Janet Mino is a teacher from Newark, New Jersey. Janet Mino is an Autism Light because she has been teaching children on the autism spectrum for 20 years and her work was the subject of the 2013 documentary called Best Kept Secret.
Teacher: Janet Mino is a teacher at the John F. Kennedy School in Newark, New Jersey. The John F. Kennedy School provides an education for special needs student ages 10-21. Janet Mino has been teaching children with autism for 20 years. Janet Mino said this about her teaching:
I don't get it when people say I have a hard job. I get so much joy. To me, they just think different. I want people to have an awareness that there are children in the inner city with autism that need different services, and need help. Everybody's different. America is made up of different people. They are part of this world like we are (Janet Mino as Quoted in The Montclair Times, Gwen Orel, 5/4/2013).
Best Kept Secret (2013): The film Best Kept Secret was directed by Samantha Buck and chronicles Janet Mino's efforts as a dedicated teacher to prepare six of her inner city students in their last year of school for life after graduation.
The following is the trailer to the film Best Kept Secret.
Here is another preview on YouTube about the film Best Kept Secret.
Special thanks to Janet Mino for her dedicated work as a teacher of autism students in Newark, New Jersey. In a world that can be cold to people with autism, Janet Mino lights a fire under herself as a teacher so that she may be Autism Light.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Autism Lights #301 are Jim and Lauren Thierry Watkins.
Jim Watkins is a news anchor for RNN's FiOS1, which is seen in Long Island and parts of New Jersey. Lauren Thierry Watkins worked for 5 years reporting financial news for CNN before she quit to care full-time for her autistic son. Jim and Lauren have a 15 year old son with severe autism named Liam. Jim and Lauren Thierry Watkins are Autism Lights for their dedication as parents and for their inspirational efforts in raising public autism awareness and acceptance over the past decade through media and fundraising.
Jim Watkins was interviewed for a news story called "Living With Autism: A Father's Story" that was done prior to Autism Awareness Month in 2013. Jim Watkins raises some issues to the public in the feature that many autism families face. One sad reality he acknowledges in the news story is that, "When my son was first diagnosed with autism in 1999, no one could tell me what in the world caused this, and now in the year 2013 no one can tell me what in the world made him autistic. And that is hard to deal with (Living with Autism: A Father's Story, 2013)."
Jim Watkins: Jim Watkins graduated from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Prior to joining FiOS1 as a news anchor, Jim Watkins served as the TV News Anchor at WPIX-TV from 1998-2010. His experience as a news anchor also included time with WNBC-TV in New York, and WTVF-TV in Nashville, Tennessee. You can read more about Jim Watkins at his Jim Watkins' Wikipedia Page.
Lauren Thierry: Lauren Thierry provided the Financial News for CNN for five years. She quit this position in the public arena to care full-time for her son Liam. Jim Watkins said this about his wife:
I have to say about my wife. And I think that it's true in so many families. She does all the work! She told me all these things she was doing today on the phone and I go, 'You're doing all these things at home and who gets to go on TV tonight and talk about how we are dealing with autism' (Hear More at this Interview of Jim Watkins on YouTube).
Autism Every Day: 7 Years Later: Jim Watkins did a series for Autism Awareness Month in 2013 called Autism Every Day: 7 Years Later. The film looks at how some of the families featured in the 2006 film are doing in 2013. There is also information on some developments and opportunities for people with autism in 2013 as part of the content. The following is the first part of the series. Other parts of the series are available on the RNN TV/Richard French's YouTube Channel.
The New York Child Learning Institute: Jim and Lauren Thierry Watkins are passionate about supporting The New York Child Learning Institute, because of how this educational organization helped their son Liam grow and develop. Jim Watkins has served as the emcee for the charity event, "A Knight at the Plaza" Annual Black Tie Gala & Auction to Triumph over Childhood Diseases. The fundraiser supports The New York Child Learning Institute and other organizations. The 9th Annual Event was held most recently on May 13, 2013 (Read More at this Article on the Knights of York Website).
Lauren Thierry Watkins said this about The New York Child Learning Institute in 2007.
"We're in this for the long haul. You can't imagine what every small breakthrough means to a parent. And almost the only way that will ever happen is with a sensitive education like NYCLI provides (Read More at this Article by the New York Social Diary)."
Other Events: Jim Watkins has served as emcee for several other autism fundraising events, including the Autism Speaks event in New York City called A Weekend for Walking.
Special thanks for Jim and Lauren Thierry Watkins for being Autism Lights. Their light shines both through their dedication as parents to their son Liam and for their public leadership in promoting autism acceptance and fundraising on behalf of the autism community.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Autism Lights #217 are Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thresher.
Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thrasher are from Central Vermont. They both have autism. They were two of the first people with autism in the State of Vermont to communicate effectively by typing. They are autism advocates who starred in the 2012 Documentary Wretches & Jabberers. Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thrasher are Autism Lights because of their efforts in autism advocacy to show the world the intelligence of nonverbal individuals who have autism.
Documentary: Gerardine Wurzburg was the Director of the Documentary Wretches & Jabberers which follows the journey of Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thrasher around the State of Vermont and to visit their friends and fellow autism advocates Chammi in Sri Lanka, Naoki Higashida in Japan, and Henna and Antti in Finland. Assisted by their supporters Pascal Cheng and Harvey Lavoy, Larry and Tracy also were able to travel in this advocacy project and along the way to also speak at autism conferences in Japan and Finland. Here is the trailer to Wretches & Jabberers.
Larry Bissonnette: Larry Bissonnette is an artist and advocate from Milton, Vermont. He learned to communicate with others by typing at age 34 in 1991. In the Documentary he says some profound things such as, "Autism is not abnormality of brain, but abnormality of experience." His website shares this tribute about Larry Bissonnette's skill as an artist.
Tracy Thresher: Tracy Thresher is an autism advocate from Barre, Vermont. He learned to communicate with others by typing at age 23 in 1990. In the Documentary he is shown visiting a Vermont State Senator. Tracy says some profound things in the film such as, "We are the perfect example of intelligence working out itself in a different way." His website shares this tribute about Tracy Thresher's work as an autism advocate.
He has presented at local, statewide, and national workshops and conferences. He has consulted with local schools, is a member of the Vermont Statewide Standing Committee and has worked for the Green Mountain Self-Advocates in Montpelier, Vermont. In Vermont, he mentors teenagers and adults. Most recently, Tracy has consulted at Syracuse University as a lead trainer (Source).
Movie Availability: The movie Wretches & Jabberers is available to watch on Demand services such as Hulu.com or Netflix on Demand. It may also be purchased through iTunes or on DVD.
Social Media: You can follow Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thresher at the following social media pages for their Documentary.
Special thanks to Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thresher for being Autism Lights. Their expression and autism advocacy gives an important window into the intelligence of people with autism. Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thresher also hold the distinction of being the first Autism Lights from the State of Vermont.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
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.
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.
The signature line on Camille Proctor's email says, "Autism Doesn't Discriminate!" Behind the tagline exists a warrior mother who is keeping a promise to remind others that help for autism doesn't have to discriminate either.
Ari Joseph
Camille Proctor lives in Detroit, Michigan. She is a self-employed business consultant and works full-time as the Director of The Color of Autism Foundation. Camille's son Ari Joseph has autism. Camille Proctor is an Autism Light because of the understanding and awareness she is bringing to autism within the African American community.
Camille Proctor's contribution to autism includes being the director of The Color of Autism Foundation, which she founded in 2009. In her role as the director she receives many opportunities to help people by listening to their story and shining a light on positive options that may fit various situations. The website for the foundation is at www.thecolorofautism.org. If you would like to assist the foundation with its work you can donate at www.thecolorofautism.org/#!donate. On The Color of Autism website Camille Proctor shares this about the beginning of her journey with autism:
I was forced to leave my career and care for my son living off my savings and retirement (which I would do all over again, if I had to). As I made my journey, I didn't find very many organizations that spoke specifically to me an African American parent raising an African American Male with ASD. I noticed their were huge disparities in at risk communities. Even worse many misdiagnosed and undiagnosed children in at risk communities end up in the criminal justice system each year. I made a promise that once I got a handle on our situation, I would help others (Source).
Advice to Parents: Camille Proctor told Autism Light that she feels parents of special needs children need "to build a strong foundation. They also need to be able to express themselves, because sometimes things become overwhelming." She encourages parents to seek out professional counseling if they develop anxiety.
Autism in African American Community: Camille Proctor said this to Autism Light about the unique needs related to autism in the African American community.
It is important for the African American community to understand how critical early intervention is. Autism is not isolated to whites and it's not behavioral. Autism is not a death sentence, it's a manageable disorder for many. With early intervention, your child could live a very amazing life! African Americans have to get over the stigma and fears of all things neurological and physiological. African Americans need to get a better understanding of what the autism scale is so they can better advocate for their child.
Movie: Camille Proctor is currently working on a film called "Screaming in Silence: Autism" with filmmaker Sonya Dunn (Source). The autism community looks forward to the release of this film in the future. Here is a trailer to the film.
Social Media: You can follow The Color of Autism on Facebook and on YouTube.
Further Reading: A very helpful news article was written on Camille Proctor by the Defenders Online in September, 2011. Camille proctor was also mentioned this article by Jennifer Orgunsola about Autism in the Black Community.
If there is one thing we can all agree on with certainty about autism it is that it effects families of diverse demographics without discrimination. In order to fight an enemy as ambitious as autism it calls for advocates whose lives and backgrounds are as diverse as the families that are impacted by autism. Camille Proctor has the passion and capacity to shine a light for autism awareness within her African American community, and the rays of her bright light is a blessing to the entire autism community.
Whoopi Goldberg said, "We're here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark (Source)." Camille Proctor is doing just that with her passion to help those impacted by autism in the African American community. Special thanks to Camille Proctor for being a light for autism. If you liked this post you may wish to read the other posts on the Autism Light blog with the Label "African American".
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Photo: The photos in this post are used with the permission of Camille Proctor.
Nia T. Hill is a Writer, Director and Producer from Los Angeles, California. Nia Hill is the Director/Producer of a Documentary film about autism called Colored My Mind. Nia Hill is an Autism Light because by creating the film Colored My Mind she is raising awareness of autism. The film will be especially important in showing how autism impacts the African American community.
Nia Hill has a storied career in the entertainment and media industry. Her first company was called the Solstice Group and then she went on to become the co-creator of Strange Fruit Films. Nia Hill's detailed biogaphy and a photo of her are available at the Strange Fruit Media Website. Her present venture is called Outer Child.
A biography on Nia Hill received at Autism Light described her this way:
Some set out to create their own path; others simply know their calling and carry out each task in light of this calling. Nia Hill is the perfect prototype of the latter. It's rare to find a triple threat who has been blessed with gifts to write, produce and direct with equal skill and passion. A force to be reckoned with ever since her undergraduate career at The University of Oklahoma, to her current venture with Outer Child, and all that has developed in between. Hill has set out to spread knowledge and light in all realms of media.
Here is a trailer of Colored My Mind. The film is expected to be released in early 2012.
Nia Hill's autism film Colored My Mind features the stories of 5 women from the African American community who have children with autism. The five mothers featured in this documentary are Tammy McCrary, Shannon Nash, LaDonna Hughley, Donna Hunter, and Tisha Campbell-Martin. The film's official website is at www.coloredmymind.com. You can also follow the film on their Facebook page. The film has already been presented to the White House and Congress in Washington D.C. in an effort to share the specific autism related needs of the African American community. This film should give legislators information about how pending and future federal autism legislation can impact this demographic.
Special thanks to Nia Hill for bringing this documentary called Colored My Mind to the autism community. We look forward to seeing it and learning much from the stories it will tell.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Photo: The photo in this post was used with the permission of an agent of Nia Hill.
Charles Jones is from New York City and is a film director. Charles' son Malik has autism and he created a feature length Autism Awareness documentary about the perspective of fathers dealing with autism in their family. Charles Jones is an Autism Light because he is using his film production skills to raise awareness for autism and to help fathers understand that there are resources available for them and that they are not alone.
Autistic Like Me: Charles Jones has created a film on autism called Autistic Like Me: A Father's Perspective. The film will share the inspirational journey of five fathers from diverse paths of life whose children have been diagnosed with autism. In the film Charles Jones will also share his own challenges and victories of raising his own son Malik who has autism.
Charles has attempted to help fathers participating in the film deal with their feelings about having a child with autism and the release will hopefully open a window to the hearts of fathers on the journey called autism. Presently a 20 minute "clinical version" of the film is being piloted in New York which will highlight the benefits of therapy and clinical support. Most of the footage for this pilot version comes from a retreat that Dr. Robert Naseef facilitated for 14 fathers.
Charles Jones says on his website thatthis film "examines the difficult emotional journey experienced by fathers of autistic children. Having an autistic child turns a parent's world upside down. Dreams are broken and lives are changed forever. Men are especially affected because we often do not seek out the support network needed to deal with this type of emotional upheaval."
Here is the trailer for the documentary called Autistic Like Me.
The complete film is expected to be released in early 2012 and will share an inclusive look at fathers dealing with autism. The official website of the film is at www.autisticlikeme.net. The following is a video of Charles Jones explaining what inspired him to make the documentary Autistic Like Me.
Awareness Campaign: Charles Jones is not content to merely make a documentary that will be successful for its excellent workmanship, popularity, and inspirational message. Autistic Like Me is the centerpiece for an awareness and advocacy campaign "that reaches young people, under-served communities and general audiences where services and understanding of autism are limited, or nonexistent (Source: Autistic Like Me Fact Sheet)." The project has a partnership with Bronx-Lebanon Hospital and it is fiscally sponsored by the Bronx Lebanon Integrated Services System, Inc., a 501c3 organization. All tax-deductible donations should be made out to BLISS Inc. and ALM Production should be written in the memo line. They may be sent to Autistic Like Me LLC, 209 E. 56th St. Apt. 8H, New York, NY 10022.
Other Work: Here are some other projects that Charles Jones has experience with.
He has done commercial and industrial projects for companies like Kodak film, Delta Airlines, and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.
He has been a lighting designer/gaffer and a director of photography/camera operator for TV companies such as BET Network, Sci Fi Channel, and NYC Media.
He has written and directed a number of music videos and he is currently working on multiple projects for the Open Society Foundations, "Campaign for Black Male Achievement."
He is the owner of Frontline Editing and Video Production, a production company that provides a full compliment of related directing, producing, lighting, sound, photography, and editing services. Some of his other projects can be viewed on his Frontline Website.
Social Media: You can follow Charles Jones' work at the following social media areas.
Special thanks to Charles Jones for being an Autism Light and making a documentary on autism awareness from the perspective of fathers. We look forward to seeing this film and learning much from it. If you liked this post you may like to view all the Autism Lights with the label Father.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Photo: The photo in this post was used with permission of Charles Jones.
Frank Nappi is a high school English teacher in Long Island, New York in the Oceanside School District. Frank Nappi is also an author who has written a unique fictional series where the main character is a baseball player who has Aspergers. Frank Nappi is an Autism Light because of the increased awareness of autism that will come from his fiction writing and a current movie based on the first book in the series.
Author: Frank Nappi has written several fictional books. To order his books or find out more details on each book go to the book section of his website. His most recent writing is a unique sports fiction series where the main character is a fantastic pitcher who has Aspergers. The series includes The Legend of Mickey Tussler with the sequel Sophomore Campaign scheduled to be released in April, 2012. In addition, there is a third book in this series that Frank Nappi is in the process of writing.
Reviews: The following are some positive reviews that have been written about this series.
Movie: Here is the trailer for the movie, "A Mile in His Shoes", which is based on Frank Nappi's book The Legend of Mickey Tussler. The movie will feature a main character with Aspergers. This movie premiered on GMC TV on Sunday, September 25, 2011 at 7pm and 9pm and is currently available for rental in video stores.
People who like sports fiction and also have an interest in characters with autism will fall in love with Frank Nappi's series. The author's new offerings are anticipated with excitement by readers of the series.
Social Media: You can follow Frank Nappi at the following social media or Websites.
Dr. Temple Grandin is probably the most famous person in the world who has autism. Dr. Temple Grandin is an Autism Light because she is an autism advocate through her speaking and writing, and the development of a movie that was created on her life with autism. She is also renowned in the field of Animal Science and sets an example for what can be accomplished by people with autism.
In 2011 she was named for the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame (Source).
The following YouTube video is a personal conversation with Temple Grandin done by Penn State University.
Animal Science: Temple Grandin has earned her Ph.D in Animal Science from the University of Illinois in 1989. She is currently a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. Also, her livestock handling systems are renowned in the industry. Temple Grandin's Livestock Website is very informative about this part of her life.
Speaker: Temple Grandin is a prolific speaker at conferences and educational programs. The following is from Temple Grandin giving a presentation on autism at a TED Conference in 2010.
Author: Temple Grandin has written books both on Autism and Animal Science. The lists of books that Temple Grandin wrote include the following.
Movie: The movie on Temple Grandin was widely acclaimed. Clair Danes played Temple Grandin in this HBO made for television movie that won 7 Emmy Awards in 2010.
Quote from Temple Grandin: Dr. Temple Grandin said these insightful quotable thoughts about autism that have made it to the Autism Light Quote Page.
"The worse thing you can do is nothing."
"Autism is an extremely variable disorder (Source)."
"If I could snap my fingers and be nonautistic, I would not-because then I wouldn't be me. Autism is part of who I am."
For more information on Temple Grandin visit the following Websites:
Richard Everts is a parent of a son with autism, an autism foundation leader, and a producer of a groundbreaking movie on autism. He was an easy choice, because he has these three amazing qualifications, any one of which could have qualified him as an Autism Light.
Father: Richard Everts is the father of a son named Tommy who has autism. Tommy is his inspiration for the work he does with autism.
Foundation: In 2005 he founded the non-profit Tommy Foundation for Autism and serves as its VP of Technology and Communications. His website has a good summary of his involvement with autism awareness.
Film: He won a Pepsi Refresh Project to create a movie called The United States of Autism. Richard Everts and his crew spent 40 days in 2010 travelling 11,000 miles across the United States of America to document the diverse faces of autism. The United States of Autism will be released at the 2012 Film Festival Circuit. Here is a trailer on this film about autism that will be very meaningful to the cause of autism.
The autism community eagerly awaits the release of this movie. The country needs to sees the diversity of autism that will be presented in the movie. The following is an update on the production of the film that Richard Everts provided on YouTube in October, 2011.
For further engagement with Richard Everts work you can get involved at the following social media pages and Websites on the Internet.
Autism Light Classic Updated on December 23, 2015.
Autism Light #4 is Jerry Newport.
Jerry Newport
Jerry Newport is 67 years old and has Asperger's Syndrome. He lives in the desert in Arizona. He was born on August 19, 1948. Jerry Newport is married to Mary Meinel-Newport. Jerry Newport is an Autism Light for his work as an author, speaker, and advocate for autism.
Education: Jerry Newport received his B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Michigan. He is considered a math savant because of his ability to perform complex mathematical calculations in his head (Wikipedia: Jerry Newport).
Quote: One of the humorous statements Jerry Newport has said is, "I know of nobody who is purely autistic, or purely neurotypical. Even God has some autistic moments, which is why the planets spin."
When interviewed by Rebecca Leung in 2009 Jerry Newport said,
Rather than being obsessed with trying to be in step with the world, I've come to accept the fact that in certain ways I never will be. And I just don't hate myself for it. I think that once I started learning how to love myself as I truly am, it made it easier for other people to love me the same way.
Jerry Newport is featured in a video about Autism and the Decision to Drive. Here is a promo to that video that is produced by Debbaudt Legacy Productions.
For more information on Jerry Newport, read these online articles.
