an artist who has autism. He lives in Jensen Beach, Florida.
2. Anita Lesko is a writer and anestheseologist who has Asperger's. She lives in Pensecola, Florida.
3. King Richard has autism and is from Pensecola, Florida.
4. Reid Soria is a musician who has autism from Ft. Walton Beach, Florida.

Autism Parents

1. Troy Blevins is an Autism Father from St. Augustine, Florida. He has raised awareness for autism through walking across the country.
2. Ernie and Liezl Els are Autism Parents and Ernie is a Professional Golfer. They have a home in Jupiter, Florida and founded the Els for Autism Foundation.
3. Jamie Grover is the Program Director for Autism on the Seas and he is an Autism Father. He is from Orlando, Florida.
4. Dan and Claire Marino are Autism Parents from Miami, Florida. They created the Dan Marino Foundation for autism.
5. Barry and Judith Nelson are Autism Parents from South Florida. They founded the Victory Center for Autism & Behavioral Challenges in North Miami Beach, Florida.
6. Jim Palmer is an Autism Father and Hall of Fame Baseball Player. He has a home in Palm Beach, Florida.
7. Luis Viera and Jorge Santeiro are Autism Fathers and founders of the Lawyers Autism Awareness Foundation. They are from Tampa Bay, Florida.

Politicians/Government

1. The Honorable Joan Lenard is a United States Judge on the United District Court for the Southern District Court of Florida who ordered that Medicaid in Florida should cover ABA treatment for autism.
2. Sen. Marco Rubio is a United States Senator representing Florida who has a record of being a champion for autism legislation.

Other

1. James King of Orlando, Florida is a volunteer rescuer who found missing Nadia Bloom on April 13, 2010.

Memorial Roll from Florida:

1. The late Herbert A. Kahn (1925-2005) helped found the Autism Society of America in 1965. He lived in Boynton Beach, Florida. His name is on the Autism Light Memorial Roll. 

You may reach all these posts by searching the blog through the "Florida" Label.

Florida Autism Events

Please notify Autism Light if you have additional events in Florida you want us to list.

Florida Advocacy

Autism Votes has an excellent website on Florida Autism Advocacy Resources.

Florida Resources

Autism Speaks has an excellent website page of Florida Autism Resources.

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The photo used in this post is the Florida Sunrise by Scott Meltzer.
The map of Florida is from the Wikipedia Commons.

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