Jason Hague

Autism Light #458 is Jason Hague.

Jason Hague is an autism father, husband, Christian pastor, storyteller, and writer. Jason and his wife Sara have five children, including a 12 year old son Jackson who has autism. Jason is an Associate Pastor at Christ's Church, an independent, non-denominational Christian church in Junction City, Oregon. Jason Hague is an Autism Light for raising autism awareness through his personal sharing of his life online from the honest heart of an autism father.

The following is a poem Jason wrote for his son Jackson which he recites in this video on his YouTube Channel. The version of this video on Facebook went viral and has received 3 million views and counting.


Blogger: One of the best ways to get to know Jason Hague and his life as an autism father in an up close way is to read through his blog posts located at www.jasonhague.com. He wrote a special post on February 6, 2018, called "A Letter to My Autistic Son on His 12th Birthday".  The blog also has letters Jason wrote to Jackson at his various birthdays over the years when he was a growing child.

Jason Hague's blog reveals his emotions as a father that captures the feelings that many autism fathers experience like in this paragraph:

"I often feel the old tug of despair on my sleeve, and the temptation to let it wash over me like it use to: Jack's anguish; his future; our lack of connection. It still gets the best of me from time to time. But on this occasion, the sadness didn't win. It couldn't win. Not after what happened the day before." [Jason Hague, "Let this Carry You", April 26, 2017]

Author: Jason Hague has written a book that will be available in October 2018, about his journey as an autism father for the last five years. It is called Aching Joy: Following God Through the Land of Unanswered Prayer. The subtitle underscores how important faith is in Jason's life, especially in coping with autism.

Social Media: For more information on Jason Hague, follow him at these social media channels.

• Facebook Page for Jason Hague
• Twitter @haguejason
• YouTube Channel for Jason Hague

Special thanks to Jason Hague for being an Autism Light. His storytelling and sharing about autism from the perspective of a father and Christian is a valuable contribution to the autism community. It takes these diverse stories in society to provide living resources to help our world understand more about autism and learn to accept the individuals living with it. We wish Jason Hague all the best in his journey as an autism father and look forward to reading about his blessed family in his blog and writings in the months and years to come.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Derek Hadley

Autism Light #432 is Derek Hadley.

Derek Hadley is a 31 year old man who has autism. He lives in Springfield, Oregon. Derek Hadley is an Autism Light for donating one of his kidneys to his brother Jeff and in doing so setting an example for others within and outside the autism community.

In 2004, Derek Hadley graduated from Springfield High School's special education program. He currently works three days a week making nameplates for the State of Oregon at the Pearl Buck Center in Eugene, Oregon.

Jeff Hadley was experiencing kidney failure due to having abdominal muscle deficiency syndrome and he needed a transplant in 2015. Derek Hadley was a perfect match for his biological brother Jeff, matching all six markers that measure organ transplant compatibility.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/living/health-and-medicine/article49414485.html#storylink=

On October 26, 2015, Derek Hadley donated his kidney to his brother Jeff Hadley at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, Oregon. Dr. John Ragsdale surgically removed Derek's kidney and Dr. Kevin McEvoy performed the kidney transplant. It is very rare for someone with autism to donate a kidney, but Derek was willing to help out.

William Bennett who is the medical director of Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital said, "So, we went to great lengths to make sure this was his [Derek's] free will, and that he understood what he was doing. And he did (Springfield Man with Autism Donates Kidney to His Brother, Lexington Herald-Leader, December 12, 2015)."

When Derek agreed to donate his kidney it followed a period of reflection on the slight possibility of complications from the procedure. He said, "I want to take the risk. Jeff is important to me (Springfield Man with Autism Donates Kidney to His Brother, Lexington Herald-Leader, December 12, 2015)."

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/living/health-and-medicine/article49414485.html#storylink=cpy

Special thanks to Derek Hadley for being an Autism Light. Derek's willingness to donate his kidney saved his brother's life. It also set an example for others who have autism that it is possible to go through the scary process of donating a kidney. We can learn much from Derek's sacrifice.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/living/health-and-medicine/article49414485.html#storylink=cpy

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Oregon Lights

The State of Oregon is the home of 5 Autism Lights. The Oregon group includes two Autism Fathers, a Teacher, a Businessman, and a man with autism.

 Oregon Autism Lights

1. Brett Bigham is a special education teacher from Portland, Oregon.
2. Derek Hadley has autism and lives in Springfield, Oregon. He donated one of his kidneys to his brother Jeff.
3. Jason Hague is an autism father and pastor from Junction City, Oregon. His son Jackson has autism. 
4. David Humphrey is the President of Kirkman Labs, located in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
5. Scott Phillips is an autism father and film maker from Eugene, Oregon. His son Luke has autism. 

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

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

Scott Phillips

Autism Light #394 is Scott Phillips. 

Scott Phillips

Scott Phillips is an Autism Father from Eugene, Oregon. His eight year old son Luke has autism.  He works in video production for the University of Oregon Athletic Department. Scott Phillips is an Autism Light because he is using his talents in video production to draw attention to the role of autism fathers through Fan Blade Films. 

Scott Phillips has a degree in Cinema Studies from the University of Oregon. He has ten years experience of shooting and editing film and currently works in video production for the University of Oregon Athletic Department. 

Fan Blade Films: Scott Phillips began looking for resources to help him as an father of a child with autism after he received his son's diagnosis. He writes, "I started looking for information on autism from a father's point-of-view. There wasn't much to be found so I decided to do something about it. I started Fan Blade Films and began work on a film that would offer comfort and hope to the thousands of fathers who find themselves in the same situation that I found myself in (Fan Blade Films)."

Through Fan Blade Films, Scott Phillips directed, produced, edited, and shot the film Do It Differently, a documentary about the unique role of autism fathers. Mike Whitty, Damian Goble, Jonathan Ayers, and Mike Guido have one thing in common, they are all fathers raising a child with autism. In Do It Differently they share their struggles and successes...fears and hopes...while projecting a quiet strength. Through the film they can inspire others to do it differently. You can watch a trailer of Do It Differently or view the entire film below. 

Scott Phillips says, "An autism diagnosis can shake the foundation of any family, but it isn't the end, it's just a different path. For all fathers who feel lost, scared, and helpless I hope the film "Do it Differently" inspires you to want to do more for your child who is different than expected. You are not alone (Fan Blade Films)." 

Scott Phillips is currently working on a follow-up film to Do It Differently. He tells Autism Light that, "Although it will be a narrative film and not a documentary, the subject matter will be similar and I hope to bring even more attention to the fathers who work hard every day raising their children and doing the right thing." There is currently a GoFundMe Page seeking to raise $6,800 for a camera to create more autism films. 

Social Media:  You can follow Scott Phillips at the following social media areas.

• Twitter @FanBladeFilms
• YouTube Channel for Scott Phillips

Special thanks to Scott Phillips for sharing his gift of video production to raise autism awareness. We wish Scott all the best in the future as an autism father and autism advocate. We look forward to future films coming from Fan Blade Films. 

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photos in this post were used with permission of Scott Phillips.

Brett Bigham

Autism Light #67 is Brett Bigham.  

Brett Bigham is from Portland, Oregon. He is a special education teacher in the school-to-work classroom of the Multnomah Education Service District. Brett Bigham is an Autism Light because of his dedication to effectively teach children with special needs, including autism.

Online Social Books: In order to help his students with autism, Brett Bigham created picture guide books called Explore Portland. Bridget A. Otto wrote an article on these online photo books for the Oregonian. Brett Bigham said the following about the photo books.

Autistic students often use something called social stories. They are little stories written for them to learn about a big transition coming up or deal with noisy hallways. They are just a guide to read or look at...They don't understand the communication about what is going on, so they need a picture or a combination of both (Source).

Awards:  Brett Bigham was one of the finalists for the OnPoint Excellence in Education Award in 2010.

Reviewer: Brett Bigham is very knowledgeable about the needs of students with autism to transition to adulthood. In recognition of that background he a reviewer of a chapter on Independent Living and Community Participation in the 2011 publication called  Preparing Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder for Adulthood.

Special thanks to Brett Bigham for being an Autism Light by dedicating your life to teaching young people with autism in Portland, Oregon.  You are representative of the hard work and dedication of teachers of special needs students all over the world.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

David Humphrey

Autism Light #21 is David Humphrey
Update: This post was updated on October 14, 2011.

David Humphrey is the President of Kirkman Labs, located in Lake Oswego, Oregon. David Humphrey is an Autism Light because of his leadership in guiding Kirkman Labs to create quality tested products that change lives and serve the autism community in new and innovative ways.

On June 25, 2011, Humphrey received the first ever "Champions of Autism" (A.K.A. "Hero of Autism") Award from Northwest Autism Foundation. A press release on that honor is found at this Webpage.

After reflecting on the award David Humphrey said:

"I’m honored to be the first recipient of the foundation’s Hero of Autism award. But really, it’s the kids and the families of the kids with autism that are the real heroes. They are the reason why we all do as much as we can.”

Kirkman Labs was started in 1949 and is a pharmaceutical manufacturer in Oregon that specializes in nutritional supplements for individuals with special dietary needs, including autism.

David Humphrey is a leader in a number of advocacy organizations and is a member of the Health Advisory Board of The Autism Society.  Special thanks to David Humphrey for making a difference for those with autism.


Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.