Daryl Hannah is a 53 year old actress and producer who has had roles in over 80 films since 1978, including playing Madison (the mermaid) in the 1984 movie Splash. Daryl Hannah revealed in September, 2013, that she was diagnosed with Autism/Asperger's Syndrome as a child. She was born on December 3, 1960. In recent years she has been an environmental activist and has homes in Colorado and California. Daryl Hannah is an Autism Light for raising autism awareness as a celebrity figure by publicly sharing about her experiences with autism and how it impacted her life.
The following is an ABC News story from 2013, related to when Daryl Hannah revealed for the first time that she has autism.
When she was diagnosed with autism as a child, doctors recommended medication or that she be put in an institution. Daryl Hannah's mother, Susan Metzger, refused to accept that fate for her daughter. Her mother pulled her out of school for a year and worked with her at home (The Autism Site, Daryl Hannah Opens Up About Her Autism).
Actress: Having autism has made Daryl Hannah shy away over the years from promoting her career through interviews and publicity performances. She feels more comfortable out of the limelight. Daryl Hannah told People Magazine in September, 2013, "I've never been comfortable being the center of attention. It freaked me out (see video above)." Nevertheless, the talented actress has been in entertainment for parts of five decades and has had roles in over 80 films since 1978. Some of her more well-known films include Blade Runner, Splash, Roxanne, Wall Street, Steel Magnolias, and Kill Bill.You can see a complete list of films she has acted in at Daryl Hannah's IMDB page.
The following is an interview Dan Rather did with Daryl Hannah about her autism.
Environmental Activist: Daryl Hannah is passionate about the environment. She has been an activist in recent years for environmental issues in America. Her simple homes in Colorado and California are off the grid. Daryl Hannah "leads an eco-friendly lifestyle, pumps well water and relies on solar power at home (Huffington Post, Sept. 27, 2013)."
Wikipedia: You can learn more about Daryl Hannah at her Wikipedia page.
Social Media: You can follow Daryl Hannah at the following social media pages.
Special thanks to Daryl Hannah for being an Autism Light. As an exceptional actress, Daryl Hannah's life story is a testimony that some people with autism can be very successful at acting. We wish Daryl Hannah the best in the future and look forward to her future projects in the entertainment industry. The autism community appreciates hearing her experiences with autism.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Toni Braxton is 46 years old and from Beverly Hills, California. Toni Braxton is a singer and actress and an autism mother. Her youngest son Diezel, who is now 9, has autism. Toni Braxton is an Autism Light for her advocacy for autism and her dedication as an autism mother.
Toni Braxton is an "American R&B singer-songwriter, pianist, musician, record producer, actress, television personality, and philanthropist. Braxton has won 6 Grammy Awards, 7 American Music Awards and 9 Billboard Music Awards. Throughout the years, she has sold over 66 million records worldwide (Wikipedia, Toni Braxton, 1/6/2013) ."
In 2011 Toni Braxton told OK Magazine this about how she reacted to becoming an autism mother.
It’s been rewarding to see how he’s grown, but I remember when I first found out. I remember blaming myself; I thought it was my fault. I wish I knew what triggered it. Still, often, as a mom, I blame myself. I didn’t take my vitamins every day … maybe it was the medications I was on before I got pregnant.”
They haven’t figured out what triggers it, but whatever it is, I don’t care, find a cure. Help my kid; help all the other kids. But I had to shake myself off, and go ‘enough about me,’ and make sure my kid’s OK. Once they diagnosed him, we were able to itemize the issues (Toni Braxton, OK Magazine, April 4, 2011).
Autism Speaks: The following is the Ad Council spot that Toni Braxton did for Autism Speaks.
Lupus: Three years ago Toni Braxton revealed that she has the autoimmune disease, Lupus (Essence, November 18, 2010). Toni Braxton said, "My doctors told me I would never be able to perform again. I'm very lucky that I'm still able to dabble in it a little bit (USA Today, February 6, 2013)." In addition to advocating for autism awareness, Toni Braxton helps raise awareness about Lupus.
Braxton Family Values: Toni Braxton stars in the reality television show called Braxton Family Values that airs on WE TV. Braxton Family Values has been on the air since 2011.
Twist of Faith: Toni Braxton starred with David Julian Hirsch in the Lifetime TV movie Twist of Faith that aired on February 9, 2013. Toni's autistic son Diezel made his acting debut with a role in Twist of Faith with his mother. Here is a scene from the movie where she sings her song This Very Moment.
Singer: Toni Braxton is known as one of the greatest R&B singers of all time. Dominique Carson at the Celebrity Cafe wrote an informative article on Toni Braxton's Top Ten Songs of All-Time that includes links to song videos on YouTube where available (The Celebrity Cafe, Top 10 Toni Braxton Songs, March 8, 2013)
The following is a message about autism by Toni Braxton at a Hollywood event sponsored by Lindt of Switzerland.
Special thanks for Toni Braxton for being an Autism Light and using her celebrity status to be an advocate for autism. Her talent as a musician/entertainer is without question, and it is all the more remarkable as she balances that with being an autism mother who has Lupus. We look forward to hearing more amazing things from Toni Braxton in the future.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Kate Winslet is an Actress and Singer from England. Kate Winslet found her passion for autism charity work in 2009, when she was asked to narrate the English version of the Icelandic book A Mother's Courage: Talking Back to Autism (A.K.A. The Sunshine Boy), which is about a mother who raises a nonverbal autistic child, that learns to communicate with a letter board. This experience would lead Kate Winslet to form the autism charity called the Golden Hat Foundation. Kate Winslet is the mother of two children, Mia and Joe, neither one of whom have autism. Kate Winslet is an Autism Light for her creation of the Golden Hat Foundation as a charity for autism.
Acting Career: Kate Winslet earned acclaim for her roles in the movies Sense and Sensibility (1995) andTitanic (1997). She was the youngest person to receive 6 Academy Award nominations. Kate Winslet earned the Academy Award for Best Actress in The Reader in 2008.
Here is an ABC News video explaining Kate Winslet's Golden Hat Foundation.
The Golden Hat: The Golden Hat: Talking Back to Autism was published in March, 2012. The book features photos of 100 celebrities and famous people wearing a golden hat for autism. Each celebrity is then asked to state the first thing they would say if they could talk and previously had not been able to talk (like those with autism). Celebrities featured in the book include George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Angelina Jolie, Oprah, Sting, Kobe Bryant, Julia Roberts, Meryl Strepp, Ben Stiller and dozens of other stars. You can purchase the book through The Golden Hat Foundation Store for $29.95 with all proceeds to benefit the autism foundation.
Kate Winslett is joined in writing the book by Margret Ericsdottir and her son Keli Thorsteinsson (A.K.A. Kelli Ericsdottir). Margret and Keli inspired Kate Winslet to write the book by their documentary A Mother's Courage: Talking Back to Autism. The name for the book was inspired by a poem that Keli Thorsteinsson wrote at age 12 called The Magic Hat. It goes like this.
The Golden Hat Foundation: Kate Winslet founded the Golden Hat Foundation in 2010 and Margret Ericsdottir serves as the present Director of the Foundation. The foundation is based in Austin, Texas.
The Golden Hat Foundation lists this as their mission on their website:
The Golden Hat Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating barriers for people with autism around the world, and creating an environment that holds these individuals as intellectually capable. The mission of the Golden Hat Foundation is the establishment of innovative campuses that offer people with autism the opportunity to learn to communicate, receive an education, job training and enjoy recreational activities, all within a supportive network. When given a suitable education and the means to communicate effectively, people with autism can truly realize their dreams (Source).
Quote on Autism: Kate Winslet told Celebrity Baby Scoop in an interview that the biggest misunderstanding about children with autism are, "That they are not capable of understanding anything, that they are completely locked in their own worlds and aren't paying attention to anything around them or that they are disinterested. Even those closest to them sometimes believe that. And so often that proves not to be the case (Source)."
Other Articles: The following online materials have been written about Kate Winslet and her autism work.
You can read more information about Kate Winslet on her Wikipedia page here.
Special thanks to Kate Winslet for being an Autism Light. We look forward to hearing about the exciting growth of the Golden Hat Foundation to help the autism community and of course to future movies starring Kate Winslet.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Autism Lights #214 are Gary Cole and Teddi Siddall.
Gary Cole and Teddi Siddall are from Los Angeles, California. They were married on March 9, 1992. Their teenage daughter Mary has autism and is their only child. Both Gary Cole and Teddi Siddall have had illustrious careers as television and movie screen stars. Gary Cole and Teddi Siddall are Autism Lights for their dedication as autism parents and for the manner in which they utilize their celebrity status to raise autism awareness.
Gary Cole has performed dozens of roles in both television shows and movies, including the movie Office Space and the HBO television show Entourage. Teddi Siddall is an actress, who has appeared in several television shows such as Grey's Anatomy and Happy Days. She put her career on the back burner in 1998 in order to have more time to give to her daughter Mary who has autism.
Support for Autism Causes: The Gary Cole Archives website says, "Gary's teenage daughter has autism, and he's particularly interested in autism charities, for which he has done a great deal of work(Source)." Two autism causes Gary Cole supports are The Help Group and Autism Speaks (Source).
Here is a Public Service Announcement that Gary Cole produced for The Help Group, an organization that runs multiple autism schools in the Los Angeles area. Gary and Teddi's daughter Mary attended a program run by The Help Group when she was in high school.
Autism Awards: In April, 2012, Gary Cole was honored at an autism awareness gala in Northville, Michigan that was sponsored by Celebrities Against Autism. More information on this event can be found at an article at the Northville Patch.
WebMD Interview: In February, 2009, Gary Cole shared about his daughter's autism and his autism advocacy in an interview with WebMD. The WebMD article was written by Lauren Paige Kennedy.
Larry King Live: In 2007 Gary Cole appeared on Larry King Live with Ed Asner, Toni Braxton, and Bill Cosby in a discussion of autism
Other Information: You can read more information on Gary Cole and Teddi Siddall at the following websites.
Special thanks to Gary Cole and Teddi Siddall for raising awareness for autism, even as they make their daughter Mary their priority. They are Autism Lights in Los Angeles and around the world with their visible advocacy for autism.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Autism Light Classic Updated on May 17, 2015. Autism Lights #100 are Rodney and Holly Robinson Peete.
Rodney and Holly Robinson Peete are from Los Angeles, California. Rodney Peete was born on March 16, 1966 and Holly Robinson Peete was born on September 18, 1964. They married in 1995 and are parents of four children, Ryan Elizabeth Peete and son Rodney Peete, Jr (twins born in 1997), son Robinson James Peete (born in 2002), and son Roman Peete (born in 2005). Their son Rodney (R.J.) has autism. Rodney and Holly are Autism Lights because of their autism advocacy through being authors, speakers, philanthropists and operators of a foundation for autism called the HollyRod Foundation.
Rodney Peete's Career: Rodney Peete was a star football player for the University of Southern California leading them to the 1988 and 1989 Rose Bowls. He won the Johnny Unitas Award in 1989. Although he was drafted also as a 3rd Baseman by Major League Baseball teams, Rodney Peete chose to play football and he went on to play 16 years in the National Football League from 1989-2005. His career stats are at the Pro Football Reference Website. Rodney Peete played on the Carolina Panthers 2003 team that played in Super Bowl XXXVIII. Rodney Peete is now a broadcaster.
Holly Robinson Peete's Career: Holly graduated from Sarah Lawrence College. She has had roles as an actress in the following shows.
One of Holly Robinson Peete's most inspirational interview's on The Talk about autism was when she interviewed Carly Fleischmann who was Autism Light #1. That interview is available on Carly Fleischmann's Autism Light post.
For Peete's Sake: It was announced in May, 2015, that Holly Robinson Peete and Rodney Peete and will soon have their own show on Oprah Winfrey's OWN Network. It has a working title called For Peete's Sake. It will be a documentary on their family life of juggling dual careers with raising four children (RealityTea, May 8, 2015). The HollyRod Foundation: The HollyRod Foundation was founded in 1997. It helps provide services for people who are impacted by either Parkison's Disease or Autism. Holly Robinson Peete's father was Matt Robinson who played the original Gordon on the children's TV show Sesame Street. Mr. Robinson developed Parkinson's Disease in his 40's and in his honor The HollyRod Foundation was established originally to provide help for those with Parkinson's to obtain services.
After Rodney (R.J.) Peete was diagnosed with autism, Holly and Rod decided that the foundation would also begin reaching out for autism under the HollyRod4Kids name. More information on the HollyRod Foundation is available at their website at www.hollyrod.org/about. One of the future plans for the HolyRod Foundation is the construction of the HollyRod4Kids Compassionate Care Center for Autism in Los Angeles. Current programs of the HollyRod Foundation include the Gift of Voice, RJ's Place, and the My Brother Charlie Family Fun Day.
Holly Robinson Peete wrote a song called Come Into My World that she sings with her son Rodney in the following video.
Authors: Both of the Peete's are authors in their own right. Holly Robinson Peete wrote My Brother Charlie with her daughter Ryan, which helps neurotypical children understand about autistic kids. Rodney Peete wrote Not My Boy! to share his story with his son who has autism. The following video is Rodney and Holly Robinson Peete discussing their life with a child with autism and the books they wrote.
Holly Robinson on Autism: Holly Robinson Peete said this about her son that provides a good look at her passion and perspective on autism. "My son w/autism has an AMAZING brain [and] can tell you any fact about NBA, MLB even NHL! We need to embrace these children in society-god's gifts. We need to change ourselves as a society to accept children w/autism and special needs for who they are (Black Celebrity Kids.com, August 4, 2009)."
Holly Robinson also says this on her foundation's website, "I wouldn't change my son for the world but I would change the world for my son." Social Media: You can follow Rodney, Holly, and the HollyRod Foundation at the following social media areas.
Special thanks to Rodney and Holly Robinson Peete for being dedicated autism parents and amazing autism advocates. You are amazing heroes for the cause of all the autism community. The autism family is blessed to have your dedication and hard work lighting the way for improving situations for those with autism.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
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