Eric Schopler

Autism Light #452 is Eric Schopler.

Eric Schopler was an American psychologist whose research into autism treatment led to his creation of what is known as the TEACCH autism program. Eric Schopler was born on February 8, 1927, in Furth, Germany. His family was Jewish and in 1938 left Germany for the United States. Eric Schopler passed away from cancer on July 7, 2006, at his home in Mebane, North Carolina, at the age of 79. He will be placed on the Autism Light Memorial Roll today.

The following is a tribute to Eric Schopler that was produced in 2005, a year before his death. 

TEACCH Program: The TEACCH autism program was developed from a pilot program that Eric Schopler and Robert Reichler started at the University of North Carolina in the 1960's. TEACCH was formed as a statewide program in 1972 by the North Carolina legislator (TEACCH Autism progam, Autism Speaks website). It went on to become a model for other autism programs around the world and is still being practiced widely to this day.

Tribute to Eric Schopler: Dr. Gary Mesibov, a previous director of TEACCH said, "Dr. Schopler's work erased the burden of unjustified guilt borne by many families and led to meaningful, productive lives for people with autism. For more than 35 years, the treatment that he developed has been the most widely used approach to autism in the world (Carolina Alumni Review, July 12, 2006)."

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders: Eric Schopler was editor for the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders from 1974-1997. He also wrote over 200 articles and books during his lifetime.

Board Member: Eric Schopler was a member of the following boards as he lived out his passion for autism.

• Autism Society of America
• Autism Society of North Carolina
• Linwood Childrens Center (Ellicott City, Maryland)
• Bitter Sweet Farms (Toledo, Ohio)

Wikipedia: For more information about Eric Schopler read his Wikipedia Page. 

In Memorium: More information can be found about Dr. Eric Schopler in the obituary that the University of North Carolina published on their website. There is also a blog created in memory of Eric Schopler.

Special thanks to Eric Schopler for his contribution to the field of autism therapy. His legacy lives on in the many practitioners who went on to embrace his technique of collaborating with parents and to this day persistently utilize the TEACCH program. May Dr. Schopler's life inspire others to enter the field of autism therapy.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Olaf Kolzig

Autism Light #131 is Olaf Kolzig.

Olaf "Olie" Kolzig is a German citizen who was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He currently lives in the Washington DC area. Olaf Kolzig has a son named Carson who has autism. Olaf was a professional hockey player who played 17 years in the National Hockey League. Olaf Kolzig is an Autism Light because of the personal impact that his foundation and humanitarian work is doing for the cause of autism.

The following is a heartwarming news story done in 2008 on the impact Olaf Kolzig had on the Atmore-Gilbertsen family from Arlington, Virginia.

Athletes Against Autism: In 2006, Olie Kolzig founded Athletes Against Autism along with fellow hockey players Byron Dafoe and Scott Mellanby. If one looks closely at the photo at top of this post, one can see the logo for Athletes Against Autism that Olie Kolzig passionately wore on the back of his helmet when he played. Athletes Against Autism is now associated with Autism Speaks and is responsible for helping athletes make positive contributions to autism awareness. Also, in 2006 Olaf Kolzig received the King Clancy Memorial Award by the NHL for his humanitarian work.

ECHL: Before playing in the National Hockey League, Olie Kolzig played two seasons in the ECHL. In 2010 Olaf Kolzig was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame. The following is his Hall of Fame Tribute Video. 

NHL: Except for a brief final season of 8 games with Tampa Bay, Olie Kolzig played his entire NHL career for the Washington Capitals as a star goalie. His 303 wins puts him in the top 25 all-time for NHL goalies. In 2011 he returned to the Washington Capitals to work as their Associate Goaltender Coach.

Carson Kolzig Foundation: Olaf Kolzig started the Carson Kolzig Foundation in honor of his son who has autism. The website for the Carlson Kolzig Foundation is at http://carsonkolzigfoundation.org. According to the website the "Carlson Kolzig Foundation is a nonprofit, community based organization in Tri-Cities, Washington, dedicated to education and resources for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families." The Carson Kolzig Foundation developed the Responding to Autism Center to help meet needs of families with autism. The following is a video about the Responding to Autism Center's work.




Other Stories: For more information on Olaf Kolzig read these articles:

• Wikipedia Page
• My Sports Hero
• Washington Capitals Organization Story

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

• Facebook (Olie the Goalie Fan Page)
• Facebook (Responding to Autism Center)

Special thanks to Olaf Kolzig for using his athletic star to be an Autism Light. His diverse international background is a testimony to the fact that autism knows no geographical boundary.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo of Olaf Kolzig in this post was taken from the Creative Commons of Wikipedia.