Aaron Shield

Autism Light #204 is Aaron Shield.

Aaron Shield is the Principal Investigator for the Deaf Autism Project at Boston University. In 2010 Aaron Shield earned his Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Texas at Austin and he joined the Psychology Department at Boston University in 2011. Aaron Shield is an Autism Light because of the potential that his research on sign language and autism has shown for helping to improve the lives of deaf children on the spectrum.

Hundreds of families in the United States are impacted with the effects of both autism and deafness. While the latest figures are that autism touches 1 in 88 children, the impact on the deaf community is statistically greater. A recent study by Christen Szymanski and colleagues reported that 1 in 59 deaf children in the Gallaudet Research Institute Annual Survey of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children also carry a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder (For Source Information See Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, January, 2012).

Autism Light asked Aaron Shield what motivated him to concentrate his research and study on deaf autism. He provided this meaningful explantion to what inspired him.

I was inspired by the fact that there was a total lack of research on these children. I knew that deaf children were receiving autism diagnoses, but no one was studying how these children were learning sign language. There were no diagnostic or screening instruments adapted for signing children. There were no interventions tailored for their specific needs. So it seemed to me that there was a real need for the research. I then met many families, Deaf and hearing parents who were very enthusiastic and encouraging. I realized that they were counting on me.  

From a research point of view, I was fascinated because I think that studying deaf children with autism can teach us about autism in general, because we can literally see the effects of autism in a visual language. It's a different lens through which to view autism, one which can provide us with valuable information about how kids with autism think and process information. 

Aaron Shield says that one of his goals in his research for the Deaf Autism Project is to "help inform the development of strategies for better diagnosis and intervention with deaf children with autism, a population that up until now has received very little scientific attention (Source). The following is a YouTube video where Aaron Shield explains the need and requirements for participation in this research by member of the deaf autism community.


Research Funding:  The Deaf Autism Project research is funded by a three-year grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), one of the National Institutes of Health in the United States (Source). The research is being hosted by the ROADD Center (Research on Autism and Developmental Disorders) at Boston University. The goal for sample size of the study is to include 20 deaf children with autism and compare them to a larger group of about 50 deaf children without autism.

Dissertation: Aaron Shield's dissertation was written on The Signing of Deaf Children With Autism. You can read his complete paper online at this link. Aaron Shield summarizes his methodology, hypothesis, and analysis of his dissertation this way.

In my dissertation, I studied a group of 26 deaf children and adolescents who had been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. In particular, I analyzed the way that they formed their signs. I had hypothesized that the autistic deficit in theory of mind -- the ability to understand the mental states of others -- might lead to specific kinds of errors in sign language. I found that some of the younger children -- all under the age of 10 -- had a tendency to reverse the direction of their signs, so it appeared that they were signing "backward". This seems to suggest that some children with autism learn signs differently from typically-developing deaf children, and may require different kinds of language interventions than hearing, speaking children.

Other Resources: Aaron Shield wanted to pass on to members of the Deaf Autism Community the following three resources that may provide community support unique to both deafness and autism.

• Deaf Autism America (DAA) (Associated with American Society for Deaf Children)
• Yahoo Group (deaf-autism-group)
• Autism Research Institute's Resources for the Deaf/HOH/Blind/Visually Impaired with Autism

Special thanks to Aaron Shield for leading this unique and important research related to autism in the deaf community.  If you are eligible to participate in his research your partnership can be very helpful. For more information on the Deaf Autism Project contact Aaron Shield at aaronshield@gmail.com. You may also view his profile page at the ROADD Center at http://www.bu.edu/deafautism/aaronshield/.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo in this post is used with permission of Aaron Shield.

Stuart Chaifetz

Autism Light #203 is Stuart Chaifetz.

Stuart Chaifetz is from Cherry Hill, New Jersey and is a 44 year old single father of a 10 year old boy with autism named Akian. Stuart Chaifetz has become a father on an anti-bullying mission, since February 17, 2012, when he sent his son Akian to school with a recording device in his bag. The 7 hours of recording picked up highly inappropriate things being said to the child by school personnel. Stuart Chaifetz is an Autism Light because of how he had the courage and insight to investigate his son's learning environment and for how he was willing to take the public risk to become an advocate for anti-bullying measures in the autism community as a result of this experience.

Stuart Chaifetz' son Akian was attending Horace Mann Elementary School in Cherry Hill, New Jersey in the 2011-2012 school year and school officials reported that the 10 year old Akian was becoming violent at school. Stuart Chaifetz felt that there had to be some unknown reason for his son's behavior and as a result he sent his son to school on February 17, 2012, with a hidden recorder to learn about his typical day at school. The shocking information Stuart Chaifetz learned in the recording did not just begin a mission to prevent other children in Cherry Hill, New Jersey from facing similar bullying in the future, but it has had ramifications that can be felt in the autism community around the world regarding the vulnerability to bullying of nonverbal students with autism at the hands of caregivers and teachers.

The following is the video Stuart Chaifetz made in April, 2012 to describe the situation and publically share what he uncovered. It has received over 4.5 million views on YouTube. Despite being understandably disturbed by what his son endured and his passion to protect any other children from being harmed by the school officials connected to the recording, in the spirit of an Autism Light Stuart Chaifetz stresses peace in the description of this video by saying, "Please do not harass anyone!!! I plead with you not to try to contact the teacher or aide or anyone involved with this issue."

 

Social Media: You can follow Stuart Chaifetz at the following social media pages.

• Facebook. Stuart Chaifetz has started a Facebook page that now has over 45,000 fans called "No More Teacher Bullies", where you can keep track of the ramifications of this situation and of his crusade to raise awareness of bullying against children with autism. The Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/NoMoreTeacherBullies.
• YouTube. Stuart Chaifetz has a YouTube Channel where he shared the above video. It is at http://www.youtube.com/user/StuChaifetz.

Media Attention: Stuart Chaifetz' story was mentioned by national media, including the following:

• ABC News
• Fox News

You can also see an interview here that Stuart Chaifetz did with CNN.

For more information about Stuart Chaifetz and the ongoing ramifications of his anti-bullying efforts visit his website at http://www.hnva.net/teacherbully/.

Special thanks to Stuart Chaifetz for standing up for his son Aiken and in the process becoming an advocate for anti-bullying for the larger autism community. His efforts are contributing to autism awareness by working to create a positive outcome from a sad and unfortunate situation involving a vulnerable child with autism.  What started with a simple act of sending a recording device to school with his son has become a campaign to raise awareness on bullying of children with autism by their teachers.

---

Note: This story about Stuart Chaifetz is the first in year 2 of the Autism Light blog. Despite the negative emotions that this story may raise, we believe that this is one of those stories that can lead to a greater good from the positive and constructive efforts of Stuart Chaifetz and others who respond to this unfortunate situation with anti-bullying campaigns and protocals. Although this story is alarming it does not diminish the honor and gratitude owed to the hundreds of thousands of dedicated teachers and other school personnel who are associated only by profession with the details of this story. We are sure those dedicated ones would welcome additional accountability so that the situation is never repeated.

---

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Eddie and Lisa Guardado

Autism Lights #202 are Eddie and Lisa Guardado.

Eddie and Lisa Guardado are from Tustin, California. Eddie Guardado is a retired major league baseball player. Inspired by their daugther Ava who has autism, Eddie and Lisa Guardado founded The Eddie Guardado Foundation in 2008, which in 2011 joined with ACT Today.  Eddie and Lisa Guardado are Autism Lights because of their advocacy for autism and for starting a charitable foundation that allows them to help give back to other autism families with financial needs.

Major League Baseball Career:  Eddie Guaradado was known as "Everyday Eddie" as a relief pitcher in a career spanning from 1993-2009. Eddie played in 908 games, and only 21 other pitchers have played in more games (Source). The complete career statistics for Eddie Guardado may be viewed on his page at Baseball Reference. The following is an interview Eddie Guardado had on baseball and his passion for autism.

The Eddie Guardado Foundation: The Eddie Guardado Foundation has a special emphasis on helping families who struggle with the financial load of autism. You can find out more about their services at their website at www.eddieguardadofoundation.org. Their website says,

Lisa and Eddie understand the emotional and financial hardships families impacted with autism experience and founded the Eddie Guardado Foundation to help other families receive access to therapy and treatments that they could not otherwise afford (Source).

One of the main fundraising projects The Eddie Guardado Foundation sponsors is called Stars and Strikes Celibrity Bowl, which this year was held on January 29, 2012 at the Bowlmor Lanes in Tustin, California.  Here is a video of the event.


In 2011, a $27,000 grant to ACT Today from the Eddie Guardado Foundation allowed iPads to be purchased for 45 children with autism (Source).

ACT Today: ACT Today has a very diverse outreach that is not new to the Autism Light blog. Autism Light #82 was ACT Today for Military Families. The Eddie Guardado Foundation has chosen a fine autism organization to partner with that is meeting needs of people with autism.  The Eddie Guardado Foundation website says, "In January 2011, The Eddie Guardado Foundation merged with ACT Today!, (Autism Care and Treatment Today!) as both non-profits share the mission of providing awareness of and access to effective therapies for children with autism (Source)."

The following is a video where Eddie Guardado talks about the relationship between his foundation and ACT Today.

  You can read more about Eddie Guardado on his Wikipedia page.  Special thanks to Eddie and Lisa Guardado for being Autism Lights. They have used their celebrity fundraising skills and their experience as autism parents to shine a light on autism for many.Families with autism are the real winners in this partnership between The Eddie Guardado Foundation and ACT Today.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo of Eddie Guardado is in the Creative Commons of Wikipedia. It is attributed to Keith Allison.

Tyler Gregory

Autism Light #201 is Tyler Gregory.

Tyler Gregory is a musician from Lawrence, Kansas who is referred to as "The Guitar Man".  On May 13, 2012, while Tyler Gregory was playing his acoustical guitar on a street in downtown Lawrence, Kansas, he met an eight year old boy named Jacob who is blind and has autism. Jacob took a special interest in Tyler Gregory's guitar and music. Tyler Gregory is an Autism Light because he created this opportunity for Jacob to appreciate music and allowed him to touch his guitar.

The following is a YouTube video that Jacob's parents recorded of their autistic son's enjoyment of Tyler Gregory's music. The touching video underscores the role of music in the life of people with autism. This video of "Jacob and the Guitar Man" has received over half a million views.  Jacob's family left this simple message for Tyler Gregory on the description of the video: "Thank you so much for letting Jacob feel the music (Source)!"

Tyler Gregory wrote this in his journal about his experience playing for Jacob.

When Jacob came over I felt excited about having another kid listen to the music. (Makes my day when kids dance to the music on the street. I already had a couple come over that day so it was already nice). However, unlike most kids that come up to me with curiosity, I felt so much energy coming off of him and I was completely overwhelmed. It was a powerful moment that made my day and reminded me of the good things in life. Reminded me why I love different interactions with people when playing music. Reminded me of how powerful music can be between two people. It also reminded me not to take things for granted, for most of us have it pretty easy in our everyday life. So, I just simply went home with a very big smile on my face that day, and a story to tell my close ones.(Source).  

For more information on Tyler Gregory visit his website at http://tylergregorymusic.com/. You may also email him at tylergregorymusic@gmail.com to book a concert. For further information related to this story on Tyler Gregory and Jacob see an online article about this written by the Huffington Post.

Tyler Gregory is the first Autism Light from the state of Kansas. He will also be added to the Autism Light Music page and join the list of other musicians featured on the blog. Special thanks to Tyler Gregory for being an Autism Light. This story illustrates how one can become an Autism Light when they least expect it and are going through their ordinary routine like Tyler Gregory was on this day when he met a blind boy with autism named Jacob. We wish Tyler Gregory the best and hope he will continue to bless all people, including those with autism, by playing his guitar.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Jeremy Sicile-Kira

---

Autism Light Classic
Updated on May 21, 2015. 

---

Autism Light #200 is Jeremy Sicile-Kira.

Jeremy and his dog Handsome

Jeremy Sicile-Kira is a 26 year old artist from San Diego, California. Jeremy has autism and is nonverbal. At birth Jeremy was diagnosed as severely autistic and mentally handicapped, but as he learned to communicate nonverbally he demonstrated to his educators how much he had learned and was able to learn.  He is the co-author of the book A Life Full With Autism (Macmillan, 2012). Jeremy Sicile-Kira is an Autism Light because of how his life, writings, and art have served to inspire others with autism and all those that love someone with autism and want to see them have A LIFE FULL WITH AUTISM. His amazing life bears some wonderful similarities to that of Carly Fleischmann who was Autism Light #1.

EDUCATION

High School: Jeremy graduated from Torrey Pines High School (San Diego, California) in 2010 at the age of 21.  He had a 3.75 GPA and passed the California High School Exit Exam on his first attempt. Jeremy shared this advice for students with the Autism Light blog, "Try greatly listening to positive people who believe in both your capability and frankly your greatest dreams. Create short and long term educational goals."

The following video is from the 2010 graduation ceremony for Torrey Pines High School that featured Jeremy speaking through his assisted communication device. The event was covered by NBC and Fox.

College: After high school Jeremy Sicile-Kira went on to take some classes at Mira Costa College and did well in them. He withdrew from school in order to pursue his passion as an artist.

TALENTS

Artist: Jeremy has become an artist and is beginning to make a living doing what he loves to do. A portfolio of his artwork is available on his website. On May 17, 2015, Jeremy wrote on his @Jeremyisms Twitter page:  "Truly painting and art gives me great hope for my future and nicely the future of the world."

Author: Jeremy Sicile-Kira and his mother Chantal wrote the book A Full Life with Autism together.  The book was released on March 27, 2012.  In A Full Life with Autism Jeremy and his mother Chantal address the seldom discussed issues related to young people with autism transitioning into adulthood. Jeremy's website describes the book like this:

Jeremy’s first book, A Full Life with Autism, is a guide for helping our children on the spectrum lead meaningful and independent lives as they reach adulthood. In the next five years, hundreds of thousands of children with autism spectrum disorder will reach adulthood. And while diagnosis and treatment for children has improved in recent years, parents want to know: What happens to my child when I am no longer able to care for or assist him?

There has been praise for Jeremy's book from respected leaders across the autism community. Dr. Temple Grandin who was Autism Light #38 wrote the Forward.  Dr. Stephen Edelson who was Autism Light #52 said, "A Full Life with Autism is a must-read book for parents and professionals in the autism field (Jeremy's Vision Website)." You can order this important autism book from Amazon or read more about it at Jeremy's Vision.

Advice for Parents: Jeremy has this advice to share with parents from his book, A Full Life with Autism (Macmillan 2012): "Believe in yourself. Do not doubt that you are the expert on your son or daughter. You have done your best so far, and you can be their guiding light for their future."

Autism Research Institute Youth Representative: Jeremy has been appointed as Autism Research Institute's Youth Representative to the United Nations. He also serves as the California Youth Leader for the Autistic Global Initiative, a project of the Autism Research Institute.

CHANTAL SICILE-KIRA (JEREMY'S MOTHER)

Jeremy's mother Chantal Sicile-Kira, who is a popular autism blogger and operates Autism College, said the following about him in an email to Autism Light in June, 2012.

It has not been easy to raise Jeremy, to advocate for him. But it has been much harder for Jeremy.  Imagine not being able to speak or to have challenges with motor planning and initiation - necessary for every day life. And he is learning to advocate for himself, and for others like him. Jeremy inspires me because he wants to use his writing skills to help others and to make the world a better place--Chantal Sicile-Kira.

How Autism Uniquely Impacts Jeremy:  Jeremy's mother Chantal Sicile-Kira discovered that he has synesthesia, which means he associates colors with emotions. To learn more about how synesthesia impacts Jeremy read the The Huffington Post article that his mother Chantal Sicile-Kira wrote on July 25, 2013. In addition, Jeremy Sicile-Kira has wrote an important piece on his website on autism. He explains how his body is effected by sensory processing difficulties.

JEREMY TODAY

Jeremy Sicile-Kira gave this update to Autism Light on what is taking place in his life in 2015, 3 years after the original post was done on his life. Jeremy says, 

Truly my life has changed very truly for the better. I justly live now pleasantly in my own apartment with a roommate. I have great support staff. Really my life changed when nicely my mom discovered I had synesthesia. My mother inspired me to dearly paint the portraits I was painting in my dreams. Truly this has made a huge difference in my life. Now I paint at my art studio in my city (San Diego) in an art co-op where I was accepted for my talent. I love to paint and people are happy to get their personalized painting based on their colors. This is how I am beginning to earn a living.

Living in an apartment with a roommate means I have to do more chores but I have the opportunity to go out more and see people that I know in the neighborhood.  I volunteer twice a week setting up the beach to help the lifeguards and I meet people greatly there.  I go to local pubs and there are the same people from the beach. Usually I just like to hang out but my beautiful support staff help me believe in my ability to communicate with my newfound friends.   

Nicely truly people all people need to be accepted for their different abilities (Jeremy Sicile-Kira)

ONLINE PRESENCE

Website: Jeremy Sicile-Kira has his own website at www.jeremysvision.com. Jeremy says this about his website on the homepage--"I have a paintbrush, a keyboard and autism. Jeremy's Vision is my view of the world expressed through my painting, writing, and advocacy."

One of Jeremy's poignant statements on autism in his life is the following:

"Autism is an important influence in my life. The hardest part is not being able to talk. God must have been out of voices when he made me.--Jeremy Sicile-Kira."

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

• Facebook Page for Jeremy's Vision
• Twitter @Jeremyisms. 

The following is a recent posting on @Jeremyisms on Twitter.

pic.twitter.com/72H0RDBYD0

— Jeremy Sicile-Kira (@Jeremyisms) April 26, 2015

Special thanks for Jeremy Sicile-Kira for being an Autism Light. His progress and development is an inspiration to the autism community. His dynamic maturity gives hope to parents who have children who are the most severely impacted by their autism. We expect to hear a lot from Jeremy in the future as he develops his work as an artist and continues to be an autism advocate. If you wish to keep track of Jeremy's life you can sign up on his website (www.jeremysvision.com) to receive his Email newsletter.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

---

Photo: The photo of Jeremy in this post was used with permission.

Autism Light #200 To Be Named

The Autism Light blog is in the process of preparing the post on the subject that will be Autism Light #200. The young gentleman who will help us reach this milestone is nonverbal and has autism, but has become a published author just like our very first Autism Light, Carly Fleischmann.  After 200 Autism Lights the attention is still on seeing hope in the midst of autism.

To mark the occasion of 200 Autism Lights being featured we are including here the "Heroes" video that was also featured in the Autism Light #8 post on Toys "R" Us which was first published on July 30, 2011.



Here is some facts about our 200 Autism Lights at this point in time.

• They represent 17 countries of the world.
• They come from 41 different states of the United States.
• 71 are parents.
• 45 have autism.
• 23 are from the state of California.
• 22 are musicians.
• 18 are from the state of New York.
• 17 are connected with sports in some way.
• More than half of the 200 posts have received over 100 all-time page views.

Stay with us as we continue to write about Autism Light. There is not any shortage of content to share in the weeks and years ahead.

Autism Light Receives 40,000 Views

Thank you to all the loyal readers who have helped us pass 40,000 views today on the Autism Light blog.  That's 40,000 stories of autism light read as always without any commercial advertisements.

Those of us in the autism community need other people. The stories of people (and some animals from time to time) can not only inspire us and motivate us but also help us and our loved ones as we apply it to our unique situation.


Here is how we reached 40,000.

Time to Go from 0-20,000 Views = 8 Months, 10 Days (March 3, 2012)
Time to Go from 20,000-40,000 Views = 3 Months, 5 Days(June 8, 2012)

The difference in time to reach the second 20,000 views shows the tremendous growth and interest in reading about good news for the autism community.  It also reflects the outstanding quality of the Search Engine Optimization (S.E.O.) of our subjects that have been on the blog for a longer time and yet continue to get regular views.

Stay with us on a continual journey to discover diverse heroes to the autism community.

B.J. and Polly Surhoff

Autism Lights #199 are B.J. and Polly Surhoff.

William "B.J." and Polly Surhoff are from Baltimore, Maryland. Their son Mason has autism. B.J. and Polly Surhoff were part of a group of parents that started an important autism organization in the Baltimore area called Pathfinders for Autism. B.J. Surhoff is a former major league baseball player who currently serves as the President of Pathfinders for Autism. B.J. and Polly Surhoff are Autism Lights for their autism advocacy and their work to help the autism community in the Baltimore, Maryland area through the efforts of Pathfinders.

Baseball Career: B.J. Surhoff played 18 major league baseball seasons between 1987-2005 and he played every position except pitcher. He finished his career with the Baltimore Orioles. B.J. Surhoff's complete career baseball statistics are available on his player page at MLB.com. In 2007, B.J. Surhoff was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame (Source).

The following is a 2011 news interview featuring B.J. Surhoff discussing his experience being a father of a child with autism and how the work of Pathfinders serves the autism community.

Pathfinders for Autism: Pathfinders for Autism was started in 2000 by a group of parents in the Baltimore, Maryland area. B.J. and Polly Surhoff were part of that group. The Pathfinders for Autism website indicates this about the scope of the organization's work in the state of Maryland.

Pathfinders for Autism has grown into the State's largest autism organization dedicated to helping individuals, parents and professionals find resources, supports and training while working to increase the awareness of autism spectrum disorders and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families (Source).

Other Information: You can learn more about the helpful autism related services of Pathfinders for Autism by visiting their website at www.pathfindersforautism.org. For more information on B.J. Surhoff visit his Wikipedia page.

Special thanks to B.J. and Polly Surhoff for their dedication to autism. Their vision and efforts are a light to autism in the Baltimore, Maryland area.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

---

Photo: The photo in this post is in the Creative Commons at Wikipedia and was taken by Keith Allison.

Chicken Soup for the Soul Book Needs Autism Stories

This Special Announcement was distributed via email by Chicken Soup for the Soul publishers and is copied here in it's entirety to help share the information with the autism community.

New Chicken Soup for the Soul Book:
For Parents of Children with Autism or Asperger's

If you are the parent of a child, from newborn to college age, with autism or Asperger's, we invite you to share your story about raising your child - the ups and downs, the effect on your family and marriage, your child's special attributes and talents, and the lighter moments too. These stories will provide advice, comfort and insight to other parents in the same situation.

Please send us only non-fiction stories and poems written in the first person of no more than 1,200 words. These must be your personal stories - things that happened to you or someone you were close to. You may use a "pen name" on your story. Your story should not have been previously published by Chicken Soup for the Soul or other major publications.

Here are some suggested topics, but we know you can think of many more:

How you first recognized the symptoms

Meeting the challenges of everyday life

Academic struggles or brilliance

Good and bad experiences with school administrations

Appreciating your child for exactly who he/she is

Helping your child build a social life

Successful treatments - what has worked for you

Helping siblings and family members cope

The effect on your marriage and personal relationships

The importance of taking time for yourself

The importance of a support system

The lighter side

The positive side - benefits of autism or Asperger's

Please remember, we do not like "as told to" stories. Please write in the first person about yourself or someone close to you. If you ghostwrite a story for someone else we will list his or her name as the author. If a story was previously published, we will probably not use it unless it ran in a small circulation venue. Let us know where the story was previously published in the "Comments" section of the submission form. If the story was published in a past Chicken Soup for the Soul book, please do not submit it.

If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story and you will retain the right to resell it.

SUBMISSIONS GO TO http://chickensoup.com.
Select the Submit Your Story link on the left tool bar and follow the directions.

DEADLINE IS September 30, 2012
We plan to publish the book on April 2, 2013, for Autism Awareness Month.

---

This information was forwarded to me by Ken Wachsberger and was provided as an announcement by Chicken Soup for the Soul. It has been featured on other blogs such as Mommy Life. Autism Light has no relationship with the Chicken Soup for the Soul company.

Jim and Lisa Price

Autism Lights #198 are Jim and Lisa Price.

Jim and Lisa Price are from Southeast Michigan. Jim Price was a catcher for the Detroit Tigers baseball team from 1967-1973 and was a member of the 1968 World Championship Team. Jim Price is currently in his 14th season as the color commentator for the Detroit Tigers Radio Network. Jim and Lisa Price have a son named Jackson who has autism. Jackson inspired his parents to form Jack's Place for Autism in October, 2002 in order to be a light for families in Southeast Michigan, including the Metro Detroit area. Jim and Lisa Price are Autism Lights for being autism advocates and  bringing hope, help, and awareness to the autism community in Southeast Michigan.

The origins of Jack's Place for Autism can be explained in this information from their website,

After experiencing first hand the difficulties of finding support and resources for their own son, the Prices wanted to establish a vehicle for families to gain access to existing resources and to create additional services that aren't currently being provided to families who are affected by autism (Source).

In 2003, the Detroit Tigers published an article  on their website praising Jim and Lisa Price for their work. Autism is mentioned in some way during almost every Detroit Tiger game in which Jim Price is the color commentator because as radio fans know well, Jack's Place for Autism receives donations from every Detroit Tiger Double Play. Because of Jim Price's relationship with the Detroit Tigers organization, Jack's Place for Autism has received generous support from the Detroit Tigers. In a dance fundraiser at Joe Louis Arena on August 1, 2011, Jack Price said, "God bless the Tigers--they really helped us promote this night. Thank you for all the support (Source).

The help Jack's Place for Autism provides to families in Southeast Michigan is very critical. Their programs have helped over 6,500 children and adults to date (Source). Jack's Place for Autism partners with Oakland University in providing life changing human services to the autism community at Jack's Place at Oakland University (Source). The following is a video produced in 2006 to explain the work of Jack's Place for Autism.

For more information on Jim and Lisa Price and Jack's Place for Autism visit these websites.

• Jack's Place for Autism
• Jim Price (Wikipedia Page)
• Jim Price Biography on Detroit Tigers Website

Special thanks to Jim and Lisa Price for working to establish and develop Jack's Place for Autism. Jim and Lisa Price are inspirational autism lights that are creating a light for autism in the name of their son Jackson to the needy citizens of Metro Detroit.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.