Toys "R" Us

Autism Light #8 is Toys "R" Us.

Toys "R" Us (NYSE: TOY) is a corporation with headquarters in New Jersey.  They specialize in children's goods and are both Autism Speaks donors and distributors of autism friendly products.

Supporter:  Toys "R" Us generously raised over $3 million dollars during this year's campaign for the benefit of Autism Speaks. This is the continuation of a National Partnership with Autism Speaks that began in 2007.

The following is a video for the "Be a Hero" campaign that promoted the message that the real heroes of autism are benefactors and researchers and also those with autism, their family, teachers, and care providers.  It features the musical skills of Jodi, a girl with autism.

Autism Friendly Toys: One of the other ways Toys "R" Us help with autism is they publish a Differently-Abled Toy Guide that helps select toys that may be meaningful for children with autism. In addition, Toys "R" Us has obtained exclusive rights to sell the Keepon, a toy to help with autism therapy.  See this video on Keepon. 

Social Media: You can follow Toys "R" Us on the following social media. 

• Twitter
• Facebook

Special thanks to Toy "R" Us for being an Autism Light through their giving and autism friendly product designs. They are making a difference for autism year round. 

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

Read More

Parent Dish

Autism Light #7 is Parent Dish.

Parent Dish is a website resource for well, you guessed it, parents.  They are today's Autism Light because of an article they featured on April 23, 2010 called Celebrities and Other Famous Folks with Autism.  The article lists 58 profiles of famous people that you may or may not know have been associated with autism.  It is a very interesting read for those interested in autism awareness.  

Note: Parent Dish has become HuffPost Parents subsequent to this article being written. There new website is http://www.huffingtonpost.com/parents/.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

Read More

Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum

Autism Light #6 is Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum.

Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum is the Medical Director of the Fibromyalgia & Fatigue Centers, Inc. His office is located in Glen Burnie, Maryland.  Known for his adept use of natural cures, he is the author of several books, including From Fatigued to Fantastic. He also is the creator of the popular and free smartphone app called Cures A-Z (formerly Natural Cures).  We have designated Dr. Teitelbaum as an Autism Light because Autism is a category on his Natural Cures A-Z app and he has some helpful research related to autism.

Recently he has noted the remarkable research about a possible connection between Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Autism.  Dr. Teitelbaum writes that,

Autism can have many triggers and causes, and also has a genetic component. Current research suggests that it is related to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia as well as hyperactivity, sharing in the causes and underlying biochemical changes.

On the right is a YouTube video featuring Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum. We salute Dr. Teitelbaum for being an Autism Light. For more information about the work of Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum consult his website at www.endfatigue.com.

Social Media: You can follow the work of Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum on his Facebook page.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

Read More

Dr. Vince Carbone

Autism Light #5 is Dr. Vince Carbone.

 

Dr. Vince Carbone is a Board Certified Behavioral Analyst and has over 30 years of experience in the field of Autism and Applied Behavioral Analysis.  His Carbone Clinic is located in Valley Cottage, New York. 

Carbone Clinic:  The Carbone Clinic is a 7,500 square foot clinic located about 25 minutes from New York City.  According to their website, Dr. Clinic oversees the clinic's work in an environment which typically includes: 

• 10 instructors
• 2 classroom supervisors
• About 40 learners with autism or other disabilities

National Conferences:  Dr. Vince Carbone is a frequent presenter at conferences.  At one conference he said this noteworthy quote.  

Children on the autism spectrum are not learning disabled, they are teaching challenges. So, the question is not whether they can learn...the question to ask is, "Can I teach them in a way they can understand? --Dr. Vincent Carbone (2010 Autism and Education Conference)

For a PowerPoint presentation on one of Dr. Vince Carbone's talks at the 2009 National Autism Conference see this link. 

ABA Mentor:  Dr. Vince Carbone trains others in the practice of ABA therapy. People who have studied under Dr. Carbone often will provide his name in their biography because of the stellar reputation for his work. One Blog makes this testimony of Dr. Carbone:  "If we could clone Dr. Carbone, ABA would be a household name and people would pay homage to Skinner's gravesite."   

The following is a YouTube video of Dr. Carbone explaining his work. 

For more information about the Dr. Carbone's work at the Carbone Clinic visit http://www.drcarbone.net/.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

Read More

Jerry Newport

Autism Light #4 is Jerry Newport.

Jerry Newport lives in Arizona. Jerry Newport is married to Mary Meinel. Jerry Newport received his B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Michigan. Jerry Newport is an Autism Light for his work as an author, speaker, and advocate for autism.  He has the form of autism known as Asperger's Syndrome.

Jerry Newport is the author of three books including, Mozart and the Whale, which is the story of how he met his wife Mary and also the subject of the 2005 movie, "Mozart and the Whale".  His other books are Your Life is Not a Label and Autism-Asperger's & Sexuality.

One of the humorous statements Jerry Newport has said is, "I know of nobody who is purely autistic, or purely neurotypical. Even God has some autistic moments, which is why the planets spin."

When interviewed by Rebecca Leung in 2009 he said,

Rather than being obsessed with trying to be in step with the world, I've come to accept the fact that in certain ways I never will be. And I just don't hate myself for it. I think that once I started learning how to love myself as I truly am, it made it easier for other people to love me the same way.

Jerry Newport is featured in a video about Autism and the Decision to Drive. Here is a promo to that video that is produced by Debbaudt Legacy Productions.

For more information on Jerry Newport, read these online articles.

• AutismToday Expert
• CBS News.com 
• Jerry Newport on Wikipedia

Jerry Newport is an Autism Light for his writing and speaking that brings awareness on autism, especially Aspergers. For more information on Jerry Newport's work visit his website at www.jerrynewport.com.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 


Photo: Photo in this post used with permission of the Webmaster at jerrynewport.com.

Read More

Diane Soucy

Autism Light #3 is Diane Soucy

Diane Soucy founded the ADL Center after discovering her son Matthew had autism.  She now serves as the President of the ADL Center. Diane Soucy is leading ADL into new and innovative services to those with autism.  ADL stands for "Activities for Daily Living".

Diane Soucy was interviewed on Comcast Newsmakers for a past Autism Awareness Month and the following video was produced about her.

Pepsi Refresh Project:  They have competed for several Pepsi Refresh Project fundraisers.

• In January, 2011 they competed for a $250,000 grant to operate their program. 
• In June, 2011, the ADL Center competed for a $25,000 grant to provide Swimming Lessons for Kids with Autism and their Siblings who live in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Teaching swimming lessons will enhance the lives of many people. 

The following is a news story about a fundraiser the ADL Center had.

Social Media: Fund out more about the ADL Center at these social media places.

• Facebook
• Twitter

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

Photo: Photo in this post used with permission of Diane Soucy.

Read More

John LeSieur

Autism Light #2 is John LeSieur.

John LeSieur created the Zac Browser and is the President of People CD.  The Zach Browser is a web browser designed to help children with autism navigate the internet. The USA Today did a story on John LeSieur which can be found at this Website. This resource was created in order to help limit the frustrations of his grandson Zachary experienced when using the internet.  Zachary has autism. People CD summarizes the unique features of their browser by saying,

"The buttons are limited to essential functions and the browser prevents the child from accessing inappropriate sites. Children suffering from autism are known for being able to adapt easily to PECS (pictograms) so we designed an icon based navigation system like the PECS system."

  Below is the Associated Press story on this special web browser. 

Social Media: You can follow John LeSieur and his work at the following social media areas:

• Twitter - @zacbrowser
• Google+ - John LeSieur

You may find out all about this special browser for computer users with autism on their home page at www.zacbrowser.com.   A free download is available.  John LeSieur is an Autism Light because of the potential this browser has to help many children with autism experience the world of the Internet.  

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

Read More