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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 
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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.

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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".

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