William Christopher

Autism Light #454 is William Christopher.

William Christopher was an actor who had a variety of roles in his career, but none as endearing as the role of "Father Mulcahy" in the hit 1970's era television show MASH. William Christopher was born on October 20, 1932, and died on December 31, 2016, from cancer. He is survived by his wife Barbara and two sons, Ned and John. His son Ned Christopher has autism. William Christopher is an Autism Light because of how his devotion to his son and his journey as an autism father has increased autism awareness. William Christopher will be placed on the Autism Light Memorial Roll today.

Education: William Christopher earned a Bachelor's degree in drama at Wesleyan University in Connecticut.

Actor: William Christopher starred as "Father Mulcahy" in the popular sitcom MASH and the spin off After MASH, from 1972-1983.  He also had recurring roles in television shows, "Gomer Pyle", "That Girl", and "Hogan's Heroes". You can read more about William Christopher's career at William Christopher's IMDb Page or the Wikipedia Page of William Christopher.

Here is a public service announcement that William Christopher appeared in for the Health Care Chaplaincy Network.

Mixed Blessings: William and Barbara Christopher published the book Mixed Blessings in 1989. The book tells their story of raising their son Ned, who has autism, and the hope and challenges they faced in making important decisions in his development.

National Autistic Society: William Christopher appeared in public service announcements for the National Autistic Society as a way of advocating for his son and others who have autism.

Obituary: You can read William Christopher's obituary at Legacy.com. CBS News also published a news article on William Christopher's passing.

Special thanks to William Christopher for being a light for autism. Although the general public will remember his well performed character acting roles, the autism community thanks him for fulfilling a role as a dedicated autism father, author, and an advocate. May his memory encourage others and remind us all of the way in which autism touches so many families, including those of famous celebrities.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Tom Hanks

Autism Light #438 is Tom Hanks.

Tom Hanks (2008)

Tom Hanks is an American actor and filmmaker. He was born on July 9, 1956, and lives in Los Angeles, California. Tom Hanks has starred in dozens of films since starting his career in 1978, and he won an Academy Award for Best Actor in Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994). Tom Hanks is an Autism Light for the kindness he showed to a special fan with autism named Sarah Moretti in 2013.

Family: Tom Hanks has been married to Rita Wilson since 1988. He has four children, including Colin Hanks, who is also an actor.

Career as Actor:  Tom Hanks has had lead roles in dozens of movies, including Splash (1984), Forrest Gump (1994), Apollo 13 (1995), Saving Private Ryan and You've Got Mail (1998), The Green Mile (1999), Cast Away (2000), The Da Vinci Code (2006), and as the voice in the animated Toy Story series.

Awards:  A list of the awards and nominations that Tom Hanks has received during his illustrious career can be found on Wikipedia.

The following is a video of some moments in Tom Hanks' career.

Fan with Autism: In 2013 Tom Hanks took time out of his schedule to visit backstage with Sarah Moretti, who has autism, after his performance of Lucky Guy at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York.

As Tom Hanks was looking through the fan scrapbook that Sarah had created on his career he remarked, "Sarah, this is so great. You know, even my mum doesn't have something like this (Mirror, Simon O'Kane, June 25, 2015, Video of Tom Hanks taking time out to greet his autistic super fan goes viral)."

The following is a video of the moment backstage when Sarah Moretti met Tom Hanks. Although this was taken in 2013, it wasn't released to the public until 2015.

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

• Facebook Page of Tom Hanks
• Twitter @tomhanks (Verified)

Websites: You can learn more about Tom Hanks at the following websites.

• Tom Hanks Wikipedia Page
• Tom Hanks IMDb Page

Special thanks to the actor Tom Hanks for being an Autism Light. The time he took out of his schedule to meet a very dedicated fan with autism named Sarah Moretti is reflective of the hope that famous entertainer's can bring into the lives of people with autism. We wish Tom Hanks all the best in his career and life.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Special Acknowledgement for the idea for Tom Hanks to be an Autism Light is given to Kerry Magro, Autism Light #119, who wrote a post about Tom Hanks on his blog.

Photo: The photo in this post of Tom Hanks is on the Creative Commons at Wikipedia.

Kelvin Moon Loh

Autism Light #428 is Kelvin Moon Loh.

Kelvin Moon Loh is a Broadway actor from Manhattan, New York.  Kelvin Moon Loh's Broadway experience includes understudying the role of Lun Tha in the 2015 Broadway production of The King and I, and previous roles of Half-Man Half-Woman in Side Show, The DJ in Here Lies Love, and the understudy of Wil in American Idiot. Kelvin Moon Loh is an Autism Light for his call for compassion to autism families who have the courage to expose their special needs children to the theater.

In the afternoon matinee on September 23, 2015, Kelvin Moon Loh was performing in The King and I at the Lincoln Theater when a boy with autism made noises during the production. After the production Kelvin went on his social media and advocated for more empathy for autism families and the situations they face by defending a mother's right to bring her son with autism to Broadway.

The following is a news story on this incident from the New York Daily News.

Kelvin Moon Loh said, "Parents of autistic children sit there with such fear and terror that this episode could occur. I was watching a mother's nightmare happen, and I just wanted to have her know that what she's doing is right in trying to expose her child to the theater, and there are advocates supporting her (Kelvin Moon Loh as Quoted in Today.com, September 25, 2015)."

Facebook Post: The following is the post on Facebook that Kelvin shared as soon as he was able to after the show.

I am angry and sad. Just got off stage from today's matinee and yes, something happened. Someone brought their...
Posted by Kelvin Moon Loh on Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Twitter: Kelvin Moon Loh had this tweet on Twitter about his encouragement for autism parents.

My heroes are the brave parents and caretakers of the world who go out into the world daily with their beautiful children. #AutismAwareness

— Fahrenheit Sun High (@KelvinMoonLoh) September 26, 2015

Social Media: You can follow Kelvin Moon Loh on the following social media areas.

• Facebook Page for Kelvin Moon Loh
• Twitter @KelvinMoonLoh

Website: You can also follow the work and life of Kelvin on his website at www.kelvinmoon.com.

Special thanks to Kelvin Moon Loh for having compassion on autism families. The influence Kelvin has as a Broadway actor when combined with the power of social media has made an impact on raising autism awareness.  It is hoped that Kelvin's example will encourage more actors and stars to take a stand for autism acceptance in the settings in which they perform.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Peter Capaldi

Autism Light #390 is Peter Capaldi.

Peter Capaldi (2014)

Peter Dougon Capaldi was born on April 14, 1958. Peter Capaldi is a Scottish actor and film director. In 1991 he married Elaine Collins. He lives in Crouch End in the United Kingdom with his wife and daughter. Peter Capaldi is probably best known for being the twelfth and current actor to play the lead character of Doctor Who in the iconic BBC One science-fiction series Doctor Who. Peter Capaldi is an Autism Light for the way in which he has engaged and comforted some of his very special fans who have autism.

Peter Capaldi took classes at the Glasgow School of Art. He has been an actor and film director since 1982. For a complete listing of the television shows and features he has played in visit the Peter Capaldi IMDb page.

Peter Capaldi is an Autism Light for two separate interactions he had in 2014 with two fans who had autism.

Girl with Autism: Here is a video of Peter Capaldi comforting a girl with autism who had been upset about Peter Capaldi replacing Matt Smith as the 12th star to play the role of Doctor Who. He shows the special fan a photo of himself with Matt Smith to emphasize the continuity in the change of an actor.

In the video Peter Capaldi tells the girl with autism, "Matt [Smith] was really nice to me, as Jenna was too. They were both very welcoming to me when I came into the TARDIS. Matt said to me to look after Doctor Who, and he gave me his watch that he wears, and he said that, in his own way, he was happy that it was me that was coming in. So I will do my very best to be as much fun and as friendly as he is (As Quoted in Huffington Post, March 5, 2014)."

Boy with Autism: Thomas Goodall has autism and experienced intense grief when his grandmother died. Here is the video message that Peter Capaldi sent to Thomas Goodall to comfort him when his grandmother died.

Peter Capaldi wrote this letter to Thomas Goodall to encourage him after his grandmother died.

Because you see, when Clara and I are travelling around in time and space, sometimes bad things happen to us.

And you know what, Thomas? Sometimes sad things happen to us to. So, it's nice to know that there's somebody like you out there who's on our side. And you should know that we're on your side too.

So you look after yourself, and take care, and be happy.

(Source: The Guardian, Doctor Who's Peter Capaldi Sends Video Message to Bereaved Autistic Boy, November 9, 2014). 

Ross Goodall, the father of Thomas, said that he didn't think his son was going to be able to go to the funeral because of his intense experience of grief, but that the message from Peter Capaldi gave his son the courage necessary to attend his grandmother's funeral.

Wikipedia: You can learn more about Peter Capaldi at the Peter Capaldi Wikipedia Page.

Peter Capaldi uttered a very deep truth when he said, "Real heroes are all around us and uncelebrated (Peter Capaldi IMDb page." At Autism Light we strive to honor real heroes who do something special for the autism family. Special thanks to Peter Capaldi for being an Autism Light. The kindness he showed to two young fans with autism is something they will not soon forget. We wish Peter Capaldi all the best.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo of Peter Capaldi is from the Creative Commons at Wikipedia.

Stan Lee

In Memoriam
Updated on November 12, 2018

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Stan Lee (Autism Light #379) passed away on November 12, 2018, at the age of 95.  The New York Times published Stan Lee's Obituary. Stan Lee's name will be placed on the Autism Light Memorial Roll today.

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Autism Light #379 is Stan Lee.

Stan Lee

Stan Lee lives in Hollywood, California and is an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, actor, and former president of Marvel Comics. Stan Lee co-created many of the famous comic book characters such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor, and the X-Men. He was born on December 28, 1922. Stan Lee is an Autism Light because he drew Spider-Man for a birthday present for an 8 year old fan with autism named Jamel Hunter.

In November, 2014, a disabled mother named Phyllis Atwood put on a special birthday party for her 8 year old son Jamel Hunter in East Harlem, New York. Jamel loves Spider-Man so his mother gave him a Spider-Man themed party (New York Times, December 24, 2014).

Jazz musician Corky Hale, who is a neighbor of Stan Lee, heard about the love Jamel Hunter has for Spider-Man. She asked Lee to do a drawing of Spider-Man for Jamel.  Lee agreed and the sketch was signed and sent to New York Times writer Michael Wilson to personally deliver to Jamel Hunter. The account of that heartwarming gift being presented was featured in an article Michael Wilson wrote on February 20, 2015 in the New York Times.

Stan Lee told the New York Times that he wrote the Spider-Man comics, but did not draw the characters. "This was a unique experience. I'm not known as an artist, which is lucky for the world (CBS News, February 24, 2015)."

Here is a Wochit news video on Stan Lee drawing spider man for Jamel Hunter.



Wikipedia: The Wikipedia Page for Stan Lee has more information on his life.

Social Media: You can follow Stan Lee (AKA The Real Stan Lee) on the following social media areas.

• Facebook Page for Stan Lee
• Twitter @TheRealStanLee

Special thanks to Stan Lee for the personal attention he gave to make a special present for a boy with autism. This act of kindness is an example to others of how it is possible to make dreams come true for people with autism when one truly cares. 

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

Photo: The photo of Stan Lee is from the Wikipedia Commons and was taken by Edward Liu.

Joey Travolta

Autism Light #378 is Joey Travolta.

Joey Travolta is a 64 year old actor, singer, producer, director and screenwriter from California. He was born on October 14, 1950, in Englewood, New Jersey.  Joey Travolta is the founder of Inclusion Films and he has conducted camps for 15 years to give children with autism opportunities to create films. Joey Travolta is an Autism Light for spreading autism awareness and providing camps where people with autism can cultivate their talents in the film industry.

Education: Joey Travolta graduated with a degree in special education from what is now William Paterson University in New Jersey.  Joey Travolta has worked as a special education teacher in New Jersey.

Inclusion Films: Joey Travolta is the Founder and Creative Director for Inclusion Films. Inclusion Films currently has locations in Burbank, Bakersfield, Livermore, and Sacramento, California as their workshops "seek to promote the creative skills and strong work ethic of film makers with developmental disabilities, ultimately allowing them to become more independent, self confident, and well-rounded individuals (Inclusion Films Website)." The following is a video of Joey Travolta explaining the employment opportunities that have come from alumni of Inclusion Films short film camps.

Inclusion Films camps have recently been held at locations in St. Mary's College in California, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, and at Oakland University in Michigan. The following is a video of the project at Oakland University that partners with The Futures Foundation.

Family: Joey Travolta is married to Wendy Shawn and they have a daughter named Rachel. Joey Travolta is also an autism uncle. His younger brother John Travolta had a son named Jett who according to his mother Kelly Preston had autism (Huffington Post, November 20, 2012). Jett Travolta passed away in 2009 and the public revelation of his autism was announced posthumously.

Actor/Producer: To read about the dozens of film credits that Joey Travolta has been involved in over the years visit the Joey Travolta IMDb page.

Other Resources: 

• Autism Live Interview: Joey Travolta Interview done by Autism Live.
• Wikipedia: Joey Travolta Wikipedia page.

Social Media: If you want to follow Joey Travolta's work at Inclusion Films visit the following social media pages.

• Facebook Page for Inclusion Films
• Twitter @Inclusion_Films (Tweets are Protected)
• Twitter @InclusionFilms (Inclusion Films Bakersfield)
• YouTube Channel for Inclusion Films

Special thanks to Joey Travolta for the work he has done to give individuals with autism an opportunity to develop in the film and production world. Joey Travolta's work is benefiting both the individuals with autism and the short film industry. The autism community is blessed to have Joey Travolta and Inclusion Films in their corner.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

Bob and Dreama Denver

Autism Light #323 is Bob and Dreama Denver.

Bob Denver was the comic actor who starred in the sitcom Gilligan's Island. Bob Denver died on September 2, 2005, from cancer. Bob Denver was an autism father who quietly spent the last two decades of his life caring for his autistic son Colin. Bob's widow Dreama Denver is an author, speaker, runs The Denver Foundation and Little Buddy Radio, and continues to care for the couple's son Colin Denver. Bob and Dreama Denver are Autism Lights because of how their devotion to their son and their journey with autism has increased autism awareness. In addition, Bob Denver will be placed on the Autism Light Memorial Roll today.

Actor: Bob Denver starred as Gilligan in the popular sitcom Gilligan's Island which originally aired from 1964-1967.  Bob Denver also starred as Maynard G. Krebs in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, which aired from 1959-1963. You can read more about Bob Denver's career at Bob Denver's IMDb Page or the Wikipedia Page of Bob Denver. Bob Denver was not wealthy as he was only paid for the original shows he did and had no residual income from the numerous years of syndication and reruns of his beloved shows.

Autism Father: Dreama Denver shared with Fox411's Pop Tarts column about Bob Denver as an autism father.

I wanted the fans to know who he really was because he was a special, special man, especially when dealing with our son Colin, who has severe autism. I thought it was important to tell people that he set aside the last 21 years of his life to be with me and take care of our son, who had to have full-time care, [because he] didn't want me to do it alone. That speaks to the type of human being he was...He was highly intelligent, and I think that is the most surprising thing about him. He was extremely intelligent, and that didn't always come across in the characters that he played (Fox News, Wife of Late Bob Denver Says, 11/15/2012)

Little Buddy Radio: Bob and Dreama Denver founded Little Buddy Radio that provides a variety of music that comes from different decades of history. Dreama Denver continues to manage Little Buddy Radio. You can listen to the radio station online.

Foundation: Bob and Dreama Denver established The Denver Foundation in honor of their son Colin who has autism. The foundation operates in West Virginia and has a partnership with ResCare to meet the needs of special needs families in the community. You can learn more about The Denver Foundation at www.bobdenver.com/the-denver-foundation.  The following is a video where Dreama Denver reflects on Bob Denver.

Author: In September, 2012, Dreama Denver published Gilligan's Dreams: The Other Side of the Island. The book shows people that Bob Denver loved in his life and includes a discussion of his relationship wth his autistic son Colin.

Autism Mother: Dreama Denver encourages other autism mothers and widows who are caring for children with autism alone while she promotes her book on her family. She said, "Even when you get a heartbreaking diagnosis for your child -- and even when you lose the person in your life who is everything to you and shares the load with you -- that you can survive. It really is a book about hope and survival and mainly about making commitments and keeping them (WDTV.com, Wife of Deceased Actor Shares Her Story, 4/13/2013)."

Special thanks to Bob and Dreama Denver for being a light for autism. The autism community is grateful for the light of Bob and Dreama Denver and for the courage of Dreama Denver as an autism mother who continues to make a difference for autism without the support she once had of her husband Bob Denver.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

James Gandolfini

Autism Light #290 is James Gandolfini.

James Gandolfini, Jr. was a popular actor who was best known for his starring role as the mobster Tony Soprano in The Sopranos. Gandolfi was born in Westwood, New Jersey on September 18, 1961. James Gandolfini had homes in Los Angeles, California and Manhattan, New York, and his hometown was Park Ridge, New Jersey. James Gandolfini died on June 19, 2013 from a heart attack while in Rome, Italy. James Gandolfini is an Autism Light because his friendship and generosity to autism fathers extended to leaving $50,000 in his will to his college friend Doug Katz who has an autistic son named Andrew (Source). James Gandolfini will be added today to the Autism Light Memorial Roll.

Acting Career/Awards: James Gandolfini is best known for playing Tony Soprano in the HBO TV series The Sopranos which debuted in 1999 and ran through 2007. Gandolfini's exceptional career as an actor included winning three Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Golden Globes for Best Actor-Drama Series (Source). You can read more about James Gandolfini's complete career at his page at Biography.com or at IMDb. 

Here is a news story on Hollywood's reactions to James Gandolfini's Death. 

Friend of Autism Father Doug Katz: Doug Katz, a college roommate of James Gandolfini, has a 12 year old son named Andrew who has autism. Over the years James Gandolfini helped Doug Katz with some special expenses related to his autistic son, and at Gandolfini's untimely death his will included a gift of $50,000 for Doug Katz (Source).

Julie Marsh and Lorena Mongeli of the New York Post talked to Doug Katz about how much James Gandolfini had helped out through the years with their family's autism expenses. Doug Katz said this about James Gandolfini:

He got him nutritional supplements, anything Andrew needed to help him lead a better life. Jim sponsored gymnastics for my son. He always said, 'How can we help? How can we make it better?' And none of it was lip service. I'd rather have Jim alive than his money. You could never meet a nicer guy in the world. He was the glue that kept us together (Source).

Friend of Autism Father John Travolta: James Gandolfini was good friends with the actor John Travolta. John Travolta's son Jett Travolta had autism (Source). After Jett Travolta tragically died in 2009 at age 16, James Gandolfini stayed with his friend John Travolta for a week to make sure he would be okay.

Here is a video of John Travolta describing how much James Gandolfini's friendship meant to him.


Wikipedia: You can read more information about James Gandolfini on his Wikipedia page.

Special thanks to James Gandolfini for being an Autism Light and having a deep friendship with autism fathers Doug Katz and John Travolta. We mourn the loss of this generous friend who understood how financially and emotionally challenging autism can be. James Gandolfini made a real difference in two autism families, whether it was being present with John Travolta after the loss of his son or providing financial assistance to Doug Katz with his autism family expenses.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

The photo of James Gandolfini is attributed to Isabelle Vautier and is in the Creative Commons of Wikipedia.

John Schneider

Autism Light #271 is John Schneider.

John Schneider is an actor and musician from Agoura Hills, California who is probably best known for his role as "Bo Duke" in the 1980's television show The Dukes of Hazzard.  John Schneider has a personal reason for having a passion for autism causes. John Schneider's son Chasen has the form of autism known as Asperger's. John Schneider is an Autism Light for his role as an autism father, his advocacy for autism and for helping to show how actors can help the cause of autism.    Actors for Autism: The following is a Public Service Announcement that John Schneider did for Actors for Autism.  


Autism Speaks: John Schneider has worked with the autism organization Autism Speaks. John Schneider said, "My involvement is raising funds for their cause as well as speaking to people, firsthand, about the experience of raising a wonderful young man who is among those on the spectrum (Source)."
Acting Career: John Schneider has a prolific acting career. His first and most famous role was as Bo Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard, which started when he was just 18. He also starred in 100 episodes of Smallville, where he played Jonathan Kent, the father of Superman.  In addition, he had a recurring role on Dr. Quinn: Medicine Women. You can view his complete list of acting roles on his IMDb Webpage. 
The following is a video of John Schneider singing the song "Just The Good Ole' Boys" with Tom Wopat in the last performance at Nashville Now. 



Music Career: John Schneider is also a country music singer who has recorded over 10 albums. In 1985, his album, A Memory Like You featuring the song What's a Memory Like You (Doing in a Love Like This) was #1 on the charts. 
Children's Miracle Network:  In 1982, John Schneider co-founded with Marie Osmond the Children's Miracle Network to meet the needs of children while they are receiving hospital care.
Larry King Live: The following video features John Schneider with some other entertainers talking about autism on Larry King Live in 2013.
John Schneider explained that he is involved in charities that are important to him personally:

That is why I helped start the Children's Miracle Network 25 years ago. A child's experience while in a hospital happens to really mean something to me. How kids on the autism spectrum are treated and how those around them are educated about their specifics is truly important to me (Source).

Christian Faith: While living with Johnny and June Cash, John Schneider converted to Christianity (Source). Schneider continues to be  practicing Christian to this day. John Schneider also starred in the Christian movie, What Would Jesus Do?

FaithWorks Productions: John Schneider founded FaithWorks Productions in 1995 to produce family oriented films and media. Over the years many films have been produced by FaithWorks. In 2012, John Schneider produced two pro-life films in the same year (Paul Bond, Hollywood Reporter, March 29, 2012).

Advice to Parent about Autism: John Schneider has given this advice to parents of those on the autism spectrum.

Autistic kids, as well as adults, are amazing people who we can learn from. I believe the best thing you can do is to help them focus on something they are truly interested in, and you will be amazed at what they can accomplish! For example, my son, Chasen, was interested in both sport and history of body building when he was eleven. He focused and was published in two separate magazines on the sport with the byline "But what do I know...? I'm just a kid!" (This quote was taken from a website on Internet that has a broken link).

Additional Information: For more information on John Schneider visit these websites.

• John Schneider's Wikipedia Page
• John Schneider's Official Webpage

Social Media: You can follow John Schneider in the following social media areas.

• Facebook Page for John Schneider Studios - Verified 
• Twitter @John_Schneider - Verified Account
• YouTube Channel of John Schneider

Special thanks to John Schneider for all he does for those with autism. John Schneider's work as an Autism Light is an important help to the autism community.  
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
The photo of John Schneider in this post is in the Public Domain and is attributed to Phil K. Onstantin.

Joe and Arlene Mantegna

Autism Lights #215 are Joe and Arlene Mantegna.

Joe and Arlene Mantegna are from North Hollywood, California. Their oldest daughter Mia has autism and is in her twenties. Joe Mantegna is an actor and director who has endeared himself to fans for over 40 years as an entertainer. Arlene Mantegna is a businesswoman. Joe and Arlene Mantegna are Autism Lights because of how they help raise autism awareness as autism parents.

Joe Mantegna's website describes the entertainer like this: "Joe Mantegna is a world-class entertainer and a loving, devoted husband and father. With over 100 films like Searching for Bobby Fischer, The Godfather Part 3, Celebrity, Forget Paris, Liberth Heights to name a few (Source)."  He also has starred in television shows such as the popular CBS crime drama Criminal Minds.

Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame: On April 29, 2011, Joe Mantegna was awarded the 2,438th Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  He received the award for the category of live theater, a tribute to his diversity as an entertainer (Source).

Here is an interview that Joe Mantegna and Joey Travolta had with The Talk.  Joe Mantegna's daugther Mia has had success working with Inclusion Films, which was founded and run by Joey Travolta.



Joe Mantegna was featured in the following Public Service Announcement for Act Today! for Military Families, an autism organization he helps promote.  Act Today! for Military Families was Autism Light #82.



Autism Families Together Network: Arlene Mantegna is the creator of the Autism Families Togther Network.  The Autism Families Together Network is a wonderful group that helps facilitate contact with friends or professionals that can help family members with autism. They also sponosr an online support group for siblings of individuals with autism.

Social Media: You can follow Joe Mantegna on Twitter@JoeMantegna.

Websites: You can find out more information on Joe Mantegna at the following websites.

• Joe Mantegna's Wikipedia page
• Joe Mantegna's Official Website

Special thanks to Joe and Arlene Mantegna for their work in raising awareness for autism. Their efforts are a light to the cause of autism and their daughter Mia can be proud of her parents efforts. We wish them and their family the best today and in the years to come.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo of Joe Mantegna is in the Creative Commons of Wikipedia and is attributed to Dan Huse.

Gary Cole and Teddi Siddall

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.

Autism Heroes Book: Teddi and Gary Cole wrote a forward to the book Autism Heroes: Portraits of Families Meeting the Challenge, which featured 38 families dealing with autism. The book's author Dr. Barbara Firestone was Autism Light #14.

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.

• Gary Cole's Wikipedia Page
• Teddi Siddall's Wikipedia Page

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.

Sylvester Stallone and Sasha Czack

Autism Lights #213 are Sylvester Stallone and Sasha Czack.

Sylvester Stallone is an actor, director, and writer who is best known for the Rocky and Rambo film series. Sylvester "Sly" Stallone is a Hollywood icon and Californian who, like so many parents around the world, has a child with autism. Sylvester Stallone and Sasha Czack were married from 1974-1985 and had two sons together, Sage and Seargeoh. Their youngest son Seargeoh Stallone has autism and is now a 33 year old adult.  Sylvester Stallone and Sasha Czack are Autism Lights because of their dedication as autism parents and their support of autism awareness and autism charities.

Sylvester Stallone has many memorable scenes from his dozens of movies, but this scene from Rocky Balboa (2006) is very inspirational.




In 1990, Sylvester Stallone recorded the following Public Service Announcement, where he shared about having a child with autism and encouraged people to contact their local chapter of the Autism Society of America if they knew a child who has autism.




Death of Their Oldest Son Sage: Sage Stallone died at his home on July 13, 2012 (Source). His mother Sasha Czack requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent in Sage's honor to Autism Speaks.  Sage Stallone is survived by his father Sylvester Stallone, his mother Sasha Czack, and his brother Seargeoh Stallone, who has autism. Autism Light extends sympathy to all of Sage Stallone's loved ones.

Online Presence: You can follow Sylvester Stallone online at the following areas:

• Official Website: Sylvester Stallone's official website is at http://sylvesterstallone.com/.
• Wikipedia: You can read more information about Sylvester Stallone on his Wikipedia Page.
• Twitter: You can follow Sylvester Stallone on his official Twitter account @TheSlyStallone

Special thanks to Sylvester Stallone and Sasha Czack for being Autism Lights. Celebrity autism parents are in a challenging position to maintain their privacy and that of their child, when dealing with autism. Sylvester and Sasha are praised for raising autism awareness and for their dedication as parents to their autistic son Seargeoh Stallone.

Note: In an additional fitting tribute to Sylvester Stallone and Sasha Czack this post is the first in the history of Autism Light to receive over Ten Thousand (10,000) Views.


Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Photo: The photo of Sylvester Stallone is in the Creative Commons of Wikipedia and is attributed to Cage Skidmore.

Lloyd Nolan

Autism Light #207 is Lloyd Nolan.

    
Lloyd Nolan was a 20th Century film actor and also a father of a boy named Jay who had autism. Lloyd Nolan was born on August 11, 1902 in San Francisco, California and passed away on September 27, 1985 in Los Angeles.  Lloyd Nolan is being named an Autism Light posthumously because of what he did for autism awareness efforts in the 1970's as a celebrity and Autism Father.

Lloyd Nolan's son Jay was one of the earliest individuals to be diagnosed with autism, having received his confidential diagnosis in the 1940's.  While Jay Nolan was growing up it was not common for celebrity families to discuss having a child with autism. Jay Nolan passed away in 1970 at the youthful age of 27 from choking on some food.  A few year's after his son's death, Lloyd Nolan helped further the national dialogue on autism by sharing with the public that his son Jay had been severely affected by autism and had in fact been living in an institution from age 13 till his untimely death.  Lloyd Nolan shared these words in 1974.

It's important for parents of autistic youngsters to know that this problem strikes all economic, social, and intellectual levels of our society...The amazing thing is that autistic children can hear and understand everything that is said to them, But they are unable to communicate... I haven't talked about my own personal problem and my son because my wife was terribly sensitive about it. But now we've both agreed to work hard to spare other people the hell we went through.  [Source: Schnectady Gazette, May 17, 1974]

Jay Nolan Community Services: In 1975 Lloyd Nolan founded the Jay Nolan Autistic Center in honor of his son, which is today known as Jay Nolan Community Services.  The organization supports individuals with autism and other disabilities so they can live independently and not be in need of institutional care. According to their website,

Today Jay Nolan Community Services is the leading provider of personalized support services in California, with most of its clients concentrated in Southern California, particularly Los Angeles, Santa Clara and surrounding counties (Source).

Here is a video on how present day lives are being touched by Jay Nolan Community Services.  The organization is a legacy of Lloyd Nolan's autism efforts 35 years ago.


Save Autistic Children Telethon: Lloyd Nolan also was a host of the Save Autistic Children Telethon, the first ever telethon for children with autism in the United States. That telethon took place from 1977-1984.

National Society for Autistic Children:  Lloyd Nolan served as the honorary chair for the National Society for Autistic Children which is now the Autism Society of America.

Film Career: Lloyd Nolan appeared in dozens of movies and television episodes over his lengthy career as an actor in the 20th Century. One of Lloyd Nolan's more memorable contributions to the historical television themes on autism was probably when he appeared in Season 3, Episode 4 (Oct. 19, 1978) of the television series Quincy M.E. in the episode called A Test for Living. The episode did not have any dead bodies or the typical Quincy autopsy in it but focused on the crusade of Quincy and Lloyd Nolan's character (a physician specializing in autism) to help a child with autism obtain the proper diagnosis from school officials in order to qualify for an autism program and thereby avoiding having to be insitutionalized.

Wikipedia: You can find out more about Lloyd Nolan on his Wikipedia page.

Lloyd Nolan is an important figure in the history of autism not only for his autism adovcacy but for his example of eventually sharing about his son's diagnosis, in an era when celebrities were often silent about similar situations. Lloyd Nolan's name will be also be added to the Autism Light Memorial Roll today.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Ed Asner

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Autism Light Classic
Updated on July 16, 2014.

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Autism Light #93 is Ed Asner.

Edward "Ed" Asner is an actor and television legend who lives in Los Angeles, California. He was born on November 15, 1929. Ed Asner is both a father and a grandfather of individuals with autism. Ed Asner is probably best known for his role as Lou Grant on the Mary Tyler Moore Show.  Ed Asner is an Autism Light because of his advocacy on behalf of autism.

Family: Ed Asner has two generations of children with autism in his family.

1. His son Charles Asner (b. 1987) has autism.  
2. His grandson Will through his son Matthew Asner has autism.  

Emmy: Ed Asner won an Emmy for his famous role as Lou Grant in the Mary Tyler Moore Show. A list of all the films is on the Ed Asner IMDb page. In his career as an actor he also served as President of the Screen Actors Guild from 1981-1985. Here is a video where Ed Asner shares memories about the cast of the Mary Tyler Moore Show.


Autism Advocacy: Ed Asner has been an advocate for autism. He notes that autism is a pandemic and if the numbers keep growing it will be the norm to be on the Autism Spectrum and it will be abnormal to be outside of it (Thriving With Autism Blog, 10/20/2011).

Winston School Conversation Series: Ed Asner was the keynote speaker at the Winston School Conversation Series (June, 2009). He presented on the topic “Living Life on the Spectrum: Student and Parent Perspectives on Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.”

Aspiritech: Ed Asner has served on the Board of Directors of Aspiritech, a company in Chicago that employs individuals with autism for technological testing services.

Autism Speaks Award: Ed Asner has been a longtime supporter of Autism Speaks. On July 19, 2010, Autism Speaks gave a luncheon in Los Angeles in honor of Ed Asner for all of his support over the years for Autism Speaks.

Fundraising: In November, 2012, it was announced that Ed Asner had invented a way for Autism Speaks to raise funds by getting celebrities to record personal greetings for individuals. The cost is $299 and the greetings must be PG (CBS LosAngeles, 11/21/2012, Ed Asner Invents Novel Fundraising Idea Using Celebrity Voices).

Media: Here are two parts of an interview Ed Asner did for the Faces of Autism documentary that is on YouTube.

Social Media: For more information on Ed Asner visit these social media links:

• Ed Asner's Facebook Page
• Ed Asner's Twitter Page @TheOnlyEdAsner

Wikipedia Page: You can read more about Ed Asner on Ed Asner's Wikipedia Page.

Special thanks to Ed Asner for being an Autism Light in the unique ways his celebrity status provides him. Ed Asner is well deserving of being the first actor to represent parents and grandparents of those with autism on Autism Light.
  
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
    
Photo: The photos used in this post is in the Public Domain. Image sources:  Ed Asner (1985); Ed Asner (2006).