Autism Lights #451 are Matthew and Courtney Oakes.
Matthew (Matt) and Courtney Oakes are the parents of two children: Molly and Liam. Their 6 year old son Liam has autism. Matthew and Courtney Oakes are Autism Lights for their efforts to raise awareness of autism family life as parents, bloggers, and members of their community. Their blog is called 808 [the adventures].
The Fatherhood Project: The following video highlights Matt Oakes and his life as an autism father and was produced in 2014 as part of The Fatherhood Project. The Fatherhood Project was produced by Corbyn Tyson and was part of the SoulPancacke Youtube series about what it means to be a father.
Special thanks to Matthew (Matt) and Courtney Oakes for being Autism Lights both in their vocations in Rockford, Illinois and to the larger autism community, as they tell their story as autism parents in a blog and video. The autism community, and especially autism parents, are encouraged as the Oakes' family shine their light for autism.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Gavin Joseph is a young man who has Asperger's and ADHD. He graduated in 2015 from Wesclin High School in New Baden, Illinois. Gavin was a victim of bullying and physical violence in late June 2015. Gavin Joseph is an Autism Light because he chose to forgive his attackers and instead of pressing charges raise autism awareness.
In late June 2015, Gavin Joseph was tricked by some boys that he thought wanted to be his friends and instead they physically assaulted him to teach him a lesson. The following is a news story on what happened to Gavin Joseph and his decision not to press charges.
Gavin's mother Cortnie Stone explained on her Facebook what happened.
Some kids were talking about how it’s weird that he’s always by himself, attending events alone and watching people, and that it was “creepy” how he wanted to be friends with people he didn’t know.
Another kid that overheard that conversation decided to take matters into his own hands and become judge and jury, and this is the result of that. He didn’t ask questions, didn’t get to know Gavin, never met him, and didn’t give him a chance to leave.
He was called to meet someone, surrounded by people he didn’t know, choked, punched, and left laying on the pavement so he would ‘learn his lesson’.
Gavin is fine. He has mild concussion, a bruised oesophagus, the tip of his nose fractured, and hematoma in his eye, but nothing permanent.
He did not press charges, but requested their community service be disability related, that they write a paper on Asperger’s, and that they watch a 20 min video statement he taped while their families were present so they could see the damage they did and hear the event from his perspective (The Independent, July 6, 2015).
Sarah Goucha writer at the Huffington Post summed up the noble act that Gavin Joseph did in this way, "A gang of bullies beat up teenager Gavin Joseph, who has autism, for being different. Yet the only thing truly different about him was his response (The Huffington Post, July 7, 2015)."
Gavin Joseph makes history at Autism Light as the subject of the 100th post featured on the blog about someone with autism. Links to the other related posts are referenced on the "Has Autism" page at Autism Light.
Special thanks to Gavin Joseph for being an Autism Light and showing forgiveness toward those that wronged him. In doing so Gavin has not only raised awareness of bullying and autism, but he has shown the true spirit of the autism community as reflected in the desire to improve the world one person at a time. We wish Gavin Joseph all the best in his life.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
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).
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:
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.
Harrison Teuber is a 15 years old young man from Northern Illinois who has autism. As part of his vocational training he created a free grocery service for families with special needs children in the Winnetka and Northfield, Illinois areas located in northern Cook County, Illinois. Harrison Teuber is an Autism Light for providing a practical service that helps special needs families in his community.
Here is a news video on Harrison Teuber's service by Chris Walker of the Chicago Tribune.
Autism blogs like Joy's Autism Blog, Autism Epicenter, and Autism from a Father's Point of View have shared the challenges of taking some children with autism to the grocery store. Harrison Teuber is filling an important need for special needs families to be able to obtain their groceries and avoid the noise and struggles of navigating the supermarket with children that are unable to handle the experience.
Special thanks to Harrison Teuber for being an Autism Light. Perhaps his vocational training program will spawn ideas that can be tried in other communities across the country and world.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Autism Light #166 is Alex Herrmann.
Well the 2012 NCAA Tournament field has been set and it's the day of the year today when people are busy filling out their brackets and many offices around the United States are getting their annual NCAA Final Four bracket pools together. For some avid sport fans today is like a holiday. If you are in need of some help on filling out your bracket this year you may want to get some pointers from today's Autism Light.
Alex Herrmann is a teenager from Chicago, Illinois who has autism. Alex Herrmann correctly picked the first 48 games (first two rounds) of the 2010 NCAA Final Four Tournament. Alex Hermann is an Autism Light for showing the world his amazing talents of analyzing college basketball.
The following is the news story about Alex Herrmann's accomplishment.
It should be noted that Alex filled his official bracket out online assuring the legitimacy of this accomplishment. Unfortunately in the 3rd Round (Sweet Sixteen), Alex's streak ended. However, the odds of Alex predicting the first 48 games were 1 in 13,460,000 according to BookofOdds.com. For more information on Alex Herrmann's accomplishment in predicting the first two rounds of the 2010 NCAA Final Four tournament see the NBC Chicago article called Autistic Teen Picks First Two NCAA Rounds Perfectly.
Special thanks to Alex Herrmann for showing an amazing talent at picking his 2010 NCAA Bracket. Your story brought awareness to autism to NCAA Basketball fans everywhere during 2010. Best wishes in your future endeavors.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. Photo: The photo of a basketball in this post is in the Public Domain and was obtained from Wikipedia.
Dr. Elina Manghi was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was a renowned child psychologist who had lived in the Chicago area since 1982. Dr. Elina Manghi had lymphoma and died at her Oak Park, Illinois home on January 15, 2012. She was 59 years old. For more information on Dr. Elina Manghi you may read her obituary at the Chicago Tribune.
Dr. Elina Manghi is being made an Autism Light posthumously, because she was dedicated to making a difference for autism within Chicago's Hispanic community. She will also be added to the Autism Light Memorial Roll. While Dr. Manghi was a nationally appreciated child psychologist, the autism community remembers her most for helping found a support group in Chicago for Spanish-speaking families who had children with autism.
Here is an interview Elina Manghi gave on social change. It provides an understanding of her background and enthusiasm in making a difference in this world at her final position at the Adler School of Psychology.
Grupo Salto: Dr. Elina Manghi and Irma Hernandez started Grupo SALTO in 2003. The name is an acronym in Spanish for Latino Autism Society Working with Optimism. The group has parent meetings as well as meetings for siblings and teenagers with autism. Presently 400 families are associated with the organization. Their website lists this as their mission:
Grupo SALTO is a non-profit organization dedicated to provide support for families who have children within the Autism spectrum and whose primary language is Spanish. The main focus of the group is to provide training, education, and support for parents. Grupo SALTO welcomes families from Chicago and its suburbs (Source).
Irma Hernandez who helped start Grupo SALTO with Dr. Manghi said this about her friend and colleague:
She was so good at presenting information from material to parents. She developed very specific strategies and provided them with practical information to help them learn how to help their child. At the end of her talks, parents would gather around her, asking her questions and seeking her advice. It was as if they didn't want the session to end (Source).
Career as a Psychologist: Dr. Manghi had a lifetime of service to children as a psychologist. The highlights of her professional career included:
In 1982 she moved to Chicago to become a Child Therapist with Catholic Charities.
In 1988, Dr. Elina Manghi received her doctoral degree in psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
In 2009 she started teaching graduate school for the Adler School of Psychology, and for the past two years she was head of their Child and Adolescent Track of the Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) program.
Special thanks to Dr. Elina Manghi for being an Autism Light. Your light will live on in the hundreds of Spanish speaking families in the Chicago area that you have helped to deal with the challenges of autism.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Autism Lights #138 are the Walmart Stores in Springfield, Illinois.
There are three Walmart Stores in Springfield, Illinois. Through the Walmart corporation's regional donation program, the Springfield stores gave 10 flat screen televisions to the Hope Institute for Children and Families on October 24, 2011. The televisions are being used to outfit the school's group homes with latest technology. The Walmart Stores in Springfield, Illinois are Autism Lights because the donations of these television will improve the lives of children in the group homes and many of those children have autism.
Here is a video of a news story on this donation to the Hope Institute by Walmart.
The Hope Institute for Children and Families was founded in 1957. They have a multi-faceted program for people with disabilities in Springfield, Illinois. Many of the children in the program have autism and the organization led the development of the Autism Program of Illinois. Mr. Clint Paul of The Hope Institute said:
Thanks to today's generous donation from Walmart, our youth will have access to state-of-the-art television receives which can be used for educational and entertainment purposes. We want to thank the entire Walmart organization, particularly Mr. Winkler and Ms. Farr, for their generosity in supporting the children of Hope (Source).
To learn more about what this donation has meant to the Hope School visit this news story at their website. Walmart's charitable commitment is explained on their website at this link.
Social Media: You can follow Walmart on the following social media areas.
Special thanks to the Walmart stores in Springfield, Illinois for the donation of televisions you made. Your generosity will help many children with autism to learn and recreate.
Note: Autism Light is a neutral blog and we have no relationship to the business featured in this post nor have we received any return of goods or services for writing this post.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Autism Light #125 is DePaul University Athletics.
DePaul University was founded in 1898 and is located in Chicago, Illinois. It is the largest Catholic University in the United States. DePaul University Athletes is an Autism Light because they sponsor an Autism Awareness Day in conjunction with their Women's Basketball program.
DePaul University Athletics will host an Autism Awareness Day on Saturday, January 14, 2012 at their Women's Basketball game where DePaul hosts Pittsburgh. The game will start at 7:00pm and be held at McGrath-Phillips Arena on the campus of DePaul University.
The DePaul University Chapter of Alpha Xi Delta and the Chicago Chapter of Autism Speaks are helping partner with DePaul University to make this event a success. A full news release on the event is at this link. DePaul University Athletes announces this about the event:
As part of Autism Awareness Day, fans are encouraged to wear Blue while the first 200 fans will receive Autism Speaks/Alpha Xi Delta water bottles. There will be an Autism Speaks information booth and all fans will receive blue ribbons with autism fact cards. A "quiet room" will be provided for families who need to utilize it during contest (Source)."
For more information on DePaul University Athletics visit their Wikipedia page. You may also follow DePaul Athletics on Twitter.
Special thanks to DePaul University for being an Autism Light and helping raise awareness for Autism at the Saturday, January 14, 2012 Women's Basketball Game. What a great example of how a University Athletic program can raise awareness for Autism.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Special Learning, Inc. is a company offering ABA resources and other support for parents, providers, and educators of children with autism. Special Learning was founded in 2010 by Karen Chung and Michelle LaMarche. They are based in Chicago, Illinois, but their services are primarily through online resources. Special Learning is an Autism Light because they are helping to improve the life and learning of children with autism.
The Special Learning website can be found at www.special-learning.com. Their website summarizes their work as being "The comprehensive autism solutions company." The Special Learning Twitter page says they are "a resource portal and web-based solutions provider for parents with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder."
The following is an App that Special Learning created to serve as a Augmentative and Alternative Communicative Device for the iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch. It's called Communicating Basic Needs. There is a Lite Version of the App that is Free and the "Full" version costs less than $40.00. It may be purchased from iTunes.
The mission of Special Learning and their website portal is to "offer every parent of a child with Autism a genuine chance to help their son or daughter to attain a fulfilling life using Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy. This site provides extensive information, resources and tools for anyone who works with or whose life is touched by a child with ASD (Source)."
Special Learning states that they, "have the most expansive and user friendly library of autism, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy and education information available online." The Special Learning website includes resources that are sorted by three main target audiences--parents, providers, and educators of children with autism.
Special Learning has a goal to make their resources accessible to the autism community. Some potentially helpful resources (especially related to ABA) are for sale in their Store, and other general resources and videos on their web portal are in a Resource Center that one can appreciate for free.
Social Media: You can follow Special Learning at these social media areas.
Special thanks to Special Learning for being a light where people who work with those impacted by autism can find access to resources. The web portal makes the resources accessible around the world 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Photo: The logo in this post is used with the permission of Special Learning.
Autism Light Classic Updated on July 17, 2020 Autism Light #114 is Julia Degler-Whitmore
Julia Degler-Whitmore is from Mattoon, Illinois. Her son Jacob Isaac Boyd has autism. She also has a daughter Jackie Boyd. Julia is a singer/songwriter, entertainer, motivational speaker, actor, and storyteller. Recently she became the Development Director for The Land Connection. Julia draws upon her Christian faith in her writings, prayers, and encouragement to the autism community, which includes a Christian Anthem called I Am the Child You Love. Julia Degler-Whitmore is an Autism Light because of her passion and expertise to bring music and movement to the autism community.
Julia and Jacob
I Am the Child You Love: Julia Degler-Whitmore wrote an autism awareness song in 2003 called I Am the Child You Love. Julia wrote it following her son Jacob's diagnosis with autism. Jacob, now a young adult, has made wonderful strides since Julia was named an Autism Light in 2011. You can read about his activities in a news article published on July 27, 2019. Though Jacob struggles with communication, Julia believes the lyrics are Jacob's message to the world. In this song she reflects on how Jesus Christ, whose birth is celebrated by Christians around the world this weekend, is important in the life of her son Jacob. You can listen to this song on Spotify. Below is a video on the song.
Julia shared these thoughts with Autism Light about this song that has become a Christian Anthem:
The song gave me hope and still does to this day. Jesus' birth changed everything. Jacob's birth changed me. Being his parent has given me new light and perspective that is beyond precious. I thank God every day that He loved me enough to give his son Jesus to me and that he would choose me as Jacob's mother (Julia Degler-Whitmore).
Development Coordinator: Since May 2020, Julia Degler-Whitmore has served as the Development Coordinator at The Land Connection.Julia wrote a blog post recently called, "It's a New Season" at the Land Connection. She shares about her life and interests in this personal blog post.
The following is a photo that was shared recently on Julia's Facebook page about autism.
Articles in the News: There have been several articles about Julia Degler-Whitmore appear in news stories.
First Christian Church: Julia Degler-Whitmore has served as the Chancel Choir Director at the First Christian Church in Mattoon, Illinois from 2016-2017.
Children of Destiny: Children of Destiny is a Christian support network for autism that has been especially helpful to Julia’s family in their journey with autism. As an appreciation Julia Degler-Whitmore has donated some proceeds from her song in the past to Children of Destiny. Children of Destiny can be found at www.childrenofdestiny.org. One of the services of Children of Destiny includes an email list people can subscribe to in which they will receive daily prayers of interest to Christian families experiencing autism.
Pepsi Refresh Grant Challenge: In 2012 Julia Degler-Whitmore won a Pepsi Refresh Grant Arts & Music Award to assist the special needs community with arts and music. If allowed for training with The Miracle Project in Los Angeles. Performances were held in the community from 2013-2016.
DRAGONFLIES: Julia Degler-Whitmore is the Founder and Former Director of Dragonflies. Dragonflies uses the techniques of Autism Movement Therapy that were founded by Joanne Lara. They are located in the Dance Life Center. Julia explains her work like this: "In our DRAGONFLIES Autism Music Therapy classes we wake up the brain by using music and movement exercises with counts and patterns."
Below is a brief video of Julia using ABC movement therapy with her son Jacob.
Social Media: You can interact with Julia Degler-Whitmore and her work at the following social media areas.
Special thanks to Julia Degler-Whitmore for being an Autism Light by sharing her music and movement talents with those impacted by autism. She is a role model to mothers who are relying on their faith to carry on in the challenging moments of autism.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Photo: The photos in this post were used with permission of Julia Degler-Whitmore. Note: In some older online information you will find her under the former name of Julia Boyd and it refers to the same individual.
Lou Melgarejo is from Chicago, Illinois. He has three children, including one daughter with autism named Bianca. Lou Melgarejo is an Autism Light because of his autism advocacy through his blog and an award winning video he made called "Fixing Autism".
Fixing Autism Video: Lou Melgarejo's video called "Fixing Autism" has received over 125,000 views on YouTube. Lou Malegarejo also received the 2011 Speak Out Award from Autism Speaks for this video. Here is the video from YouTube.
Blog: Lou Melgarejo has a blog called "Lou's Land". On this blog he writes from his heart on issues that impact his family. They are real stories that other autism parents can relate to. You can read the blog at www.lous-land.blogspot.com. At this time Lou's Land is #7 in the Top 25 Autism blogs at Babble.com. You can vote for it at www.babble.com/Baby/baby-development/top-25-autism-blog-favorite-nominate.
Social Media: You can follow Lou Melgarejo on the following social media areas.
Autism Light #87 is Allstate.
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the United States' largest publicly held personal lines insurance company with headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois. They are known for their slogan, "You're in Good Hands with All State". This year they celebrate their 80th anniversary as a corporation. Allstate is an Autism Light because of a fundraising program called "Quotes for Autism Speaks". How the program works: Allstate will donate $10 to Autism Speaks for every quote they give for insurance between Nov. 14 and December 14, 2011. No purchase is necessary. People just need to get a quote to help Autism Speaks. Quotes may be obtained by calling 1-866-998-4488 or a form filled out online at www.autismspeaks.org/allstate. Allstate has a goal of donating $500,000 to Autism Speaks from this program.
Here is a video announcing the "Quotes for Autism Speaks" program. It features Mark LaNeve, an Allstate Executive, who is the father of twin boys with autism.
Social Media: You can follow Allstate at the following social media areas.
For more information on the Allstate corporation visit their website at www.allstate.com.
Special thanks to the Allstate Corporation for this contribution to Autism Speaks.
Note: Autism Light is a neutral blog and we have no relationship to the business featured in this post nor have we received any return of goods or services for writing this post.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Autism Light Classic Updated on April 10, 2012. Autism Light #81 is Timothy Welsh.
Tim Welsh Works With His Son Tanner
Timothy Welsh is from Catlin, Illinois. His teenage son Tanner has autism. Timothy Welsh has survived two heart attacks and today thrives as an autism parent advocate and co-founder and Executive Director of the new organization called AutismAid. Timothy Welsh is an Autism Light because of his influential advocacy for the needs of families dealing with autism. His outreach on social media and expertise in diverse subjects impacting autism families helps him share light on autism to the world on a regular basis. Timothy Welsh himself has high functioning Aspergers.
Twitter: Timothy Welsh's handle on Twitter is @TannersDad. He chose the handle in honor of his son Tanner who has autism. The last words Timothy Welsh remembers Tanner saying before he withdrew into the nonverbal world of autism were, "My name is Tanner! My name is Tanner!" At the time this story was updated Timothy Welsh had posted 72,500 tweets on Twitter. A Few days after this post was originally published he passed 10,000 followers on Twitter. The following YouTube video is a 45 minute interview that David Kaufer did with Timothy Welsh for his YouTube series called "Behind the Tweets". It is a very helpful interview to understand today's autism light.
Autism Aid: Tim continues his mission to build unity in the community #UWAC, provide a base line safety net for families and end discrimination. In partnership with Successful BusinessMan Lawrence "Larry" Goldfarb (Father of a 14 year old with Autism), they are proud to introduce AutismAid. They will be working with Corporations to fund critical need projects in the Autism community through the most effective and efficient service orientated regional non profits. Their goal is to lead by example ending politics, returning the most to communities for direct local service and Paying it forward. Tim says it is very important that families, friends, and relatives stand up and be counted. He asks that we encourage everyone go to the facebook page and like share and nominate your Local Service provider for grants. The website for Autism Aid is www.autismaid.org, and Facebook page is www.facebook/AutismAid. For more information on AutismAid contact Tim Welsh at the email of RealTannersDad@Gmail.com. Timothy Welsh was interviewed by Craig Evans of Autism Hangout about his new role as Executive Director of Autism Aid. Craig Evans was Autism Light #178. Here is the video of that interview.
Generation Rescue: Timothy Welsh is a blogger for Generation Rescue. One of his blog posts for Generation Rescue that tells more about his story was called "An Ordinary Family". Timothy Welsh is also a "Rescue Angel" for Generation Rescue which is the designation for a family that has seen an improvement in the life of someone with autism due to biomedical intervention. Part of Timothy Welsh's biomedical plan for his son Tanner includes a gluten and casein free diet, vitamins, and the use of Methyl B12 cream.
Board of Directors: Timothy Welsh serves on the Board of Directors of the following important Autism organizations.
Autism Society of Illinois: Timothy Welsh is on the borad of directors of the Autism Society of Illinois. This is one of the most respected state chapters of the National Autism Society of America organization.
Mason Allen Medlam Foundation: Timothy Welsh serves on the board of directors of the Mason Allen Medlam Foundation. Safety for those with autism is one of Timothy Welsh's passions.
Social Media: You can connect with Timothy Welsh at the following social media areas. He is likely to interact with you if you engage him in conversation.
Speaker: Timothy Welsh also is a conference speaker. One of his sessions at a past Autism One conference is available at this link.
Special thanks for Timothy Welsh for being an Autism Light and being tireless in advocacy for autism. Timothy Welsh is truly an example of how one parent can make a difference for autism through the world of social media.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Photos: The Photos in this post are used with the permission of Timothy Welsh.
Brian Rubin is an estate planning attorney who lives and practices law in Illinois. He is also a father of a child with autism. Brian Rubin is an Autism Light because of his passionate advocacy for autism, and his concentrated dedication as an attorney to help educate and represent families of special needs children with estate planning.
Parent: Brian Rubin is a parent of a 30 year old son named Mitchell Rubin who has autism. After Mitchell was diagnosed with autism, Brian decided to use his profession to help secure a better future for those with autism. Brian states on his Website the following.
Since 1981, with Mitchell's birth, Brian's practice became dedicated to appropriate "Special Needs Future Planning" (SNFP) for his fellow Illinois parents and families of children and adults with special needs.
Board Membership: Brian Rubin's influence is felt publically through the numerous state and national boards he serves on related to human services and autism. His past and present work with dozens of diverse agencies are outlined in a section of his Website called "Who is Brian?". Brian Rubin has been appointed by several Governors of Illinois to serve on state boards related to human services and special needs and serves on on several boards of national organizations including the following:
Margaret Simons is from Illinois and is a parent of Ralphie, a 42 year old man with autism. She was a jewel among autism parents of her generation. She raised her child with autism in the 1970's, a period when there were few resources available for autism education, because the condition was much less common back then compared to today.
Margaret Simons and her mother Suzanne Thomson
This is the first time Autism Light has designated someone posthumously. Margaret Simons, 72, passed away on Sunday, August 28, 2011. She was in a fatal automobile accident that also took the life of her mother and Ralphie's Grandmother Suzanne Thompson. Her autistic son Ralphie was in the car at the time and had to be hospitalized before he could return home. The funeral for Margaret Simons was held Friday, September 2, 2011, in Arlington Heights, Illinois. You may sign the Legacy Obituary for Margaret Simons through August 31, 2012.
During her life Margaret gave back to others in the community and she encouraged her fellow parents of special needs children by driving a school bus for Kirk School in Palatine, Illinois. She drove the school bus for special needs children until her retirement three years ago. Margaret was frequently seen dressing up for the school bus children on holidays (she is seen wearing an Easter bunny costume on the left).
A news report on Margaret Simons' tragic death with some additional information on Margaret Simons' life can be found at www.dailyherald.com/article/20110901/news/709019963/. Ralphie lives in the state operated Shapiro Center in Kankakee, Illinois. In fact, Margaret and her mother became "Mom & Gram" to many residents at Ralphie's home that had no one else to remember them on special occasions.
Meg Thompson recounted this story:
I always told Aunt Marge and Grandma Thomson how lucky these children/adults were to have them. They always corrected me and told me they were the lucky ones to have these special adults and children in their lives!!
Margaret Simons is an Autism Light for all she did during her life for her son with autism and for countless others. She was a bright light to many children with autism in her community who rode her bus over the decades she served as a special needs school bus driver. And then she continued that light to adults with special needs who were residents at the Shapiro Center with her son Ralphie.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Photo: Photos in this post are used with permission of Meg Thomson.
.png)
