Isabelle Rapin

Autism Light #456 is Dr. Isabelle Rapin.

Isabelle Rapin was a child neurologist and leading authority on autism. She served as a distinguished professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine for over half a century. She was an autism pioneer credited with developing the understanding of autism being a spectrum disorder. Isabelle Rapin was born on December 4, 1927, in Lausanne, Switzerland. Isabelle Rapin passed away from pneumonia on May 24, 2017, in Rhinebeck, New York, at the age of 89. She is survived by her husband Harold Oaklander and four children. She will be placed on the Autism Light Memorial Roll today.

Autism Pioneer: Dr. Thomas Frazier II, the chief science officer of Autism Speaks, said about Isabelle Rapin, "Calling her one of the founding mothers of autism is very appropriate. With the gravity she carried, she moved us into a modern understanding of autism (As quoted in New York Times: June 9, 2017)."

Multiple Causes of Autism: Dr. Mark Mehler, chairman of the department of neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, said of Isabelle Rapin that, "She would never let us say that autism is a single disorder. She always said there was a thousand different causes (As quoted in New York Times: June 9, 2017)."

Bellevue Hospital Center: In 1953, Isabelle Rapin immigrated to the United States, and began her career working at the Bellevue Hospital Center, now known as NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Dr. Isabelle Rapin served as a professor of both Neurology and Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine n New York City from 1958 until her retirement in 2012. On December 19, 2006, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine held an international symposium called "Putting Perspective on Autism" that was held in honor of the life's work of Isabelle Rapin (Medical News Today, December 13, 2006).

Writings: Isabelle Rapin wrote several articles related to autism over her illustrious career that can be found online:

• Isabelle Rapin: Lessons from My Clinic (Spectrum News, May 24, 2011)
• Isabelle Rapin Publications at Research Gate 

Awards: Isabelle Rapin received the following special awards during her lifetime.

• President's Award, American Academy of Neurology (2010)
• Award of Excellence in Autism Research, Autism Society of America

Special Tributes with more Information on Isabelle Rapin: 

• Isabelle Rapin's obituary appeared in the New York Times on June 9, 2017
• Alycia Halladay, Chief Science Officer of the Autism Science Foundation dedicated a podcast to Isabelle Rapin on May 28, 2017. 
• On December 26, 2012, Isabelle Rapin was made a Living Legend by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine website. 

Wikipedia: For more information about Isabelle Rapin read her Wikipedia Page.

Special thanks to Isabelle Rapin for her lifelong work with autism. Her promotion of autism as a spectrum disorder is today widely accepted as the norm in discussion of the variety of individuals with autism. The autism community owes a debt of gratitude to Isabelle Rapin for being a pioneer in understanding autism at a time in the last century when less was understood about autism. May others continue on in the work toward understanding autism in memory of Isabelle Rapin.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Eric Schopler

Autism Light #452 is Eric Schopler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Michael Hannon

Autism Light #444 is Dr. Michael Hannon.

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase." 

    (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, The King Center)

When autism parents commence on the journey of raising a child with an autism spectrum disorder, they are put in a position, like Dr. King says, of needing to work and love their child persistently without being able to see all the growth and success their child with autism will experience over time. I believe if Dr. King were living today he would have acknowledged the unique challenges autism families face, and would have been especially engaged with how autism impacts families in the African-American community. King would have been very supportive of research into finding out the influences of autism on diverse family systems and would have been publically grateful for the efforts of the following autism father and researcher who is being honored for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 2016.

Dr. Michael Hannon is a professor and autism father from Westampton, New Jersey. He and his wife LaChan Hannon have a 13 year-old daughter Nile and an 11 year-old son Avery. Avery has a form of autism. Dr. Michael Hannon is an Autism Light for his research into the potential rewards of fathering a child with autism within diverse communities.

Dr. Michael Hannon serves as the Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at Montclair State University, where his primary responsibility is teaching in the graduate level counseling program. He also serves as a mentor to doctoral students in their counseling doctorate program. Dr. Michael Hannon conducts research related to mental health and counseling and his research specialty is the influence of autism on broader family systems and fathers, with a particular emphasis on fathers and families of color. His website shows a summary of his previous work experience.

Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK): Dr. Michael Hannon told Autism Light that MLK influenced his work in this way.

Dr. Martin Luther King devoted his life, and particularly the latter part of his life, to an unapologetic fight for social justice. He was courageous to speak out and fight against racial discrimination, socioeconomic disparities, and war in revolutionary ways. His legacy influences my work in being able to share stories and experiences of an understudied and often misunderstood community: Black fathers of individuals with autism. There is important research about how autism affects family systems that includes highlighting disparities in diagnosis timing and access to care between racial/ethnic groups in the United States. While raising children with autism and other developmental differences can be challenging at times, the challenges might be exacerbated when we study the experiences of diverse parents. These exacerbated challenges may be based, in part, by negative interactions with service providers (e.g., teachers, therapists, etc.) that undermine trust between parents and service providers (Michael Hannon, January 13, 2016).

Education: Dr. Michael Hannon has completed the following educational degree programs.

• Ph.D. (2013), Penn State University, Counselor Education & Supervision
• Ed.S. (2010), Rider University, School Counseling Services
• M.Ed. (2000), University of Delaware
• B.S. (1998), University of Delaware

Author: Dr. Michael Hannon has been the author or co-author of over 25 presentations, book chapters, and/or articles on the area of his expertise in counseling, mental health, and autism families.

• Michael Hannon's Ph.D. dissertation was Just Love Him and Everything Else Will Fall Into Place: An Analysis of Narratives of African-American Fathers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (read or download the paper from an online library collection at the link provided). This became the first empirical study to capture and communicate the narratives of African-American fathers of children with ASDs specifically for counselors and counselor educators.
• Another practical research paper by Dr. Hannon is online called Supporting Siblings of Children with Disabilities in the School Setting: Implications and Considerations for School Counselors.

Highlights of Research Findings: Some recurring messages that Dr. Michael Hannon has heard from fathers in his research include:

• The most rewarding aspect of fathering individuals with autism is seeing their children successful.  
• There is an orientation and adjustment process that fathers experience as they learn about their children’s autism diagnosis and possibly have to adjust their relationship expectations with their children with autism.  
• Fathers seem to appreciate connecting with resembling fathers and families as they navigate fathering an individual with autism. 
• Fathers are paying close attention to their different forms of capital (Dr. Michael Hannon, January 13, 2016)

Certifications: Dr. Michael Hannon is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and a Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) in New Jersey.

Awards: Dr. Michael Hannon received the Presidential Award by the Willingboro, New Jersey and Vicinity Branch of the NAACP in November 2015.
  
Conference Speaker: Dr. Michael Hannon provided the keynote at the 3rd Annual Conference for New Jersey Fathers of Children with Special Needs in October of 2015. Below is a brief excerpt of his presentation. More information on past conferences he presented at are listed on his blog.

Great Expectations Teaching & Advocacy Center for Childhood Disabilities, Inc. (GETAC): Michael and LaChan Hannnon founded GETAC on April 19, 2007 to offer advocacy, educational, and consultative services for parents raising children with developmental disabilities. Michael's wife, LaChan Hannon, serves as the Executive Director and the work of this non-profit is dear and near to them.

The following is a video of Google Hangout where Dr. Michael Hannon was on an online panel called Autism Brainstorm: Guy Talk that Dr. Robert Naseef did in March 2015 as part of a feature on an African-American perspective on raising children with autism. A second part of this series was taped in April 2015.

Advice to Autism Fathers: Dr. Michael Hannon shared this advice to autism fathers with Autism Light. 

"Fathers are important members of the family. When families have experiences that require something new or unexpected from them, it can be a source of both stress and enrichment. As they navigate this experience, I encourage fathers of children with autism to:

• Learn (more) about themselves so they can engage with their families in healthy and honest ways. Discover (or rediscover) interests, hobbies, stress relief activities, and ways to support personal growth and development.
• Learn about their children (with or without autism) so they can find connection points. Fathers may find they share interests, attitudes, dispositions with their children, which is awesome. They also may discover something their children enjoy that eventually becomes a mutual interest or something in which they entirely support their children.
• Learn about autism by talking to trustworthy people who help build a sense of community. These can be other dads, romantic/marital partners, specialists and therapists, school personnel, and/or a faith community (if applicable). (Michael Hannon, January 13, 2016)."

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"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'".

(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,The King Center)

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Others Supporting Autism Families: Dr. Michael Hannon provided this insight to Autism Light on supporting fathers in diverse communities.

I appreciate the ongoing advocacy for individuals with autism by individuals with autism, their families, and concerned community members and groups. One way we can all continue to help families affected by autism is being courageous in helping eliminate the disparities in diagnosis, diagnosis timing, and access to care for families of different racial/ethnic groups. 

Another way to help is to continue balancing the autism narrative. All families experience stress, and raising an individual with autism can be stressful at times, and in different ways than raising an individual who does not have autism. However, the stress/coping narrative is not the only autism story. It’s great to be able to read, hear, and talk to those living with and/or affected by autism when they share their success and reward stories (Dr. Michael Hannon, January 13, 2016).

People-First Language: Dr. Hannon has a specific way in which he speaks about people with autism that affirms their dignity and that they are more than their autism diagnosis. He said this to Autism Light:

One last suggestion for all of us is to affirm the humanity of individuals with autism, by using people-first language. Unless I’m corrected, I try to address people with autism with that moniker: people WITH autism. I get concerned when we label a community by just one identifier, especially when that identifier has been constructed as something negative (e.g., autistic, diabetic, schizophrenic, etc.). Those identifiers can be sources of pride for the individuals living with such conditions and contribute to our diverse communities; however, I err on the side of caution and try to use people-first language in my interactions and recommend others do the same unless told otherwise (Dr. Michael Hannon, January 13, 2016).

Follow Michael Hannon on Social Media: 

• Facebook Page of Michael Hannon
• LinkedIn Profile of Michael Hannon
• Twitter @MDHannon

Special thanks to Dr. Michael Hannon for being an Autism Light and fighting the good fight as an autism father, researcher, and counselor. His work is a benefit to the autism community and he is an appropriate representative of someone who has a passion to shape the world for the better like the great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This post is our 5th annual feature to honor someone who is an Autism Light in the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. Past honorees of Autism Light on Martin Luther King, Jr. day include:

2015

Areva Martin (Autism Mother)

2014

Elijah Winfrey (Autism Uncle)

2013

Joshua Bennett (Autism Brother)

2012

 King Richard (Person with Autism). 

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

The photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. in this post is in the Creative Commons of 

Wikipedia and is from the National Archives and Records Administration. The photo of Michael Hannon is used with permission of Michael Hannon.

Robin Parker

Autism Light #371 is Robin Parker.

Robin Shari-Rosenthal Parker, of North Lauderdale, Florida, was a professor in the communications sciences and disorders field at Nova Southeastern University. She passed away on July 16, 2014, at the age of 50, from pancreatic cancer. Robin Parker is survived by her husband Glenn, a daughter Sarah, and a son Michael. Also, surviving are her parents Lenore and David Rosenthal. Dr. Robin Parker is an Autism Light for her insights into autism and her decades of providing practical help with the communication needs of people with autism. Robin Parker will be placed on the Autism Light Memorial Roll today.

Education: Robin Parker received her Bachelor and Master's Degree from Florida State University. She earned her doctorate degree in Communication Disorders from Nova Southeastern University.

At the time of her death, Robin Parker was a professor at Nova Southeastern University. In order to improve communication with individuals who have autism, her work also included an interest in a study of effective communication Apps for mobile devices. Wren Newman, the Executive Director at the Speech Pathology program at Nova Southeastern University said,

We'll make sure she is not forgotten. Our students will know about her and her work. She was positive and gave families hope and strategies to implement with their children. In the 30 years I've been in this field, I can't think of a positive descriptor that I couldn't use about Robin (Wren Newman as Quoted in the Miami Herald, July 17, 2014).

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/living/article1975920.html#storylink=cpy

The following is an interview of Dr. Robin Parker on communication conducted by Dr. Cyndy Hayes.

PrAACtical AAC Blog: Robin Parker along with her colleague Dr. Carole Zangari founded the PrAACtical AAC blog to promote supports for language learning in 2012.  Dr. Zangari said, "The blog was a happy place for [Robin]. She was all about helping individuals who can't speak gain a voice (Autism Daily Newscast, July 19, 2014)."

There are many resources available on the PrAACtical AAC blog. Strategies, videos, a tool box, and other material are available for therapists and people that work with autism. The blog also includes several supports to help observe Jewish Disability Awareness Month.

Parent Testimony: Mona Nasser said, "My daughter is an adult now and because of the work Robin did she will be able to manage her life in a meaningful way. I've since had the privilege of calling her one of my best friends and she lived her life like she left it--with dignity, respect and compassion (Mona Nasser as Quoted in the Miami Herald, July 17, 2014)."

The contributions that Dr. Robin Parker made for autism won't soon be forgotten. They have enriched human lives and have ushered in groundbreaking understandings of communications that will be felt in the field of autism for years to come. It is hoped that the legacy of Robin Parker will encourage other people to become experts in communications in order to shine a light for autism. Our thoughts continue to be with her family in their loss.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Jim Mansell

Autism Light #302 is Jim Mansell. 

Jim Mansell, CBE was a university professor and an immensely influential advocate that those with autism and other intellectual disabilities in the United Kingdom be able to live in the community instead of residing long-term in institutions. Jim Mansell was born in Beckenham, Kent in the United Kingdom on September 2, 1952, and died of cancer on March 13, 2012. Jim Mansell is an Autism Light for his 30 year mission to fight for services for those with autism and other intellectual disabilities. His influence was felt most notably as the founder of The Tizard Centre at the University of Kent, and for writing groundbreaking disability reports that were published by the UK Department of Health, known as the Mansell reports (1993) and Raising Our Sights (2010). Jim Mansell will be added today to the Autism Light Memorial Roll.

Jim Mansell graduated from Cardiff University in 1975. At the age of 18 years old, he volunteered to take a group of disabled children from the city's Ely hospital to a movie. Mansell's shock at the state of the children in this long-stay institution, led him to organize efforts to change conditions for residents of the hospital. When Jim was asked what credentials he had at 18 years of age for this gigantic undertaking in social change, he would respond that it, "was actually a question that never occured to me (Read More in the Obituary Done by the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities)."  Ely would not close until 1996, but Jim Mansell's advocacy as a young university student was just the start of his life's passion to help as many residents as possible get out of long-stay institutions and live in the community.

CBE: In recognition of his lifetime of work for the disabled, Jim Mansell was given the tremendously high honor of being named Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to people with intellectual disabilities in 2012 (Read More in an Article by The Challenging Behavior Foundation).

The Tizard Centre: In 1983, Jim Mansell founded The Tizard Centre at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom. This academic group is a world class disability research and study center (Read More in an Article on Jim Mansell by Mencap). He served as a Professor and then Emeritus Professor of Learning Disability at The Tizard Centre at the University of Kent.

La Trobe University: Jim Mansell served as Professor in the School of Social Work and Social Policy at the La Trobe University in Melburne, Australia. The following is a video uploaded in 2011 of the Disability Forum at La Trobe University that included Jim Mansell on the panel.


The Mansell Reports: In 1993, Jim Mansell led a group for the UK Department of Health that wrote a groundbreaking guidebook for services for people with learning disabilities. This report became known as the Mansell reports and was updated in 2007. You can read the updated version of the Mansell reports online.

Raising Our Sights: In 2010, the UK Department of Health published Jim Mansell's report on supporting people with severe intellectual disabilities. This was called Raising Our Sights. A video presentation on the Raising Our Sights report was done by Jim Mansell and is available at this section of The Tizard Centre's Website.

Publications: In addition, to the two above reports, Jim Mansell authored the following books (Read More at The Tizard Centre Website):

• Deinstitutionalization and community living (Chapman and Hall, 1996)
• Severe learning disability and challenging behaviour (Chapman and Hall, 1993)
• Developing staffed housing for people with mental handicaps (Costello, 1987)

Tributes: Several individuals and organizations wrote tributes to the lifetime work of Jim Mansell. You may read them at these links.

• David Brindle, The Guardian
• Professor David Felce of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IASSIDD)
• Mencap.org - Remembering Jim Mansell
• Richard Mills of The National Autistic Society
• The Tizard Centre at the University of Kent

The autism community owes a tremendous gratitude to Jim Mansell for his advocacy work in the United Kingdom, Australia, and other parts of the world. Thousands of disabled individuals and those with autism are in the community today instead of an institution because of his advocacy and work. May the efforts he made to protect those with disabilities inspire others to consider being an Autism Light and advocate.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Rebecca Mullican

Autism Light #280 is Dr. Rebecca Mullican.



Dr. Rebecca Mullican

Dr. Rebecca Mullican is a professor in Special Education, and a professional presenter and researcher on the subject of autism.  Dr. Mullican resides in the greater Jackson, Mississippi area with her husband Bryce. In 2012 she founded the Jackson Autism Center in Jackson, Mississippi. Dr. Rebecca Mullican is an Autism Light because of the impact her diverse autism work is having to improve the lives of those with autism and to inspire and teach those who will one day work with those with autism.

Education: Dr. Rebecca Mullican earned her PhD. in Special Education from the University of Southern Mississippi. She wrote her dissertation on the subject of "Family Experiences and Children with Autism who use Speech Generating Devices."

Philosophy: Dr. Rebecca Mullican's approach to the education of those with autism is that "there is no one treatment or therapy method that works for all individuals on the autism spectrum. As a professional in the field of autism, it is important to be exposed to many therapies and treatments so that you can make an informed decision regarding each child or individual you work with. What works for one may not work for another (Source: Email from Rebecca Mulllican to Autism Light on 5/30/2013)."

Professor: Since the Fall of 2012, Rebecca Mullican has served as a Visiting Professor in Special Education at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Jackson Autism Center: Dr. Rebecca Mullican founded the Jackson Autism Center in 2012. It was a transition that brought her full circle from teaching to operating an intervention center. The Jackson Autism Center says, "Dr. Rebecca Mullican has a passion for providing intervention services to children with disabilities. Rebecca left the classroom and founded Jackson Autism Center to make a greater impact for kids with disabilities, families, and the community. She believes that each child needs a program built around how he or she learns; there is not a one-size-fits-all (Source)."

The following news story features Dr. Rebecca Mullican sharing about her work at the Jackson Autism Center on Autism Awareness Month.



For more information on the Jackson Autism Center visit their website at www.jacksonautismcenter.com.

Diverse Methods:  Dr. Rebecca Mullican has been trained in diverse approaches to autism treatment. "Her trainings range from ABA and verbal behavior to SCERTS, social stories, augmentative and alternative communication, and LAMP. She also has years of experience with behavior challenges and positive behavior support (Source)."

Conference Speaker: Dr. Rebecca Mullican has been a presenter at several autism or disability related national conferences. The conferences she has spoken at includes the ATIA (Assistive Technology Industry Association), TASH, and Autism Society of America.  

Publications: An article by Dr. Rebecca Mullican called "Building Communication Skills Through Speech Generating Devices" appeared on pages 6-7 of the June/July, 2013 issue of The Autism Notebook - South Florida.

Hobbies: Dr. Rebecca Mullican enjoys movies, traveling, photography, scrapbooking, and spending time with family when she has time. She also has a dog named Samson and a cat named Toby (Source).

Social Media: You can follow the work of Dr. Rebecca Mullican at the Jackson Autism Center on the following social media areas.

• Facebook - Jackson Autism Center
• Twitter @JacksonAutism

Special thanks to Dr. Rebecca Mullican for making a difference for autism in both her national influence as well as her day to day work at the Jackson Autism Center in Mississippi. The autism community in Mississippi is fortunate that Dr. Rebecca Mullican is shining her light for autism. You may find out more about Dr. Rebecca Mullican by reading her online resume. This post will be linked today on the Mississippi Lights post at Autism Light. You can find out more in that post on all the Autism Lights from the state of Mississippi.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

The photo in this post was used with permission of Dr. Rebecca Mullican.



Mark Yeager

Autism Light #153 is Dr. Mark Yeager.

Dr. Mark H. Yeager is from Smith County, Mississippi. He is often referred to as the "Father of the Mississippi Autism Movement." Viewed as the top authority on autism in the State of Mississippi, Mark Yeager has provided services to people with autism since 1975. "His experiences range from being a classroom teacher to program developer creating new and innovative based programs (Source)." Dr. Mark Yeager is an Autism Light for the dedication he has had for over 35 years to improving the quality of life for people with autism in Mississippi. The effectiveness of his work is an example to the autism field across the United States and world.

The following is a video of Dr. Mark Yeager speaking on "The Hidden Part of Autism" on May 5, 2010 at The Institute for Disability Studies at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Autism Light asked Dr. Mark Yeager how he felt we could best help improve the quality of life for those with autism. He shared the following:

I think that one of the most misinterpreted issues within the ASD community is that people with ASD prefer not to do many things.  This often leads to them being left out of so many opportunities.  My years of experience has taught me that it is not the lack of interest or desire but the lack of opportunity that keeps autistic people away from so much.  It is our collective responsibility to provide as many opportunities as possible for our autistic friends and family members so that they can enjoy participating in life with everyone else --Dr. Mark Yeager. 

Adjunct Professor: Dr. Mark Yeager is a 1998 graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, where he earned his Ph.D. in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Dr. Mark Yeager serves as an adjunct professor at both the University of Southern Mississippi and William Carey University.  Dr. Mark Yeager created and taught the first classes in the state of Mississippi exclusively dedicated to autism (Source). He has also delivered autism lectures to the Minister of Education in India.

Autism Bill of Rights: One of the ways in which Dr. Mark Yeager's autism work has been felt outside of Mississippi is related to the Autism Bill of Rights.  He created the Autism Bill of Rights and the document can be viewed at this link.

Autism Camps: Mark Yeager also serves as the Camp Director for Autism Camps in Mississippi known as TEAAM'S Adventure Based Programs. The programs allow people with autism inclusive opportunities to experience a camp program.  In this past year 190 campers and 140 volunteers were involved in the Kamp Kaleidoscope and Camp Walapei at their Center Ridge Outpost.  The Center Ridge Outpost is about 6 miles south of Raleigh, Mississippi.  The website for more information on these Autism Camps is at www.autismcamps.org.

Yeager Group: Dr. Mark H. Yeager is co-founder of the Yeager Group. The Yeager Group provides "assessments, quality training, assistance in the classroom, teacher and family support, IEP recommendations, behavior programs, student counseling and more (Source)." If you are interested in their services contact them at The Yeager Group, PO Box 37, Mize, MS 39116 or through other channels listed on their website.

Social Media: You can follow Dr. Mark Yeager at the following social media areas.

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google+

For more information on Dr. Mark Yeager vist his biography at this Website.  Special thanks to Dr. Mark Yeager for shining your light for over 35 years to improve the life of people with autism in Mississippi.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo in this post is used with permission of Dr. Mark Yeager.

Dr. James Adams

Autism Light #64 is Dr. James Adams.

Dr. James B. Adams, Ph.D. is from Phoenix, Arizona. He has a long tenure of serving as a professor of chemistry at Arizona State University and he is currently a President's Professor and the Director of the Autism/Asperger's Research Program at Arizona State University, where he is responsible for ASU's cutting edge autism research. His research has focused on the biological causes of treatments of autism. He went in this direction after his daughter Kim was diagnosed with autism in 1994.

Nightline Presentation:  The following is a portion of a Nightline special on Dr. Adams' story.

Specific Research: 

I asked Dr. James Adams if there are three things that people who have a loved one with autism would find helpful related to his research.  He noted research has found that these three treatments are helpful to many children or adults with autism.

1. Vitamin/mineral supplements. Dr. James Adams indicated that he considers his most important research study to be the one called the "Nutritonal and metabolic status of children with autism vs. neurotypical children, and the association of autism severity."  This was published in 2011 and is critical to understanding the role that vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids have in individuals with autism. The study found statistically significant nutritional deficiency in people with autism. It has important implications for the utilization of a dietary plan for treating people with autism.
2. DMSA therapy to remove toxic materials. In 2009 Dr. James Adams did a study related to the safety of oral DMSA therapy which is available online at this link. 
3. Seizure treatments. In 2011 Dr. James Adams completed a study on various traditional and non-traditional seizure treatments which is available online at this link. The research can help with selecting a treatment for seizures for people on the autism spectrum. 

Autism/Asperger's Research Program at ASU:  Dr. James Adams is the director of the Autism/Asperger's Research Program at Arizona State University.  The AARP at Arizona State University says their "focus is primarily on biomedical issues, including nutritional deficiencies, heavy metal toxicity, and bacterial/yeast overgrowth in the gut."

Autism Society of America: Since 2000, Dr. Adams has served as the President of the Autism Society of America's Greater Phoenix Chapter. In 2007, Dr. James Adams received the Evening of Champions Award from the national Autism Society of America. The award was given for research and service to autism.

Autism Research Institute: Dr. James Adams has been involved in the Autism Research Institute as a board member from 2007-2009.  He is also currently the co-chair of the Science Advisory Council of the Autism Research Institute. Dr. James Adams has presented science workshops at Autism Research Institute Conferences, including the one October 13-16, 2011 in LasVegas, Nevada.

Dr. James Adams is an Autism Light because his scientific research on the causes and treatments of autism is very helpful to the biomedical area of the autism community. For more information on Dr. James Adams view his full resume available at this link at the website for the Autism/Asperger's Research Program at Arizona State University.

Special thanks to Dr. James Adams for being dedicated to conducting priceless research on autism.  Your time and findings are providing the opportunities for new insights into treating autism.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

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Photo: Photo in this post used with permission of Dr. James Adams.

This Autism Light post went into syndication at Autisable.

Sergei Morozova - Svetlana Morozova

Autism Lights #57 are Sergei Morozova and Svetlana Morozova.

Sergei Morozova and his daughter Svetlana Morozova run the main autism charity in Moscow, Russia called the Dobra Association for Autistic Children. Sergio and Svetlana are Autism Lights because of the leadership and advocacy they are doing for the needs of people with autism in Russia.

Sergei and Svetlana Morozova run The Dobra Association for Autistic Children, which was founded in 1989. Dobra means "good" in Russia.  The organizations has a school component that uses a variety of techniques in order to meet individual needs of students.

Sergei is a professor that, in addition to leadership of the Dobra Association, teaches autism at three Moscow universities. Sergei and his daughter Svetlana have found that Russia has some of the same needs regarding autism as the rest of the world like early intervention and how to help adults with autism find productive employment. However, some of their concerns are unique to Russia. Sergei Morozov said this about autism in Russia.

We have no legislation specifically for autism here. We have laws referring to mental retardation, deafeness or blindness-but not autism. So even if parents receive the correct diagnosis, they cannot find where to go. There are simply not enough professionals capable of working with children with autism (Source).

Sergei and Svetlana Morozova were mentioned in Adam Feinstein's book A History of Autism: Conversation with the Pioneers, which was published in 2010. Sergei and Svetlana are advocates and experts on the history of autism in Russia. They mention that Samuil Mnukhin (independently of Leo Kanner) discovered autism cases as early as 1947 in Lenningrad, Russia.

Svetlana Morozova is also a Russian author and has written two books on autism which were called:

• Autism: The treatment of severe and combined forms
• The principles for creating individual treatment programs for children with autism. 

For more information on Sergio and Svetlana Morozova reference these online articles.

• Interview with Adam Feinstein.
• A Letter from Moscow at Autism Connect

Special thanks to Sergei Morozova and Svetlana Morozova for shining a light for autism in Russia.


Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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This Autism Light post went into syndication at Autisable.

Dr. David Amaral

Autism Light #33 is Dr. David Amaral.

Dr. David Amaral is a Distinguished Professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California Davis. His full biography is available at the UC Davis website.  He is also the Director of Research at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute.  Dr. Amaral provides a welcome to the work of the M.I.N.D. Institute at this link.


Below is a presentation of Dr. David Amaral discussing the M.I.N.D. Institute and the evolution of autism research.

One of Dr. David Amaral's research projects is called the Autism Phenome Project.  Dr. Amaral says, "The goal of this project is to identify subtypes of autism. Once we identify those, we believe that we can go after the cause for each one in a more productive fashion (Source)."   


This video is of Dr. David Amaral discussing Autism Research Trends at the 2011 IMFAR Conference sponsored by the International Society for Autism Research. 

Dr. David Amaral is also the editor (along with David Geschwind and Geraldine Dawson) of the book, Autism Spectrum Disorders, that was published in June, 2011.  Because 80 researchers are covered in the book, Amazon calls this book, "a virtual 'who's who' of autism research."  The following are some links on the Internet about his recent research work related to autism that has received the attention of the news media.

• US Researchers Identify Two Autism Strains in Major Breakthrough (Fox News)
• Research Offers Hope for Autism Blood Test (Fox News)
• UC Davis Frontiers Website
• An Expert Talks About Autism (New York Times) 
• A transcript of a PBS News Hour interview done in June, 2011 with Dr. David Amaral.
• David Amaral's Wikipedia Page.

Dr. David Amaral is an Autism Light because of his leadership in autism research. Special thanks to Dr. David Amaral for being an Autism Light.


Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.