Trey Kruse

Autism Light #467 is Trey Kruse.

Trey Kruse lives in Stillwater, Minnesota and is a Junior at Stillwater High School. Trey is a member of the National Honor Society, plays football and is captain of the Stillwater High School wrestling team. Trey Kruse is an Autism Light because of a friendship he has with Adam Potter, who has autism. That friendship has made a tremendous difference in Adam's life.

The two first met when they were classmates in 2nd grade at Stonebridge Elementary School. The friendship between Trey Kruse and Adam Potter has taken different turns as the pair advanced through middle school and high school, and became involved in many separate activities in high school. But their friendship has survived the test of time and has especially impacted Adam by giving him an added strength to face the world each day, knowing that he always has that one good and true friend.

Lisa Potter said about her son Adam and Trey, "We've had many, many people come into Adam's life and all of a sudden they never come back. But Trey is the one who's stayed true (Quoted by Boyd Huppert, KARE 11, November 5, 2018)."

Watch this video from KARE 11 in Minneapolis for a moving look at the friendship between Trey and Adam.




Here is what was posted recently on Twitter about their friendship.

Trey is an honor student and captain of the Stillwater HS wrestling team. Adam has autism and spends his days in special education. Yet, their friendship - started in 2nd grade - has remained true. "Adam's world is complete if he can hi to Trey." KARE tonite@10 #land10kstories pic.twitter.com/D33IzcnZol

— Boyd Huppert (@BoydHuppert) November 1, 2018

Lisa Potter said about her son Adam and Trey, "Every day he's (Adam's) trying to navigate this foreign language and trying to figure out what we mean. Trey is that bright light that reminds him everything's going to be OK (Quoted by Boyd Huppert, KARE 11, November 5, 2018)."

Special thanks to Trey Kruse for being an Autism Light and being a good, long-time friend of Adam Potter. Trey and Adam's friendship is a shining example of how a relationship between a student with autism and their neurotypical peer can be life-changing. May their friendship continue to remain steadfast through the unknown future.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Rob Zink

Autism Light #440 is Rob Zink. 

Rob Zink is 45 years old and has served as a Police Officer for 17 years in the St. Paul (Minnesota) Police Department. His dedication to use his role as a police officer to help the autism community has earned him the nickname "Autism Cop". Rob Zink is also an Autism Father. Two of his three sons have autism. Rob Zink is an Autism Light for how he is making a difference in the autism community in St. Paul, Minnesota by fostering effective relationships and appropriate police responses to interactions with individuals with autism.

Autism Father: Rob Zink's 10 year old and 12 year old sons both have autism. Rob Zink told a parent at a community forum in December 2015 that, "This is very personal to me. Now I'm getting teary-eyed, but I never want to see an instance like what happened on the MTC happen to my sons. I give it my heart and I give it my promises as best as we can. We're not perfect, we're all going to make mistakes (City Pages, Rob Zink, St. Paul's 'autism cop' pushes an unconventional approach to policing, Susan Du, December 15, 2015)."

The following is a video of news story on Rob Zink's role in St. Paul as the Autism Cop.





CARE Project: Rob Zink created Cop Autism Response Education (CARE) Project.

CARE Project is part of a groundbreaking effort to ensure that police calls involving people with autism end safely. His first priority has been getting to know St. Paul families with autistic children and explaining how police respond to domestic violence calls - a not uncommon scenario involving those with an autism spectrum disorder. His second is helping police find quieter and gentler ways to defuse those calls (StarTribune, A St. Paul Police Officer is Leading Efforts to Ensure that Encounters with Autistic People End Safely, July 24, 2015). 

Cmdr. John Bandemer, who is the head of the Western District police command where Rob Zink serves said, "We have been seeing more calls relating to kids on the spectrum and Rob has kind of become our point person. We are grateful that Rob has an interest in this from his point of view as a father. That and his work with families can kind of close the circle for understanding (StarTribune, A St. Paul Police Officer is Leading Efforts to Ensure that Encounters with Autistic People End Safely, July 24, 2015)."

You can read stories of success within the CARE Project at the following online article: (StarTribune, A St. Paul Police Officer is Leading Efforts to Ensure that Encounters with Autistic People End Safely, July 24, 2015)

For more information on the CARE Project in the St. Paul Police Department email: SPPD-Autism@ci.stpaul.mn.us.

Special thanks to Rob Zink for being an Autism Light. We hope that programs like his CARE (Cops Autism Response Education) will be adopted in every corner of the world. Rob Zink's success in St. Paul is a shining light to help that happen.

If you enjoyed this article you may wish to read other posts at Autism Light with the Label of Police Officer.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Minnesota Lights

The State of Minnesota is the home of 7 Autism Lights. The Minnesota group includes 2 businesses, a businessman, 2 autism fathers, a high school student, and an animal.

 Minnesota Autism Lights

Autism Fathers:

• Craig Evans is an autism father from St. Paul, Minnesota, who created Autism Hangout. Autism Hangout is now closed but his videos remain on YouTube. 
• Rob Zink is an autism father from St. Paul, Minnesota. He is a veteran police officer who is called the 'Autism Cop' for his work on behalf of autism in his community. 

Businesses:

• Snip-Its Salon is an autism friendly business franchise, where kids can get haircuts. They have their headquarters in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. 
• Valley Fair is an autism friendly amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota. 

Businessman:

• Bruno Silikowski is the owner of AutoMotorPlex in Chanhassen, Minnesota. 

Student:

• Trey Kruse is a student at Stillwater High School in Stillwater, Minnesota, who is friends with Adam Potter, who has autism. 

Animal: 

• Elf Butler Madof was a black lab dog who provided autism service with his family in La Crescent, Minnesota. 

You may reach all these posts by searching the blog through the "Minnesota" Label.

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The map of Minnesota is attributed to By TUBS [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Valleyfair

Autism Light #405 is Valleyfair.

Valleyfair is an amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota, located in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Area. The amusement park was opened in 1976 and consists of 75 attractions, including 48 rides and a water park on 125 acres of property. They are open full-time from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Valeyfair is an Autism Light because they designated May 31, 2015 as Autism Awareness Day at their entertainment business and made adjustments to their venue to be more autism friendly.

Valleyfair donated $1.00 from the sale of each ticket on May 31, 2015 to the Autism Society of Minnesota. Other things that Valleyfair announced for their Autism Awareness Day was their guest boarding passes so that autism families could avoid long lines, a lowering of the loud speaker at the park, and the establishment of designated quiet areas (KSTP.com, May 31, 2015). There is also a section of the Valleyfair Website that gives Tips for Guests with Autism which will provide support for those that attend the amusement park at any day of the season.

The following is a news story on the Autism Awareness Day in 2015 at Valleyfair.


Valleyfair is the largest amusement park in the Upper Midwest USA. According to Wikipedia, "Valleyfair and Cedar Point are the two original Cedar Fair parks, and the Fair in the Cedar Fair comes from Valleyfair (Valleyfair Wikipedia Page).

Wikipedia Page: You can read more about Valley Fair on their Wikipedia Page.

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

• Facebook Page of Valleyfair
• Twitter @ValleyfairMN

Special thanks to Valleyfair for being a business that cares about autism awareness. We hope that they will continue to be an autism friendly business and have Autism Awareness Days every season.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Craig Evans

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Autism Light Classic
Updated on December 27, 2015. 

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Autism Light #178  is Craig Evans.

Craig Evans is a marketing instructor at Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount, Minnesota. When he met his future stepson Nolan he was inspired to create an amazing website and gathering place for the autism community known as Autism Hangout. Nolan has Asperger's Syndrome. Craig Evans is an Autism Light for all he did to help the autism community foster community, increase awareness, and keep abreast of the latest resources related to a diverse range of topics impacting autism.

Autism Step-Father: Craig Evans writes this about his stepson Nolan, who has autism.

I've always called Nolan my "Courageous Son"...partially for how well he faces his sensory challenges, but more so because of the unique person he is. Like his Mom, Nolan is a creative, optimistic, nature-loving human being. He's compassionate, bright, funny and one of the most incredible people I will ever know. Had it not been for Nolan, I would never have discovered this amazing population of people. My world has been forever changed for the better knowing autism. 

Autism Hangout: Craig Evans was the co-founder of Autism Hangout. Autism Hangout started on July 4, 2008 and closed operations on August 24, 2014. There were approximately 2,500 members comprised of teachers and professionals, caregivers, parents and people with autism who were able to share their thoughts and ideas about autism with each other during the six years that Autism Hangout was online.

Autism Hangout also provided a library of resources such as information on a variety of themes like autism apps, and the workplace for people with autism. Part of Craig Evans' resources at Autism Hangout includes creating videos of interviews he has with news makers in the autism world. This collection of 500 videos are still available on his YouTube Channel.

In an interview with Autism Light in 2012, Craig Evans chose for us to share here the following video on Lois Brady, a author and speech and language pathologist. He believes she is "a typical example of the extraordinary compassionate, humble, loving, and competent people found in circles of folks working with people on the spectrum."

Author: Craig Evans has written the following books

• "Marketing Channels: Infomercials and the Future of Televised Marketing-Prentice Hall, 1993,
• "Been There. Done That. Try This! - An Aspinaut's Guide to Life on Planet Earth", 2014.  He co-authored this book with Dr. Tony Attwood and Anita Lesko.

Words of Encouragement: Autism Light asked Craig Evans if he had any words of encouragement for the autism community. He wanted to share this: Learn! Share! Thrive! We can all help each other to find joy in living with autism. It's there.

Social Media: You can follow Craig Evans on Twitter @autismstepdad or on LinkedIn.

Special thanks to Craig Evans for using his gifts as a writer and innovative leader in technology to help make the world a brighter place for those collaborating on autism. We look forward to the future endeavors Craig Evans will undertake.

Related Posts: If you like this post, you may enjoy these others on people who founded other autism social networking sites. Like Autism Hangout each fulfills a unique niche'.

• Eric Peacock - MyAutismTeam
• Sarah Winter - Squag

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo in this post is used with permission of Craig Evans.

Snip-its Salon

Autism Light #169 is Snip-its Salon.

Snip-its is a kids hair salon with 26 locations across the United States. It was founded by Joanna Meiseles in 1995. Snip-its' corporate office is in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Snip-its is an Autism Light because they have devoted the effort to train their employees on the special needs surrounding the experience of cutting hair of children with autism.

A reason that Snip-its is so deserving to be an autism light is that, "All of Snip-its' stylists are certified to work with children with autism and other special needs, including sensory issues (Source)." Autism Speaks also lists Snip-its as a Family Services Resource on it's website.The following is a training guide that Snip-its developed in partnership with Autism Speaks and Melmark New England.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/24/2682722/kid-friendly-franchise-opens-its.html#storylink=cpHere is an autism training video developed by Snip-Its in partnership with Autism Speaks

To find out more about Snip-its visit their website at www.snipits.com. You may also read the following articles on how local franchises are adopting the corporate culture at Snip-its of being autism friendly.

• Kid Friendly Franchise Opens Its Doors in Aventura 
• Helping Kids with Autism One Haircut at a Time

The following is a news story on the Snip-Its in El Segundo, California helping children with autism (Source).

Social Media: You can follow Snip-its on Twitter. Some local franchises also have their own Facebook page.

Special thanks to Snip-its for being an Autism Light. Snip-its provides a valuable service by making it easier for children with autism to get their haircut.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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.

Photos: The logo and photos in this post were used with permission of the Snip-its corporation.

Elf Butler Modaff

Autism Light #102 is Elf Butler Modaff.

Elf Butler Modaff is a black lab dog who lives with the Butler Modaff family in La Crescent, Minnesota. Elf is an Autism Light because he is a trained autism service dog who is helping protect a boy named Caden who has autism. His specific mission is to keep Caden from wandering off on his own and to find him if he does wander.

Elf was trained by 4 Paws for Ability in Ohio. 4 Paws for Ability trains dogs to help with special needs and has a special program for autism assistance dogs. Elf has a special second buckle on his collar that can be attached to something Caden has with him such as a backpack. Elf has been trained to sit or lay down if necessary to keep Caden from wandering off on his own. Should Caden go missing Elf is also trained as a search and rescue dog to specifically track Caden.

The following is a news story on Elf done by WKBT.com (News 8) in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

For more information on black lab dogs like Elf visit the Wikipedia page for Labrador Retrievers. Special thanks to Elf and all the autism service dogs who are making a difference around the world. If you liked this post you may like to read about other Autism Lights with the label "Animal".

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo in this post of Elf was used with permission of Jennifer Butler Modaff.

Bruno Silikowski

Autism Light #97 is Bruno Silikowski.

Bruno Silikowski is the owner of the AutoMotorPlex in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Bruno Silikowski is an Autism Light because he helped a single father give an early Christmas gift to his autistic daughter.

Maddy Wagner is 14 years old and has autism. She also idolizes cars of all shapes and sizes. Her father Richard Wagner put an unusual ad on Craigslist seeking someone to give Maddy a ride in a fancy car. Bruno Silikowski saw the ad and sent out an email to his friends at the AutoMotorPlex in Chanhassen, Minnesota about the request. Bruno Silikowski challenged his customers who are owners of various high end luxury cars, "Instead of giving her one ride, let's give her a whole lot of rides."

Here is a video of a news story on Maddy receiving her day at the AutoMotorPlex. Bruno Silikowski is featured in this heartwarming video of an Autism Light in action.

13 car owners offered their luxury wheels to give Mandy Wagner rides at the AutoMotorPlex on Friday, November 25, 2011.  It took Mandy Wagner 2 hours to ride in each one.

Read the Startribune article On the Fast Track to a Wish Come True for more details about Bruno Silikowski and his gift to Maddy Wagner.

Bruno Silikowski provides proof positive that sometimes when we least expect it we can become an Autism Light. Bruno Silikowski is an excellent example of a small business owner who literally went an extra several miles to be an Autism Light.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.