Jason Allison

Autism Light #383 is Jason Allison. 

Jason Allison is the assistant coach for the men's basketball team at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. He was born on July 23, 1976.  Jason is married to Hope (McLaughlin) Allison. Jason Allison is an autism father. His 8 year old soon Riley and 6 year old son Ryder both have autism. Jason Allison is an Autism Light for his advocacy for autism as an assistant basketball coach.

Jason Allison earned his B.A. in Physical Education from Liberty University in 1999. He played basketball at Liberty University from 1995-1998. Jason Allison was hired by Appalachian State University to be the Assistant Coach in 2014. He served from 2005-2014 as the Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Virginia Military Institute. You can read the complete details about Jason Allison's experience at the Appalachian State Athletics Website.

Here is a video about the journey of Jason Allison's family in the world of autism that was used by the Appalachian State Men's Basketball program to promote their Autism Awareness Game against Troy on February 7, 2015.



Top Fundraiser in Coaches Powering Forward for Autism: Coaches Powering Forward for Autism partners with Autism Speaks and funds raised benefit the work of Autism Speaks. Appalachian State University participated in the campaign in their game against Troy on February 7, 2015. Thanks in part to Jason and Hope Allison's passion for autism, Jason's head coach Jim Fox was the top fundraiser on the Coaches Powering Forward for Autism campaign for 2015. As of March 28, 2015, Jason Allison had raised $2,457 of the $3,799 raised for autism on behalf of the Appalachian State University Basketball Team.

Jason Allison described part of the autism awareness that arises from the Coaches Powering Forward for Autism campaign that doesn't involve the fundraising. "We wear pins on our suits and it catches people's attention. It's something the rest of America has the opportunity to look at, ask questions, research and learn about. It is one of the better ways that we can draw attention to this on going process (As Quoted by Kayla May, The Appalachian, February 10, 2015)."

Building Autism Awareness for College Students:  Jason Allison said, "[Autism affects] one in 68 children now and the number is increasing. The student body will come in contact with autism at some point in their life, whether it's a family member or their own children. If it's something they can learn about now they can be aware of it. It won't hit them blind like it did me and my wife (As Quoted by Kayla May, The Appalachian, February 10, 2015)."

Social Media:  You can follow Jason Allison on Twitter@JAllison10.

'Autism Awareness in College Hoops' is this weekend. Thx to @CoachPatSkerry for bringing attention to it. My boys! pic.twitter.com/HMl47NpjYU — Jason Allison (@JAllison10) January 31, 2014

Special thanks to Jason Allison for being an Autism Light. His dedication as a father of two boys with autism is an example to other fathers. The way in which he uses his position as an assistant coach to raise autism awareness is a light for the autism community. We wish Jason Allison continued success as an autism father and coach.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Joe McKeown

Autism Light #382 is Joe McKeown.

Joe McKeown is the coach of the women's basketball team at Northwestern University near Chicago, Illinois. He was born on May 12, 1956. Joe McKeown is also an Autism Father. His 20 year old son Joey has autism. Joe McKeown is an Autism Light in part for how he uses his position as the coach of a Division I NCAA basketball program to spread autism awareness. But ultimately Joe is an Autism Light because of his dedication to place his role as an autism father above his coaching career.

Joe McKeown has been a women's basketball coach since 1986. In June, 2008, Joe McKeown unexpectedly left his highly successful position as the women's basketball coach at George Washington University to take over as the coach for a struggling Northwestern program. His move was not to advance his career, but it was for his son Joey to have better educational opportunities available him in the Chicagoland area.

Those closest to McKeown knew his decision to take over Northwestern's long-struggling program had nothing to do with basketball. McKeown was leaving because his high school-bound son, Joey, had been diagnosed with autism and educational resources were lacking in Northern Virginia (The Washington Post, Gene Wang, February 28, 2015).

Being a coach in a rebuilding program is a challenge. After several average years at Northwestern, coach Joe McKeown had a breakthrough year in the 2014-2015 season where his team won 23 games and they were selected for a birth in the Women's NCAA Tournament, losing in the first round to Arkansas. During this season he passed 600 wins in his coaching career. Here is a video congratulating Joe McKeown on the milestone of 600 wins.

Autism Awareness:  In 2008, Joe McKeown brought a case to Congress to battle for autism awareness. Although he lost that fight with the government he was determined after that to do what he could to raise awareness as a coach (Northwestern Wears Blue for Autism, Chicago Talks, May 12, 2014).  Kaitlyn Cubacub wrote about the autism awareness legacy that Coach Joe McKeown brought with him to Northwestern in 2008,

This was wear Northwestern sports made their turnaround. The women's basketball team changed their game plan, it wasn't so much about winning anymore, it was deeper than a victory. Their mission now was to create autism awareness at every game they could. Whether it be wearing autism awareness pins or holding fundraisers throughout the season, the team made sure that every opportunity didn't go untouched (Kaitlyn Cubacub, Northwestern Wears Blue for Autism, Chicago Talks, May 12, 2014)

Under Coach Joe McKeown's leadership, the Northwestern University Women's Basketball Team has an annual Autism Awareness Game. During this home game the Northwestern fans are encouraged to wear blue for autism awareness. They also open the event to autism families in the Chicagoland to enjoy a special day with their kids in a wonderful atmosphere. In addition, the team participates with other Northwestern athletes in an annual walk for autism at Chicago's Soldier Field.

Playing Career: The Northwestern Sports website says that,

As a player, McKeown earned Junior College National Small Player of the Year honors at Mercer College in Trenton, N.J. He helped the team to a 33-1 record and a spot in the NJCAA Championship game. McKeown transferred to Kent State the following season, where was the co-captain of the Golden Flashes as a senior and earned honorable mention All-Mid-American Conference honors. His school-record 15 assists in a game still stands (Northwestern Sports, Joe McKeown Bio).

.@jasondorow writes that Joe McKeown has #Northwestern ready to compete on the big stage: http://t.co/mV65MELyov pic.twitter.com/Li2eZbtUKa
— Inside NU (@insidenu) March 3, 2015

On Dealing With Schools:  Joe McKeown said this about the difficulty faced by autism parents in educating their special needs children.

We've all fought over the years just trying to create awareness and trying to get the kids better opportunities and schools and not be pushed to the side. That's still our biggest fight. The principals and education systems. Every school you talk to is broke. Every state in the country is broke. The laws are there. It's just being able to enforce the laws and make sure these kids get the money that's supposed to be allocated (Joe McKeown as Quoted by Neil Hayes, November 23, 2012).

Other Information: You can read more about Joe McKeown and his work with autism in these online news stories:

• At Northwestern, Joe McKeown Balances Family and Winning (Washington Post, February 28, 2015)
• Northwestern Wears Blue for Autism (Chicago Talks, May 12, 2014)
• Women's Basketball to Host Autism Awareness Game (Inside Northwestern Sports, November 23, 2012)
• Coach, Family Find Right Fit at NU (ESPN.com, February 2, 2011)

Wikipedia: The Wikipedia Page for Joe McKeown has more information on his life and coaching career statistics.

Special thanks to Joe McKeown for spreading autism awareness.  As a legendary coach of a top team in the nation he has a remarkable opportunity to raise autism awareness. His dedication as an autism father is an example to others who have children with autism. We wish Joe McKeown continued success as an autism father and coach.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Tom Herrion

Autism Light #381 is Tom Herrion.

Tom Herrion is the Assistant Coach of the men's basketball team at Georgia Tech. He was born on November 13, 1967. Tom Herrion is also an Autism Father. His 9 year old son Robert has autism. Tom Herrion is an Autism Light for his willingness to use his role as an autism father and an assistant coach of a Division I NCAA basketball program to spread autism awareness.

Basketball Career: Tom Herrion played basketball in college for Merrimack College from 1985-1986. Tom Herrion was hired by Georgia Tech Coach Brian Gregory to be his assistant coach on September 18, 2014. He has 147 career wins as a head coach at College of Charleston and Marshall University. Follow the future success of his team at the Georgia Tech Men's Basketball Page.

Coaches Powering Forward for Autism: Tom Herrion and Pat Skerry started the Coaches Powering Forward for Autism campaign in 2014. Both coach Herrion and Skerry have sons with autism. In 2014 they presented their fellow coaches across the NCAA with the request to wear the Autism Speaks blue puzzle piece during televised games the first weekend of February. In its first year (2014), "More than 82 NCAA coaches and broadcasters took to the sidelines and airwaves throughout the weekend wearing the pin (Autism Speaks Press Release, January 15, 2015)."

Coaches Powering Forward for Autism partners with Autism Speaks and funds raised benefit the work of Autism Speaks. The campaign was in place in 2015 for the televised games on the weekend of February 6-8, 2015. The Coaches Powering Forward for Autism fundraising page lists the coaching leaders in this autism awareness campaign in 2015. The top 3 coaches in 2015 in fundraising for autism as of March 23, 2015 are:

1. Coach Jim Fox, Appalachian State University
2. Coach Mike Krzyzewski, Duke University
3. Coach Mike Brey, Notre Dame University

Both Duke and Notre Dame have teams that are experiencing success on the court in the 2015 NCAA Final Four Tournament as well.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said, "There's so many good things that have happened for these youngsters, and so to help in some way is an easy thing to do. And Tom's a great guy, and so we'll participate in that, definitely, and feel proud and honored to do it  (Atlanta Constitution, February 5, 2015).

Liz Feld, president of Autism Speaks said, "Pat (Skerry) and Tom (Herrion) are advocates in every sense of the word. Last year's campaign was a true grassroots effort, and it continues to grow under the Coaches Powering Forward for Autism banner with far more coaches and broadcasters engaged. In addition, Pat and Tom have become great ambassadors for Autism Speaks attending events across the country that demonstrate the importance of participation and volunteerism (Autism Speaks Press Release, January 15, 2015)."

Here is a video of Tom Herrion giving a speech at an Autism Speaks event.

Other Information: You can read more about Tom Herrion and his work with autism in these online news stories:

• Georgia Tech Assistant Coach Driving Autism Awareness (Atlanta Constitution, February 5, 2015)
• GT Assistant Coach Tom Herrion's Belief Helped Create this Weekend's Coaches Powering Forward for Autism (Georgia Tech Sports, February 6, 2015)
• Coach with Son on the Spectrum Raising Autism Awareness (Autism Speaks, February 6, 2015)

Wikipedia: The Wikipedia Page for Tom Herrion has more information on his life and coaching career statistics.

Social Media: You can follow Tom Herrion on Twitter at @CoachTomHerrion.

Special thanks to Tom Herrion for spreading autism awareness. His leadership in Coaches Powering Forward for Autism has indeed had an impact around the United States. We wish Tom Herrion all the best in the future as an autism father, coach, and autism advocate.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Pat Skerry

Autism Light #380 is Pat Skerry.

Pat Skerry is the head coach of the men's basketball team at Towson University in Maryland. He was born on January 21, 1970. Pat Skerry is also an Autism Father. His 5 year old son Owen has autism. Pat Skerry is an Autism Light for his willingness to use his role as an autism father and coach of a Division I NCAA basketball program to spread autism awareness.

Basketball Career: Pat Skerry played college basketball at Tufts University from 1988-1992 and set the career record for assists (634) and the season record (198) at Tufts. Pat Skerry has served as the coach of Towson University Tigers' men's basketball team since the 2011-2012 season. He has 80 career wins as a head coach, including two years coaching at Curry College. Follow the future success of his team at the Towson Athletic Website.

Coaches Powering Forward for Autism: Pat Skerry and Tom Herrion started the Coaches Powering Forward for Autism campaign in 2014. Both coach Skerry and Herrion have sons with autism. In 2014 they presented their fellow coaches across the NCAA with the request to wear the Autism Speaks blue puzzle piece during televised games the first weekend of February. In its first year (2014), "More than 82 NCAA coaches and broadcasters took to the sidelines and airwaves throughout the weekend wearing the pin (Autism Speaks Press Release, January 15, 2015)."

Coaches Powering Forward for Autism partners with Autism Speaks and funds raised benefit the work of Autism Speaks. The campaign was in place in 2015 for the televised games on the weekend of February 6-8, 2015. The Coaches Powering Forward for Autism fundraising page lists the coaching leaders in this autism awareness campaign in 2015. The top 3 coaches in 2015 in fundraising for autism as of March 22, 2015 are:

1. Coach Jim Fox, Appalachian State University
2. Coach Mike Krzyzewski, Duke University
3. Coach Mike Brey, Notre Dame University

Both Duke and Notre Dame have teams that are experiencing success on the court in the 2015 NCAA Final Four Tournament as well.

Liz Feld, president of Autism Speaks said, "Pat (Skerry) and Tom (Herrion) are advocates in every sense of the word. Last year's campaign was a true grassroots effort, and it continues to grow under the Coaches Powering Forward for Autism banner with far more coaches and broadcasters engaged. In addition, Pat and Tom have become great ambassadors for Autism Speaks attending events across the country that demonstrate the importance of participation and volunteerism (Autism Speaks Press Release, January 15, 2015)."

The following is a news story on Pat Skerry's work with autism awareness at Towson University.

Other Information: You can read more about Pat Skerry and his work with autism in these online news stories:

• NCAA Basketball Coaches and Fans Team Up for Autism, January 15, 2015
• Towson University Coach Puts Spotlight on Autism, WBALTV.com, February 3, 2015
• Coach Shares Why He Wants to Spread Autism Awareness, February 4, 2015
• Towson Coach Pat Skerry Speaks About Autism, Baltimore Sun, February 6, 2015 (Video)

Wikipedia: The Wikipedia Page for Pat Skerry has more information on his life and coaching career statistics.

Social Media: You can follow Pat Skerry on Twitter at @CoachPatSkerry.

Hats off to #JMUDukes on a thrilling win and many thanks to all who came out to support #AutismAwareness @Towson_MBB
— Pat Skerry (@CoachPatSkerry) February 7, 2015

Special thanks to Pat Skerry for spreading autism awareness. His leadership in Coaches Powering Forward for Autism has indeed had an impact around the United States. We wish Pat Skerry all the best in the future as an autism father, coach, and autism advocate.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Dave and Mindy Rice

Autism Lights #240 are Dave and Mindy Rice.

Dave and Mindy Rice are from Las Vegas, Nevada. Dave Rice is currently the head coach of the men's basketball team at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Dave and Mindy have two boys and their 9 year old son Dillon has autism. In response to the personal way in which autism has touched their lives they established the Dave Rice Foundation on February 9, 2012 (Source). Dave and Mindy Rice are Autism Lights for their work to make a difference for autism as parents and as creators of an autism foundation.

D.J. Allen, Sr., the Associate Athletic Director at UNLV said, "Anyone who has ever been involved in the life of a special needs child at any level understands the amount of love, dedication and sacrifice that goes into that child to maximize his or her potential. What Dave and Mindy have decided to do is personal. They're not doing this for sympathy. They're doing it because it's the right thing to do (Source)."

Education: Dave Rice graduated from UNLV in 1991 with a B.A. and 1993 with an MBA.

UNLV Basketball: Dave Rice was a member of the UNLV Men's Basketball team during the 1989-1990 season, when UNLV won the National Championship. After 11 years as an Assistant Coach for UNLV and one year as an Assistant Coach for Brigham Young University, Dave Rice became the head coach at UNLV on April 10, 2011. In the 2011-2012 season UNLV won 26 games and made it to the 2nd Round of the NCAA Tournament.

Dave Rice Foundation: Here is a video of Dave and Mindy Rice talking about their autism foundation.


Dave and Mindy Rice started the Dave Rice Foundation on February 9, 2012. Dave Rice serves as Chairman of the Board and Mindy Rice serves as Secretary/Treasurer of the Board.  Dave Rice said, "Shortly after we moved back to Las Vegas, we saw this as an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others, and to bring about attention to the needs of those who are affected by autism (Source)."

According to the Dave Rice Foundation website they are a "non-profit, tax exempt organization dedicated to the education and support of health initiatives including developmental disorders such as Autism, and other charitable causes. The Dave Rice Foundation will be partnering with the UNLV Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Dave Rice said, "The difficulty with autism is that we would go to the doctor and he would ask us what we thought. And I thought, 'Aren't you the doctor?' That was the frustrating part. And with this foundation, the education and awareness will just benefit everybody (Source)."

Fundraising Events:  On May 4, 2012, the foundation held "An Evening with Dave Rice" as it's first fundraiser (Source). On November 12, 2012, the Dave Rice Foundation held a fundraiser with the support of restaurants in Las Vegas (Source).

The following is a video of the press conference when Dave and Mindy Rice announced their foundation for autism.  
For more information on the Dave Rice Foundation visit it's website at www.davericefoundation.org or connect with them through the various methods listed on their website contact area. 
Social Media: You can follow Dave Rice and the Dave Rice Foundation at the following social media areas:

• Twittter @CoachDaveRice
• YouTube
• Wikipedia

Special thanks to Dave and Mindy Rice for starting the Dave Rice Foundation and for being inspirational  public figures who are facing the challenges of being autism parents. The autism community in Nevada is blessed to have this foundation working to make the world a better place for families with autism. There will be a link to this post placed under the "Coach's section" of the Autism Light Sports Page as well as on the Autism Light Foundations Page. 

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Jason McElwain and Coach Jim Johnson

Autism Lights #150 are Jason McElwain and Coach Jim Johnson.

It's difficult to think of an event from years ago still being talked about on social media?  But search the name "Jason McElwain" on Twitter or Google+, especially this time of the year, and your likely to experience some shares, tears, and smiles about an event that happened in 2006. Jason McElwain is a graduate of Greece-Athena High School in Rochester, New York and Jim Johnson is the Varsity Boy's Basketball Coach for Greece-Athena High School. Jason McElwain, who has autism, and his Coach Jim Johnson are Autism Lights for bringing hope to the autism community. What started with an amazing 4 minutes at the end of a basketball game continues today as they shine a light for hope both on and off the court.

On February 15, 2006, with the game's outcome no longer in doubt, Coach Jim Johnson sent his high school basketball manager, Jason McElwain (J-Mac), in to play the final four minutes of the senior night game. What happened next would be an amazing feat for the most veteran player, but considering Jason McElwain has autism and was coming in cold off the bench to play his first ever minutes of competitive high school basketball, it is considered truly a miracle.   In just four minutes of game time, Jason McElwain dramatically scored six three-pointers and one two-pointer to score 20 points in the game and end up being the high scorer of the game. This event raised awareness for the capabilities of people with autism and inspired countless numbers of parents and people with autism to strive to reach their dreams. Embed here is one of the many news stories on J-Mac's game. This one was shared at the 2006 NBA Finals. The video shows how Jason McElwain's accomplishment gave hope to Terry and Kerri Connolly, whose son Eric has autism.

Honors: 

• The performance of Jason McElwain in this basketball game quickly made him a household name. Jason McElwain was listed #8 on the toptenz.net Top Ten list of people known to have autism (Source).
• Jason McElwain won a 2006 ESPY Award for the Best Moment in Sports that year.

Here is a news story recorded a year ago for the 5th anniversary of Jason McElwain's historic game that reveals how time has afforded both J-Mac and Coach Jim Johnson opportunities to continue to reach for their dreams.




Coach Jim Johnson Today: Coach Jim Johnson continues to coach the Boy's Varsity Basketball Team at Greece-Athena High School in Rochester, New York. He has been on the sidelines for 25 years and has over 335 wins. A complete biography is available at this link.  Jim Johnson also has become a published author and is a widely used professional speaker. His services have been utilized by corporations, educational institutions, religious institutions, and diverse organizations as a motivational trainer and speaker.  You may visit  his website to find out how you can book Coach Jim Johnson to fill your need for a great speaker. Coach Johnson will talk about the miracle of coaching Jason McElwain and also has other stories stemming from a career of 25 years of coaching young men in the game of basketball and life. His motto in his speaking is "Dreams Really Do Come True."

In 2011 Coach Jim Johnson published his book "A Coach and a Miracle" that talks about the Life Lessons that he learned by believing in an autistic boy named Jason McElwain. You may purchase the book at this website or click on the book to purchase it.

Jason McElwain Today: Today Jason McElwain works two jobs and when he has opportunity to speaks utilizes the motto: "Sometimes Dreams Do Come True".  J-Mac is also a volunteer assistant basketball coach for the Junior Varsity team at Greece-Athena High School, where he continues to work with Coach Jim Johnson. Several follow up articles have been written on Jason McElwain over the years, including Linder on Preps in 2007 and a Clay Travis article in 2009. Jason McElwain's dream is to become a college basketball coach.

Movie: The rights were sold long ago to make a movie on the life story of Jason McElwain, but there is no timetable for its production. Magic Johnson is going to be a co-producer of the film. Maybe they can get Kevin Costner to play Coach Jim Johnson and Luke Schroeder to play Jason McElwain.

Social Media: Jason McElwain has a Wikipedia page you can visit and also has a Facebook page.

Special thanks to Jason McElwain and Coach Jim Johnson for bringing a moment in sports that we can replay over and over whenever we need to find our dreams again. I think the reason this story has touched so many people's lives is that parents are often told to give up on their dreams when they have a child with autism. Jason McElwain's story reminds us that dreams for our children with autism don't have to end even if the take a different road. Those dreams may still be reached in a manner that goes beyond our wildest imaginations.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photos in this post are used with permission of Jim Johnson.

Mike Frandsen

Autism Light #148 is Coach Mike Frandsen.

Mike Frandsen is a coach. But he presides over a unique team that doesn't measure their success in wins and losses. You see he is not the kind of coach you'd find working in loud arenas and under the bright lights.  Instead he devotes his time to individually coaching people with autism to reach their next goal. Mike Frandsen offers in-home tutoring and therapeutic services in the Bethesda, Maryland and Washington D.C. area geared to improve the skills of children and adults with autism in academics, social skills, sports, and life skills. Coach Mike Frandsen is an Autism Light because of the valuable help he gives to those impacted by autism.

Authentic Happiness: When Autism Light asked Coach Mike what made him want to be an Autism Coach, he said, "I believe children with autism have great potential to learn. Autism is also increasing faster than most other disabilities, so the need is there. I like the unfiltered honesty and authenticity of the kids. I like to answer kids' questions about how the world works, help them learn how to make friends, and develop a sense of humor."

Coach Mike Frandsen speaks affectionately about his work:

How could you not enjoy reading books with children, running play dates, taking kids swimming, sledding or jumping on a trampoline, coaching them in soccer, and using puppets to make them laugh? How could you not like answering their questions about how the world works? How could you not get a tremendous amount of authentic happiness from teaching a child to multiply, divide, and do word problems when at one point he couldn't add two plus two? (Source)

To read more about Coach Mike Frandsen's love for his work read an online article at the  examiner.com.

Education: Mike Frandsen earned his MBA from American University and has an MS in Education and Graduate Certificate in Autism and other Pervasive Developmental Disorders from John Hopkins University.

Methodology: While most of our Autism Lights who provide therapy do so either through the principles of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) or through DIR/Floortime, Mike Frandsen uses an eclectic approach. On his website he writes:

I believe a combination of ABA and DIR methods is optimal because ABA provides structure and repetitive learning based on behavioral objectives, while the DIR model focuses on relationships and interests, and teaches skills based on emotional development. Children with autism need a combination and balance of both structure and meaningfulness when they learn (Source).

Advice to Parents: Coach Mike offered this advice to Autism Light for all parents of children with autism:

Find out what your kids are most interested in and build around those things. Don't focus on the past or the future, but take things day by day. Don't set limits, but accept your kids as they are. Build friendships between your kids and their peers, and between yourselves and other parents.

Website: There are several websites for additional information on Coach Mike's life and work. would

• Official Website
• Autism articles at the Examiner.com 
• Mike's Blog 
• Mike's Photography Website

Social Media: You can follow Coach Mike's work and life at the following social media areas.

• YouTube
• Facebook

Kidney Transplant: Coach Mike has a Kidney disease and after a long pursuit of a suitable kidney donor, he received a transplant of a kidney on November 1, 2012. He is doing well in his recovery and hopes to return to his work in January, 2013.

Special thanks to Coach Mike Frandsen for being an Autism Light. The autism community is cheering and pulling for you to win your battle with kidney disease. You are awesome!

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo in this post is used with permission of Mike Frandsen.

Jim Calhoun

Autism Light #105 is Jim Calhoun.

Jim Calhoun is the former Men's Head Basketball Coach for the University of Connecticut who retired in September, 2012. He lives in Connecticut and has two grandchildren with autism. Jim Calhoun is an Autism Light because he has become a spokesperson for autism awareness.

Jim Calhoun has over 850 wins in college basketball. In 2005 he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. On April 4, 2011 he won his third National Championship as a coach with the University of Connecticut. The others came in 1999 and 2004. This third championship puts him in a group with only four other coaches in history who have accomplished this feat.

Jim Calhoun's granddaughter Reese and grandson Sam have autism. In honor of his two special needs grandchildren he has in recent years become a spokesperson for autism awareness. He won the 2010 Distinguished Public Service Award from the Connecticut Bar Association (Source).

The following is the video where Jim Calhoun is speaking at the Connecticut state capital for Autism Awareness Day in 2008.

Jim Calhoun wears an autism awareness lapel pin every day to help him advocate.  Jim Calhoun said regarding the pin, "Everybody asks me what the pin is for, and they get half an hour. If they don't like it they get an hour (Source)."

Jim Calhoun began raising awareness for autism research through Autism Speaks in 2006. In 2011 he produced the following Public Service Announcement for Walk Now for Autism Speaks.

Some online articles on Jim Calhoun's activism for autism can be found a these links.

• NBC Sports (2007)
• Jim Calhoun's Wikipedia Page

Social Media: You can follow Jim Calhoun a the following social media areas.

• Facebook

For more information on Jim Calhoun visit his official website at www.coachjimcalhoun.com.

Special thanks to Jim Calhoun for spreading autism awareness and being a light for autism. He has continued to fight for autism despite himself having cancer in both 2003 and 2008 as well as another undisclosed health problem in 2010.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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Photo: The photo in the post is in the Public Domain and was obtained from Wikipedia.

This Autism Light post went into syndication on Autisable. 

Colgate Women's Hockey Team and Coach Scott Wiley

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Autism Light Classic
Updated on January 28, 2012.

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Autism Light #80 is the Colgate University Women's Hockey Team and Coach Scott Wiley.

Photo © Bob Cornell (Image Source)

Colgate University is located in Hamilton, New York. It is an independent university founded in 1819.  The Women's Hockey Team at Colgate University led by Coach Scott Wiley is an exceptional example of how a university athletic team can spread autism awareness. They are Autism Lights because of their autism awareness campaign which is in its second year of spreading light about autism to the public and helping autism charities in the New York area. 

According to the Colgate University website, "Colgate today is a highly selective, independent, coeducational liberal arts college, enrolling approximately 2,800 undergraduates in programs that lead to the bachelor of arts." Women's Hockey is one of their 25 intercollegiate athletic programs. The Women's Ice Hockey program started with the 1997-1998 season and has been in Division I since the 2001-2002 season.

Coach Scott Wiley: "We are really excited to kick off our 2012 Autism Awareness Project and are hoping to build on the success we had in 2011", said Scott Wiley (Source) Scott Wiley is in his 10th season as the coach of the Colgate Women's Ice Hockey Team. His 127 career wins are the most in program history. For more information on his coaching career visit his page at the athletic department website of Colgate University. Scott Wiley can be found on Facebook as well. 

Kati Williams: The manager of the team is Kati Williams, a teenager who has Asperger's Syndrome. Kati Williams' enthusiasm was the inspiration for the team's decision to take up the cause of autism awareness. An article on Kati Williams was written for the Evening Sun.

Second Autism Awareness Game: On February 3, 2012 the 2nd Autism Awareness Game will be held in a game at Starr Rink against Union. Ticket information is available at this link. This year the team's uniforms for the game were designed by Christian Mast, who was Autism Light #26. Autism Speaks, ViewSonic, and Goals for Good will be partners in this autism campaign This year's goal is to raise $30,000 and the beneficiaries of funds will be Autism Speaks of Central New York, the Family Resource Network, The Kelberman Center, The OZ Project, and the American Special Hockey Association (ASHA).  A press release on this initiative was released by Colgate University at this link. This project is also mentioned in the Madison County Courier.

First Autism Awareness Game: On January 28, 2011 they began their campaign for autism awareness with a special game for autism awareness that included special uniforms with autism puzzle pieces on them and a blue light at their net that lights up for autism whenever a goal is scored. They also did other initiatives like lighting the chapel up blue on April 1.  The project raised $18,000. More information on that past initiative can be found in the following media.

• Syracuse.com article written by Alaina Potrikus. 
• Channel 9 news story. 

Syracuse Crunch: On December 3, 2011, the team was honored at a Syracuse Crunch game for their autism work.

The main website for the Colgate Women's Hockey Team's ongoing autism awareness initiative is found at this autism website To follow the Colgate Women's Hockey Team's success on the ice visit their official athletic website. The team also has a page on Wikipedia.

Social Media: To follow the Colgate Women's Hockey Team on social media visit these areas.

• YouTube
• Twitter

Special thanks to the Colgate Women's Hockey Team and Coach Scott Wiley. We wish the Colgate Women's Hockey Team great success on the court and in life. Their off the court efforts for autism awareness are a fantastic light for autism.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

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Notes

• Special thanks to Erin Mast for nominating the Colgate Women's Hockey Team as Autism Lights and helping inspire the original November 4, 2011 post on this Autism Light. Erin's son Christian Mast was an Autism Light on September 2, 2011.  To nominate an autism light email your story to autismlight@gmail.com.
• The Madison County Journal wrote an article on the Autism Light blog after the original post.
• Photo: The photo in this post is used with permission and is © Bob Cornell.