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.

Doron Somer

Autism Light #377 is Doron Somer.

Doron Somer is an autism father who was born in Jerusalem and lives in Kadima, Israel. Doron is the father of two sons, Jonathan and Itamar. His 17 year old son Itamar has autism.  Out of his own personal experience as an autism father and armed with his passion and talent for technology, Doron formed the business AngelSense in 2013. AngelSense helps caretakers and parents track the location of their loved ones with special needs. Doron Somer is an Autism Light for his dedication as an autism father and for helping keep people from around the world with autism safer through his vision and leadership at AngelSense.

Doron Somer said this about being an autism parent in an email to Autism Light, "From my experience, raising a child with special needs is challenging - sometimes very challenging! But it is also a blessing. They give us the opportunity to grow as people, and have a more balanced perception of the world around us."

Doron Somer founded AngelSense in 2013, together with Nery his friend, in order to share with others the wearable technology that met a real need in his own life to keep his son with autism safe. AngelSense is a GPS tracker that can be secured to a person's clothing and it also offers a special "Listen In" feature for parents to hear sounds in the special needs environment when they are apart from family. You can read Doron's Story at the AngelSense blog and learn how the first prototype of AngelSense was used by Doron Somer to protect his child and how it became the foundation of AngelSense. 

One of the features that makes AngelSense stand out as a company is their customer service. The customer care workers at AngelSense have children with special needs and they use the product themselves.  They are more than happy to work through safety challenges that AngelSense can help minimize. There is a special email button in users accounts that makes communication with the company very efficient. It should be noted that AngelSense is not only for autism families, but can be of value for keeping people with diverse special needs safe. It could even have an application for tracking adults with special needs, such as people suffering from Altzheimer's.

The sweetest thing happened the other day when my son Jonathan was wearing his AngelSense device. He was naming his articles of clothing and pointed to his tracking device and called it "Angel". I might add that in the same breath he also tried to get the device off of his clothes in my presence and was unable to accomplish that, which is by design.

Maya Ariel's Story: The following story is representative of many others who each day in diverse locations around the globe are having their lives blessed by AngelSense. Doron Somer tells Maya Ariel's story in his own words:

Maya has an 11-year-old child with severe autism. His name is Rotem. Rotem used to ride the same school bus as my son Itamar. This is how I knew Maya. Maya writes children books – she is a brilliant person. She is also a single-mom, with a physical disability that makes it hard for her to take Rotem on walks.

When I started developing AngelSense, I needed an early adopter that could start using the product when it was in very early stages of development. I shared with Maya the vision when it pretty much a dream and she immediately agreed to start using the product during the development phase and help it become a reality. Rotem has severe sensory issues and thus he was a classic "client" for testing the unique wearing accessory we developed.

Because of Maya's physical disability, she needed a way to share his experiences as he went about his day. So Maya came up with the idea of pulling pictures from Google street view into the schedule in order to share Rotem’s day with him.

He initially just watched quietly and then he started saying the names of the locations. They had a really amazing experience of being together and sharing his day. We asked Maya to be the first mom on our customer care team. She immediately agreed! Maya today leads our technical support and doing an unbelievable job. She is an inspiration for the rest of the moms that followed.

She works extremely hard, but has told me that she feels AngelSense is not just a job opportunity for her but that her life has become filled with meaning by helping others.Maya is my true hero of AngelSense.

The following is a video of testimonials of other parents who are using AngelSense. Other testimonial and product instruction videos are available on the AngelSense YouTube Channel.

Service to Autism Community: Doron Somer views the value of AngelSense to the autism and special needs community in this way.

As parents to children with special needs, we constantly worry about them. The statistics of abuse, mistreatment, and bullying are horrible. There are also just as many cases of improper treatment. Not to mention the fear of wandering. I feel that our lives are often times very challenging and hectic; hopefully AngelSense can ease a few of the worries, help in optimizing and planning our time, and provide some peace of mind. When our children are not treated properly, everyone in the family pays a huge price. Meltdowns, self-injury, overall deterioration, etc. Knowing what is happening with our children and how they are being treated is crucial to improving their well-being and safety (Doron Somer).

Vision for AngelSense: Doron Somer has this vision for the future of AngelSense.

I would like to create a worldwide movement that is about keeping our children safe and well cared for. We also want to increase the awareness of the need to better protect our children and monitor the way they are being treated. I would like to see hundreds of thousands of parents joining us to this journey. When we are strong enough, we will be able to create real changes, including legislation where needed. 

I would also like to make sure that every parent may be able to benefit from AngelSense.

We understand not every family can afford AngelSense so we are always looking into ways to make it accessible to more people. We’re working on expanding assistance from charities, for example. We would also like for insurance companies to cover the cost for AngelSense. We would like to create as many avenues as we can so all of our special children can be protected by AngelSense (Doron Somer). 

Autism Fathers: Doron Somer writes this word of encouragement to other autism fathers.

You are not alone! We will do all that we can to create a better and safer world for our special children. It is a life mission for us and we encourage parents to join us on this journey. We need to stick together. There are many challenges along the way. The end goal is that our children are protected and we know what is happening with them while not under our care. I have left my hectic life as a hi-tech executive in order to create a change. I encourage fathers to step up and help us change the world.  It is possible! Totally possible!!! (Doron Somer).

Social Media:  You can follow AngelSense and Doron Somer's work at the following social media areas.

• Facebook Page - AngelSense
• Google + - AngelSense
• Twitter @AngelSenseGo
• YouTube Channel for AngelSense

Hobbies: Doron Somer keeps very busy as an autism father and his ongoing mission to test AngelSense in real life and improve it's features consumes most of his life, because he rarely can set aside his responsibilities to his family and friends around the world who use AngelSense. Doron does do some hobbies such as jogging and biking. His favorite recreation is watching Israeli football (soccer) games in the champion's league.

Special thanks to Doron Somer for being Autism Light. We look forward to hearing exciting things in the future as he continues to grow and develop his technological product known as AngelSense.  It is a blessing to the autism community that Doron is concentrating his energies on keeping people with special needs safe through wearable technologies. His work is certainly enhanced by being an autism father and having personal experiences with the need to protect his 17 year old son.

If you enjoyed this post check out other posts at the Autism Light blog with the label "Safety".

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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Photos: The photos in this post were used with permission of Doron Somer. 

Special Note: Autism Light is a non commercial blog.  This blog post was voluntarily written on the founder of an autism related business without any consideration for receiving any goods or services from them. While our family is currently using AngelSense at the time this post was written, we are paying the same $39.99 per month fee for the service as anyone else.

Sheila R. Medlam - Mason Allen Medlam

Autism Lights #300 are Sheila R. Medlam and Mason Allen Medlam.

Sheila R. Medlam is from Colwich, Kansas. She is the mother of Mason Allen Medlam, who passed away at the age of 5 on July 29, 2010, after he wandered away from his home and drowned in a nearby pond. Sheila Medlam is an Autism Light, because since the tragedy of losing her son, she has been an influential national advocate for autism safety and wandering awareness, including talking to numerous commuity law enforcement agencies, promoting the Mason Alert system and founding the Mason Allen Medlam Foundation for Autism Safety. Because of the inspiration that the memory of Mason Allen Medlam has on his mother and her work in wandering awareness, we are also naming Mason an Autism Light posthumously. His name will be placed on the Autism Light Memorial Roll today.

Mason Allen Medlam: Mason Allen Medlam left this world on July 29, 2010, after he wandered away from his home and drowned in a neighbor's pond. However, in a real sense Mason continues to shine his light each time the life-saving autism safety and wandering awareness initiatives are adopted by the autism community through the leadership of his mother. Sheila Medlam writes about the blessing of Mason's brief childhood on the front page of the Mason Allen Medlam Foundation's website.

My son, Mason, was born on July 07, 2005. He was brilliant, beautiful and full of joy. He lit up our world and was the center of our universe. Sometimes he would break out into this glorious laughter, and even though you couldn't figure out what he was laughing at, you would join in because the sound of it touched your soul and filled it with joy. He was the most incredible child I have ever known. He loved life and life seemed to love him. He overcame more obstacles in his life than many adults ever have to even contemplate and he did it with a smile on his face and laughter in his heart (Read More at the Mason Allen Medlam Foundation Website).

Sheila R. Medlam: Sheila Medlam worked as an estimator at the time of Mason's death, but she is now studying to become a structured learning educator, so she can help teach children with severe autism like Mason. Sheila Medlam describes herself and goals this way on her blog.

I am about to drive over the edge of forty. I live on a farm in Kansas with my husband, daughters and many animals. I have an angel in heaven who wandered from home and drowned in a neighbor's pond when he was five years old. His name is Mason Allen Medlam and he was severely autistic. He is my purpose, my drive, my heart. Everything I do for the rest of my life is because of him. I love you, Bubby, I love you, I love you, I love you (Read More at Sheila R. Medlam's Blog).

Following Mason's death in 2010, Sheila Medlam formed the Mason Allen Medlam Foundation for Autism Safety.  The foundation was nominated for the 2010 Age of Autism Award. Sheila has worked tirelessly through the foundation to promote Autism Safety through what is known as a Mason Alert.  A Mason Alert would be similar to but different from the nationwide Amber Alert System, because it would take into account unique circumstances applicable exclusively to missing people with autism of all ages. You can read more about the Mason Alert at this description of the Mason Alert from the Mason Allen Medlam Foundation's Website and you can also sign the online petition to establish a Mason Alert system throughout the United States. The foundation also promotes the Mason Alert Take Me Home Registry. 

Here is a video from Sheila Medlam and the Mason Allen Medlam Foundation that provides information on the goals of the foundation and serves to give educational awareness of some procedures and equipment that could prevent future tragedies. The YouTube video says, "The Mason Allen Medlam Foundation's goal is to layer all the protections we can around each at risk person." The video also respectfully remembers some of the precious lives with autism that were lost to wandering around the time it was made and helps show the depth of the problem.


United States Health and Human Services: On October 22, 2010, Sheila Medlam was a speaker at the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) about autism wandering awareness. She corresponded with Kathleen Sebelius, the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, about her message to the IACC. The exchange of letters is available as a note on Sheila Medlam's Facebook Page.

Blogger: Sheila Medlam has a WordPress Blog, where she shares about her life and promotes autism safety. She also documents the tragic accounts of new incidents of autism lives lost to wandering or elopment. The blog shares Sheila's dreams and goals and is a treasure of educational material on wandering awareness and prevention as well as a memorial to those autistic lives lost to wandering. Sheila Medlam's Blog will be added today to the index on the Autism Light Blogs Page.

Social Media: You can interact with Sheila Medlam and the Mason Allen Medlam Foundation at the following social media areas:

• Facebook Page - Mason Alert
• Facebook Page - Mason Allen Medlam Foundation for Autism Safety
• Facebook - Sheila R. Medlam
• Twitter @MasonAlert
• Google+ - Sheila Medlam
• YouTube - Mason Alert

One of the most serious problems facing the autism community today is the regular occurrences of those with autism wandering away from caregivers and falling a victim to tragedy, usually through drowning. Since Mason Allen Medlam passed away three years ago at least 65 known deaths from wandering have befallen the autism community. Below is a photo of some of those precious lives.

Today as Autism Light reaches the milestone of publishing the 300th point of autism light, it's hard to express in words the gratitude we have for Sheila Medlam, who has made autism safety and wandering awareness her life's passion since her son died from wandering. And we shall never forget Mason himself, whose brief life continues to help raise awareness of autism wandering, and whose light shines on as he inspires his mother and the autism community. Thank you Sheila and Mason!

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

The photos in this post are used with permission of Sheila R. Medlam.

Bill Cannata

Autism Light #175 is Bill Cannata.

Bill Cannata is a Captain in the Westwood, Massachusetts Fire Department. His son Ted is 21 years old and has autism. When he is not putting out fires, Bill frequently wears the hat as an educator to help first responders be better prepared to rescue people with autism in an emergency. Bill Cannata is an Autism Light for his hard work to use his expertise as a fireman as well as his personal experience as an autism father to impart life-saving training to first responders.

Today Show: On March 1, 2012, Bill Cannata's story and work was featured on the Today Show. A video and transcript of that segment can be found on the MSNBC site at this link. It is also embeded here for you to watch.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Bill Cannata currently serves as a Captain in the Westwood, Massachusetts Fire Department and has over 30 years of experience as a firefighter. He has been an instructor for the Massachusetts Fire Academy for 15 years. Through his experience as an autism father and a firefighter he has a special insight into the extreme reactions that people with autism may have in an emergency. This experience has made him a better firefighter and an educator that has touched thousands of lives of first responders. Bill Cannata told Autism Light about how his son Ted motivates him. He writes, "Ted is my teacher so I need to teach my peers how to work with him during an emergency."

ALEC Program:  ALEC stands for Autism and Law Enforcement Coalition. ALEC has an informative website at www.sncarc.org/ALEC/index.htm.  Bill Cannata was part of a group who helped start ALEC in 2003 and in 2006 he became the Statewide Coordinator. Dennis Debbaudt of Autism Risk Management helped with some inital training for the program.  The following information is how the ALEC website describes their program and purpose.

The ALEC program began in 2003 as a collaborative effort of the South Norfolk County Arc Family Autism Center and the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office. ALEC training helps foster a deeper understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorders among public safety and law enforcement personnel. Training is available for Police Officers, Firefighters, EMTs, Paramedics and Hospital Emergency Room Personnel, using curriculum and videos specific to each group. Presenters are First Responders with direct knowledge of Autism Spectrum Disorders through a family member. Because of this personal knowledge, in addition to their specific professional background, they are able to answer questions on a wide range of possible situations. The goal of ALEC training is to provide additional tools for First Responders to use in assessing the risk of a situation (Source).

ALEC receives funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for their important work. Since it's inception over 15,000 First Responders have completed the training program.

Contact: To find out more about ALEC and resources available to first responders contact Bill Cannata by email at BCANNATA@SNCARC.ORG or by phone 781-762-4001, ext. 420.

Conference Presenter: Bill Cannata is scheduled to present at the NFPA Conference and Expo on June 13, 2012 on the subject, "Autism Awareness for Fire and Life Safety Education" (Source). This national conference will beheld in LasVegas, Nevada. He is recommended as a speaker and trainer by Autism Risk and Safety Management.

Fire and Autism: Bill Cannata also is involved with Fire Rescue/Autism Training for some of his private trainings taking place out of his home state. The Fire Rescue/Autism Training website is at http://firerescueautism.com.

Other Articles: Here are some other online articles on Bill Cannata's amazing work.

• Firefighter Teaches How to Rescue People with Autism
• Autism 101: For Firefighter and Emergency Personnel (Written by Bill Cannata)

Social Media: You can follow the work of Bill Cannata at the following social media areas.

• Facebook (ALEC)
• Twitter @FireAutism

Special thanks to Bill Cannata for teaching first responders how to relate to those with autism in an emergency. The world is a safer place for people with autism because of this dedicated work that Bill Cannata performs.

Note: If you enjoyed this post you may wish to read about another Autism Light who was a firefighter. The late Jack Fanning was an autism father who died at the World Trade Center on 9/11. His story is at this link.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

This post went into syndication on Autisable.

Photo: The photo in this post is used with permission of Bill Cannata.

Nora Baladerian

Autism Light #147 is Dr. Nora Baladerian.

One of the constant worries that parents have is keeping their children safe every day in every way. While the challenge impacts all parents, it weighs especially heavily on those who have children with disabilities, such as autism. According to Chantal Sicile-Kara, "those who specialize in the field of abuse & disability believe that for both children and adults, increased victimization is more likely 10 times the rate than for those without disabilities (Source)."  Today's Autism Light is a courageous light who has spent 40 years in an emotionally charged field, to which she has made priceless contributions with her outstanding professional expertise. 

Dr. Nora Baladerian, Ph.D lives in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Nora Baladerian is the Director of the Disability and Abuse Project in Los Angeles. She is a licensed psychologist who also has her own private practice.  Dr. Nora Baladerian is an Autism Light because of the key roles she has had in the field of sexual abuse of the disabled, including making a difference in areas of prevention and training, healing and therapy, and forensics and justice. To find out more information beyond what is mentioned here you may wish to view Dr. Nora Baladerian's complete online resume found in a section of her professional website.  

Dr. Nora Baladerian began her journey that has led to her life's work in 1972 when as a sexuality related counselor one of her clients revealed they were an incest victim. She recounts how she found out there was a need in this area:

I had taken all the educational courses I could at UCLA and USC under Regional Center about people with developmental disabilities when I worked there...none mentioned anything about abuse, crime victimization, sexual assault. I figured where there was one, there were many. I set out to learn all I could about crime victims with disabilities, but there was nothing, literally, that I found at that time. I began to attend any child abuse seminar/workshop/class/meeting that I could all the while asking, 'how does what you are teaching relate to kids/adults with disabilities?" No answers."  

Dr. Nora Baladerian then set out to learn all she could about sexual assault. She is a Certified Sex Educator, Certified Sex Therapist and  founding member of the California Committee on Sexuality and Developmental Disabilities. Through her gifts and passion to never stop learning, she has become a leading expert in the field of sexual abuse of people with developmental disabilities.

Conferences: Dr. Nora Baladerian has given presentations at numerous important conferences over the years. She convened 10 national/international conferences on abuse and disability from 1986 to 2005, plus in 2005 held the first professional online conference on the topic. She put these first 7 conferences on with no outside funding but the last 3 she had the support of the Arc of Riverside County, the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime, and the California Governor's Office under the Children's Justice Act. A partial list of those conferences can be found on this website. 

And there is a very special free opportunity coming soon to hear Dr. Nora Baladerian give an online presentation. 

On Saturday, February 11, 2012 from 8:15-9:45 Pacific Time, Dr. Nora Baladerian will give a free online presentation on "How Can Parents Reduce the Risk of Sexual Abuse of Their Child or Young Adult?" as part of the Autism Safety and Crisis Prevention Conference being presented by the Autism College and the National Autism Association (NAA) with sponsorship by The Social Express.  Go to this link to register today.

National Crime Victims Service Award (2008):  The Attorney General of the United States presented Dr. Nora Baladerian with the National Crime Victims Service Award in 2008, recognizing her pioneering work on behalf of persons with disabilities and in the furtherance of the mission of the Office for Victims of Crime of the U.S. Department of Justice. A list of other recent awards and recognition that Dr. Nora Baladerian has received is at this website. 

Disability and Abuse Project: Dr. Nora Baladerian has served as the Director of the Disability and Abuse Project since 1991. The mission of The Disability and Abuse Project very much mirrors the three pronged approach of prevention, healing, and justice that Dr. Nora Baladerian has taken with her career.  According to their website, the mission of the Disability and Abuse Project is "to identify ways to reduce the risk of abuse, to promote healing for victims, and to seek justice for those who have been victimized."  You can find out more information about the work of this organization at www.disabilityandabuse.org. 

Prevention: Autism Light asked Dr. Nora Baladerian to share some practical things that parents could do to prevent abuse of their children with autism. Here are five action steps.

1. Communicate with children what sexual abuse is.
2. Ask children to use their sixth sense around people, and to share with them (parents) any "weird words or behavior" by adults or other kids.
3. Work with the child to interpret behaviors and determine if something inappropriate is taking place such as grooming.  
4. Believe the child if they share something has happened to them.
5. Take immediate action as parents in the situation. 

Author: Dr. Nora Baladerian has written several books/guidebooks for the field of sexual abuse of the disabled. You may view them and order them from the Disability and Abuse Project of Spectrum Institute at this website. You may also view her author page on Amazon for additional sources for some of her books.

In addition, she developed two law enforcement training videos with the ARC of Riverside County. One was for training first responders and the other for how to conduct the forensic interview with children and adults with intellectual disabilities. These training videos are available free from the Office for Victims of Crime of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Social Media: You can follow Dr. Nora Baladerian's work at the following social media areas:

• Facebook
• Google+

Special thanks to Dr. Nora Baladerian for being a leader in the prevention and healing of sexual abuse on those with autism. I work as a Research Analyst and Webmaster for Prevent Child Abuse Michigan. It is my experience both as a parent of a child with autism and as one working in the field of abuse prevention that Dr. Nora Baladerian's specialization and expertise is very much needed today. 

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo in this post is used with the permission of Dr. Nora Baladerian. 

This post went into syndication at Autisable.

Fred and Aly Harmon

Autism Lights #141 are Fred and Aly Harmon.

Thousands of thrift stores dot the landscape of both rural and urban cities across the world. They are a treasure for hearts that can find a second life for someone else's discarded goods, and they are a retail lifeline to those who are struggling to get by on a tight budget. Today's Autism Lights have started a thrift store that is all that and a business that can be a treasure and lifeline to those facing autism.

Today's Autism Light journey takes us to Amarillo, Texas, the home of Fred and Aly Harmon. Fred and Ally are the parents of 7 year old twin boys with autism named William and Luke. Fred Harmon is a police officer and army reservist and Aly manages the Lil' Treasures Shoppe, a thrift store in Amarillo, Texas.  The thrift store is much more than a family business to support the high cost of autism treatments. The Harmon's have focused on giving back to others in setting up the store to be a resource for the autism community. Fred and Aly Harmon are Autism Lights because of the way they are shining a light for autism in their family and community.

Thrift Store: The Lil' Treasures Thrift Store opened on October 1, 2011 and is located at 4021 S. Washington Street in Amarillo, Texas. A sign in the Lil' Treasures Thrift Store says, "Autism is not a sickness. It is not a illness. We just see the world differently."  Aly Harmon wrote this to Autism Light about her goals for the store in 2012:

I'm hoping that by the end of this year, our store will not only be a thrift store helping families purchase items at great prices, but a hub for families affected by autism to come and meet other parents, spouses, and children in their shoes. We want to be a resource for families who may have a new diagnosis or just have questions about it. We want to be a place for all levels of families to meet others and gain a better grasp of what Autism is for them. I hope to be able to employ teens and adults with Autism to learn basic work skills or simply feel like they belong.

Another service they are providing through the store for the autism community is they are creating safety kits for parents and grandparents to use on overnight visits that they plan to distribute.

Texas Panhandle Center: William and Luke have been receiving ABA therapy at the Texas Panhandle Center in Amarilla for the past two years. Here is a YouTube video about the story of Fred and Aly Harmon's family as they journey with autism.

Aly Harmon shared with Autism Light this advice to other parents of children with autism:

My advice or piece of wisdom for other parents, is to find Your Own Peace with Your Autism. We are at Peace with it. We are not trying to get rid of it, it is who the twins are and we love them for it. We work to teach them to be independent, social, and educated, but every day they remind me they are so perfect the way they are. They are brilliant, loving, and funny little boys. 

For more information on Fred and Aly Harmon read an article by John Mark Beilue of the Amarillo Globe-News. Special thanks to Fred and Aly Harmon for being Autism Lights that shine brightly through the entire outreach of the Lil' Treasures Thrift Store and a dedication to their twin sons with autism.  You are an inspiration to other parents struggling with autism of what can be built from a dream.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Brian Herritt

Autism Light #46 is Brian Herritt.

Brian Herritt and his son Brian

Brian Herritt is a police officer with the Palomar College Police Department in San Diego County, California.  His son Brian has autism. Besides being a police officer, Brian works for Autism Risk and Safety Management and keeps a busy schedule as a consultant/presenter for autism conferences and local groups related to either law enforcement and the autism community. His expertise as a presenter is how to improve relationships and build understanding between law enforcement and the autism community.

Morgan Cook wrote an article about Brian and said, "As an officer at the Palomar College Police department and the father of a severely autistic 8-year-old boy, Herritt has a special interest in filling what he sees as a significant gap in law enforcement training (Read Full Article)."

Brian Herritt trains fellow officers on autism awareness and how to relate to the unique needs of people with autism in the course of their jobs.  He also trains parents and people with autism about how to relate to law enforcement. Brian explains his training like this.

Not only do I go to cops and say this is what parents go through, I want to tell parents what cops go through. We are called in law enforcement, when people don't know what to do, and we are supposed to have an answer. The problem with autism is that cops don't know what to do (Read Full Article).

More information on the autism training that Brian provides can be found in the following online articles.

• North County Times Article by Morgan Cook
• Oregonian Article by Rebecca Woolington. 
• Autism Society of Washington Conference
• Notes on the Presentation
• Autistic Journalist Blog

To contact Autism Risk & Safety Management with questions about one of Brian Herritt's presentations you can use one of the following contacts.

• Autism Risk Management Website
• Brian Herritt's Email
• Phone: 951-553-4878

Brian Herritt is an Autism Light because of his leadership in providing helpful training to police officers, parents, and people with autism.  Thank you Brian Herritt.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 


Photo: Photo in this post used with permission of Brian Herritt.

This post went into syndication on Autisable.