Jordan Spieth

Autism Light #420 is Jordan Spieth.

Jordan Spieth is a professional golfer and is an autism brother from Dallas, Texas. Jordan's younger sister Ellie Spieth has autism and has inspired him on his amazing trip to the top of the golfing world at just age 21 (he was born on July 27, 1993). Jordan Spieth is an Autism Light for his brotherly love, autism advocacy and for starting The Jordan Spieth Family Foundation that will help secure educational opportunities for those with autism and special needs.

The following was posted on Twitter by Jordan to honor his sister Ellie.

Hangin out with the true athlete of the family #Ellie #diva @StevenSpieth pic.twitter.com/Ip8RqYUATD

— Jordan Spieth (@JordanSpieth) May 10, 2013

Early Career: Jordan Spieth won the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2009 and 2011. He played college golf for a year and a half at the University of Texas. In the middle of his Sophomore season in 2012, he made the decision to turn professional at age 19.

PGA Golfing Career: Jordan Spieth has had immediate success as a professional golfer. He is ranked 2nd in the world at the time this post was written. The list of major championships he has won include:

• Masters (2015)
• U.S. Open (2015)
• John Deere Classic (2013 and 2015)
• Emirates Australian Open (2014)

The following is an interview Jordan Spieth did on CBS This Morning where he talks about his golfing and inspirational sister Ellie.

About His Sister Ellie:  When asked about the impact he has had from his sister Ellie and her journey with autism, Jordan Spieth said this:

"How has she shaped my upbringing? Well, she's the most special part of our family. She's the funniest part of our family. I love having her around. She's an incredible sister, my biggest supporter. She is somebody who you can watch and then reflect on the big picture of life and understand that all these frustrations in a day, or in a round of golf, are really secondary. We wouldn't have that realization without her (Jordan Spieth as quoted by CNN.com, April 14, 2015)."

The Jordan Spieth Family Foundation: Jordan Spieth is quoted as saying, "Being Ellie's brother humbles me every day of my life." Ellie's journey with autism has inspired Jordan to use his success to start The Jordan Spieth Family Foundation. The Foundation website says, "This opportunity to find better educational solutions for incredible young people like Ellie remains the primary focus of The Jordan Spieth Family Foundation." Military families and junior golf are also two subjects that will benefit from The Jordan Spieth Foundation.

The following is a PGA Tour video about Jordan Spieth's story of success.

Wikipedia: You can read more about Jordan Spieth on his Wikipedia Page.

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

• Facebook Page for Jordan Spieth
• Twitter @JordanSpieth

Special thanks to Jordan Spieth for being an Autism Light. Jordan's autism advocacy, his foundation, and his promotion that his sister who has autism has helped keep him grounded are shining a light for autism. We wish Jordan Spieth all the best in his pro golfing career. We have the feeling that this post will be updated several times in the years to come as Jordan reaches new heights in the field of golfing and autism advocacy.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Matt Kemp

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Autism Light Classic
Updated on March 20, 2018

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Autism Light #340 is Matt Kemp.

Matt Kemp is a professional baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Matt Kemp's younger brother Carlton has autism. Matt Kemp is an Autism Light for being a dedicated autism brother and for his efforts over the years of fundraising for Talk About Curing Autism.

Ante Up for Autism:  Under the celebrity leadership of Matt Kemp, the 8th Annual Ante up for Autism event was held November 8, 2014. Here is a video featuring Matt Kemp at raising funds for autism at his charity poker event called Ante Up for Autism. More information on this autism fundraiser is available at www.anteupforautism.org.


Autism Brother: Matt Kemp has an important relationship with his brother Carlton who has autism. He even has a tatto of his brother Carlton's name on his left shoulder. Matt Kemp credits the organization Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) for giving him hope and helping his brother. He said: 

When my brother, Carlton, became one of more than 1.5 million people affected by autism, it was a confusing blow to me. I have always wanted a little brother that I could play ball with, but Carlton's impaired ability to socially interact and communicate made it impossible for that to happen. TACA has given me hope that playing ball with him in the near future is a possibility (Kemp, Stewart co-host autism benefit, Taylor Price, MLB.com, 3/15/2009).

Baseball Career:  Matt Kemp was born on September 23, 1984. He is an Outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers. His entire career statistics in real time are on the Matt Kemp Page on ESPN. Matt Kemp has been on the all star teams in 2011-2012 and won the Gold Glove Award in 2009 and 2011. In 2011, Kemp became the first player to finish in the top two in both home runs and steals since Hank Aaron accomplished this in 1963.

Fans:  Matt Kemp gave his shirt and shoes to a disabled fan who had cancer in the 2013 season. 

Kemp's Kids: Matt Kemp created and sponsors  a community initiative called Kemp's Kids. According to Matt Kemp's website, Kemp started the initiative to allow inner city youth the opportunity to experience major league baseball. See therealmattkemp.com/kids/ for more information on this worthy program. 
Social Media: You can follow Matt Kemp on the following social media areas.

• Facebook - The Real Matt Kemp
• Twitter @TheRealMattKemp

Website: Matt Kemp's website is therealmattkemp.com. You can find out more about Matt Kemp's charities and life on this website. 

Wikipedia: You can also find out more about Matt Kemp on the Matt Kemp Wikipedia Page.

Special thanks to Matt Kemp for his efforts to make a difference for autism. His personality as an athlete, autism brother, and autism advocate in the San Diego community is an inspiration to many. The autism community is blessed to have Matt Kemp batting for our team. 
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Photo: The photo of Matt Kemp in this post is from Creative Commons of Wikipedia. 

Spencer Timme

Autism Light #286 is Spencer Timme.

Spencer Timme is 20 years old and was born in San Diego, California. He currently lives in Norfolk, Virginia where he attends James Madison University. Spencer's older brother Mitchel has autism. Spencer Timme is an Autism Light for the special relationship he has with his brother Mitchel who has autism.

The following is a video that Spencer Timme developed about "What it's like to have a Brother with Autism". The video has had over 122,000 views as of today and it was featured on the Most Watched Today Website. In the description of the video, Spencer Timme wrote, "A short video I made about what is like to have an older brother with autism. I hope you enjoy it and see how blessed I am to have Mitchel as my brother. I love him to death and I want everyone to see how awesome our bond is!"

In the above video, Spencer Timme says about his brother Mitchel. "Our relationship is special. Not one person understands him the way I do. Our bond is strong. He is the most important person to me. I'll always protect him. He is my brother."
Student: Spencer Timme is a student at James Madison University in Norfolk, Virginia. He is a majoring in International Marketing/Business Spanish and is scheduled to graduate in 2014.  While in school he is working as a Product Tester for Nike and he is serving as a Marketing Intern at Hampton Roads Piranhas.
Advice to Other Autism Siblings: Spencer Timme provided this advice via Autism Light to pass on to other autism siblings about improving their relationship with their autistic brother or sister.  

Some advice I have is for the siblings to have patience with their autistic sibling. I can tell right away when my brother feels any sort of anxiety and I try my best to never rush him with anything and let him do things at his pace. Another huge bit of advice is just to make your presence known around your sibling. Not in an authoritative way but for instance if he or she is watching TV, just hang out in the same room with them. Even though sometimes it isn't acknowledged, they know you're there. My brother and I are very comfortable around each other and I think that comes with time of just being around each other even though sometimes we are just silently doing our own activities. 

You can follow Spencer Timme on the following social media areas.

• Facebook Page
• LinkedIn
• Twitter @TheYoungGooner_
• YouTube Channel

Special thanks to Spencer Timme for being an Autism Light and giving the autism community a glimpse at his relationship with his brother. We look forward to hearing amazing things in the future about Spencer and Mitchel. If you wish to email Spencer Timme and share your autism stories you can contact him at timmesc@dukes.jmu.edu.

If you enjoyed this post you may wish to read about the other Autism Lights with the label Siblings. These people share the special perspective in their story of having a sibling with autism.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

The photo in this post was used with permission of Spencer Timme.

Dan and Will Haggerty

Autism Lights #270 are Dan and Will Haggerty.

Dan and Will Haggerty are brothers who are members of the swim team at Wissahickon High School in Amber, Pennyslvania. Dan is 17 and Will is 15. In addition to swimming talent, the two brothers share a diagnosis of autism. Dan and Will Haggerty are Autism Lights for being and inspiration and demonstrating the pure enthusiasm for swimming that should be the winning trademark of all sports.

Channel 6 ABC in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania did a news story on Dan and Will Haggerty and their success in swimming.


Plymouth Whitemarsh Special Olympics: Dan and Will Haggerty began their swimming experience about four years ago when they joined the Plymouth Whitemarsh Special Olympics swim team. Their initial devotion involved practicing an hour a week for 7 months during the school year (Source).

Dan and Will Haggerty have enjoined success in the swimming pool and that has greatly increased their confidence.  Their Coach John High reflected on their first swim meet: "They jumped out of the water and they were like 'I won.' As they walked down the deck, I turned and the entire team was there giving them high fives, and hugs. It was totally unprompted and extremely heartwarming (Source)."

Dan and Will Haggerty's mother, Susan Haggerty said, "Over the years, it's been hard, but situations like this, having the chance to let them shine and show some skills. We knew they could swim, we just didn't know they could swim on this level. It was the most incredible experience (Source)."
Online Articles: The following articles have been written about Dan and Will Haggerty.

• Montgomery News (February 15, 2013)
• ABC News (February 28, 2013)

Special thanks to Dan and Will Haggerty for showing parents and individuals with autism how it is possible to be successful at swimming. We wish them the best in their high school career as swimmers and in all their endeavors. They are truely two brothers who are an inspiration for autism. 
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Joshua Bennett

Autism Light #253 is Joshua Bennett.

Today on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day we want to honor a fantastic up and coming young poet of our day who like the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is using his peaceful words to speak out for both social justice and autism justice. Joshua Bennett is a poet from Yonkers, New York who has three disabled siblings. His younger brother Levi has Autism, his older sister is deaf, and his other brother has schizophrenia. Joshua Bennett wrote a poem called "Levi" in order to honor his brother and to draw attention to the plight of all those who are living with autism in our society.  Joshua Bennett is an Autism Light because of the autism awareness his poem "Levi" brings to the collection of the world's greatest social poetry. 
The following is the graduation speech that Joshua Bennett gave in 2010 for the College of Arts at the University of Pennsylvania. In the speech Joshua Bennett shares the simple piece of wisdom his mother shared with him that, "People learn how to treat you based on what you accept from them."  

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Education: Joshua Barnett's website lists his extensive education this way. "An alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania, Joshua graduated with the distinctions of Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude, after double majoring in English and Africana Studies. In addition to receiving a Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship, Joshua was also awarded a Marshall Scholarship and earned his Masters of Arts in Theatre and Performance Studies from the University of Warwick in the UK. He is currently pursuing a PhD in English from Princeton University. Joshua thanks God for his gift, and is grateful for, and humbled by, the opportunity to inspire others (Source)."
The following is the Joshua Bennett presenting the poem "Levi" that he wrote for his brother who has autism.  
Bennett concludes the poem "Levi" with these piercing words: "Tell them Levi is just shorthand for levitate. That your calling is is to the clouds and you would pay them a lot more attention but you are simply too busy having a conversation with God right now. Then smile for them. Smile big. Smile pretty. Teach their wounded souls how to fly because you were made that way. A genius with jellyfish for words. A divine poem destined for the sky (Joshua Bennett)." 
Poetry Experience: The Strivers Row lists the varied venues where Joshua Bennett has presented at:

He was a featured poet on the HBO series Russell Simmons presents Brave New Voices. He has recited his original works at events and venues such as The Sundance Film Festival, The NAACP Image Awards, The Kennedy Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Poetry Africa and President Obama's Evening of Poetry and Music at the White House. He has also performed on BBC Radio Oxford, alongside former U.S. Poet Laureates Billy Collins and Rita Dove, at the Du Bois Institute Panel as a guest of Henry Louis Gates, and opened for Dr. Cornel West (Source).

Opened for Dr. Cornel West: Joshua Bennett performance when he opened at Martin Luther King event with Dr. Cornel West at the Rochester Institute of Technology is available on YouTube at this link. Website: You can read more from Joshua Bennett at his Tumblr Blog. 
Booking: Joshua Bennett is represented by The Strivers Row artists management who specialize in spoken word artists. For booking email info@thestriversrow.com.
Social Media: You can follow Joshua Bennett on the following social media areas.

• Facebook
• Twitter @SirJoshBennett
• YouTube - Strivers Row

Joshua Bennett is a prolific user of Twitter. This is one of his recent Tweets where he shares and inspires.

Small things. At this moment of my life, it's about a clean house and a clean heart. Double emphasis on both.
— Joshua Bennett (@SirJoshBennett) January 15, 2013

Special thanks to Joshua Bennett for using his amazing talent to be an Autism Light. We look forward to hearing more poems from him in the future as he speaks out for social justice and autism justice.

If you enjoyed this post you may wish to read about the other Autism Lights with the label Siblings. These people share the special perspective in their story of having a sibling with autism. Also, if you are interested in additional information on autism and Martin Luther King, Jr. day please read our Martin Luther King, Jr. day feature in 2012 on King Richard. 

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

The photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. in this post is in the Creative Commons of Wikipedia and is from the National Archives and Records Administration.

Michael Gibbons

Autism Light #251 is Michael Gibbons.

Michael Gibbons is a prizefighter/boxer from Birmingham, Alabama. Michael Gibbons has a brother with autism. To honor his brother, Michael Gibbons has supported Alabama's chapter of the Autism Society of America through one of his fights. Michael Gibbons is an Autism Light for raising awareness for autism through his platform as a fighter.   Boxing Career: Michael Gibbons (A.K.A. "The Godfather") is a prizefighter who made his debut in 2007. Wikipedia describes Michael Gibbons as a: 

left-handed lightweight prizefighter known for his uncanny ability to make people miss him with punches. He is the reigning Southern Championship Boxing Council Junior Welterweight Champion and as an amateur won the 2004 Alabama State Golden Gloves title, 2005 Alabama State Golden Gloves title, 2006 Alabama State Golden Gloves 132-pound open division championship. He also won the 2005 Southeastern Association Championship (Source).

Here is a video of Michael Gibbons announcing a fight he was planning for February 27, 2009 vs. Mike Williams to support the Autism Society of Alabama. He also shares how autism has impacted his family. 

Other Media: You can learn more about Michael "The Godfather" Gibbons in the following online pieces:

• Beyond Ringside Interview (2010)
• MySpace video of Michael Gibbons First Fight in 2007
• Wikipedia Page

Special thanks to Michael Gibbons for raising awareness for autism. His brother can be very proud of the efforts he is doing to support the cause of autism. If you enjoyed this post you may wish to read about the other Autism Lights with the label Siblings. These people share the special perspective in their story of having a sibling with autism.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Photo: The photo in this post of Michael Gibbons is in the Wikipedia commons. 

Dillon Howard

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Autism Light Classic
Updated on June 5, 2015. 

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Autism Light #34 is Dillon Howard.

Dillon Howard is 22 and from Searcy, Arkansas. His brother Ben has autism. Dillon Howard was born on July 1, 1992, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Dillon signed a professional contract with the Cleveland Indians that included a $1.85 million signing bonus after being drafted in the 2nd round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft. Dillon Howard is an Autism Light for his generosity to an autism charity in honor of his brother Ben who has autism.  

High School: In his last year of high school baseball in Searcy, Arkansas he posted a 9-1 record with a 0.31 ERA.

Cleveland Indians: The Cleveland Indians Minor League Magazine did a Focus on the Future feature on Dillon Howard's signing on August 30, 2011. Below is the YouTube video of the feature on Dillon Howard.

In honor of his brother Ben who has autism, Dillon gave a portion of his signing bonus to an autism charity in the area.  He selected the Milestones Autism Organization in Beachwood, Ohio near Cleveland to receive his generous donation. The organization lists their mission on their website as "to promote life-long strategies of success for individuals with autism, from childhood through adulthood."

For more information on Dillon Howard's journey with autism in his family and his donation read articles which were written by Stephanie Storm of the Akron Beacon Journal and by Zack Meisel of MLB.com. 

Baseball-Reference.com has a statistics page for him of his minor league record. In April, 2014, Dillon Howard decided to leave professional baseball (Arkansas Online, April 15, 2014).

Special thanks to Dillon Howard for being an Autism Light. We wish you all the best in life and as an autism brother to Ben.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

Christian Mast

Autism Light #26 is Christian Mast.

11 year old Christian Mast is from Upstate New York. Christian has autism and he spreads light to the autism community by being an author, fundraiser, and autism advocate. Christian also is an autism sibling as his brother Carter has autism. Christian Mast is an Autism Light because he is making a practical difference in his community by being an autism advocate, partnering with causes such as the Colgate Women's Ice Hockey Team's Autism Awareness project. In addition, he is a fundraiser who is currently working on a project to benefit Autism Speaks. 

Colgate Women's Ice Hockey Team: Christian enjoys both playing hockey himself and watching great hockey. He is a super fan of the Colgate Women's Ice Hockey Team and helped designed the uniforms they will wear to kickoff their 2nd Annual Autism Awareness project the first weekend of February, 2012. Head Coach Scott Wiley said this about Christian:

Christian has become a part of the Colgate women's hockey family over the past year. He is an extremely talented, caring and inspiring individual and we are excited to give him an opportunity to show his creativity through designing this year's autism awareness jersey (Source).

For more information on the the hockey team visit their Autism Light post about their being designated Autism Lights #80. A news story on Christian Mast was written by Colgate University and a video of Christian talking about designing uniforms for the project is included here.

Fundraising for Autism Dog: Christian Mast seems to have a special gift for creative fundraising. A past fundraising venture came in 2009 when Christian authored a 24 page children's book called "Attack of the Killer Dinosaur Frogs", which helped raise some of the money needed for his family's acquisition of a Four Paws For Ability Dog, a Golden Retriever named Jetta. Christian's brother Carter also has autism. 

Fundraising for Autism Speaks: Christian is actively involved in fundraising for his local chapter of Autism Speaks, including a walk for autism, selling toys, and running a lemonade stand. He is currently working on a goal of selling puzzle pieces to raise $1 Million dollars for Autism Speaks. He has created a Facebook page called "A Million Pieces for Autism" to help spread the word about his project and also to raise awareness for autism. He has over 500 likes of the Facebook page as of January 30, 2012.

The project is gaining energy. Jeanne Sager wrote an article on Christian Mast at The Stir of Cafemom.com.   Also, the blog Developmental Disabilities in the News featured a post on how through this fundraising Christian is forming social relationships and breaking myths about how people with autism are supposed to act. If everyone who hears of this will give just $1.00, $1 million can be secured as the porject goes "viral" through the widespread reach of social media like Facebook and blogs on the Internet.

Want to support Christian's cause?
Make checks out to Autism Speaks and send to:
Autism Speaks
10 Orchard Terrace
Sodus, NY  14551.

Donations can also be made via Paypal under the email address mommyofautism@gmail.com. All it takes is $1 to purchase a puzzle piece!  Autism Light made a donation and decided the fastest way to donate was through Paypal. You can follow Christian's fundraising progress at anytime by viewing his Autism Speaks Donation Page. 

Special thanks to Christian Mast for being an Autism Light! His efforts are an inspiration to the autism community. Something tells us this Autism Light is just beginning to make a big mark for the cause of autism. 

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

Photo: Photo in this post used with permission of Erin Mast.