Joshua Margolis is a clay sculptor who loves to make monsters and robots out of clay. And recently he’s become a children’s book author featuring “Melvin” his sad(ish) robot. He wanted to think more deeply about one of his creations and what he was trying to convey with his work. That was when he st…

Penny Vanderplank is an independent communication specialist and the proud founder of esSENtial learning, an organization that offers a high quality, professional service for children with communication difficulties. Penny partners with families to create custom programs to improve the communicative…

Name of Business: GiveGood, Inc. Mission: GiveGood creates handcrafted food products and gift boxes to employ and empower individuals on the autism spectrum. We believe that consumers prefer that their purchases are impactful. What is GiveGood? We are a Tennessee Benefit Corporation, chartered in 20…

Jonah wants you to know that he has Asperger’s Syndrome. Yes, he says, it has hardships but his autism comes with many strengths. One of his greatest is his imagination. He uses it in a positive, creative way to help him through day-to-day tasks or when he needs to go to a place where he knows he’ll…

Becca Lory talks about the experience of being a panelist at Denver Comic Con. “I Wore Cat Ears and a Cape to Work Today!” By Becca Lory, CAS, BCCS Most often, the advocacy work that I do takes me to some pretty, unspectacular places. I have seen the inside of my fair share of universities, Conferen…

Melissa A. Joy was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome in her 20s and she’s never given up on herself or her dream of becoming a fantasy author. She began building the world of Aeldynn and started writing seriously at 13. From the glorious winged Drahknyr and wise and fearsome dragons to pirates of the…

Derek has a passionate interest in bicycles and is turning that passion into a small business. He’s also a non-speaking person on the autism spectrum with epilepsy. Nothing is going to stop him from creating a meaningful future for himself and paying it forward by giving back to others. Business: Bi…

Megan talks about the need for people to be more tolerant of meltdowns. By Megan Amodeo I love being an autistic mother. I love having three daughters. I love my unique and quirky family. I am a generally happy and positive person. I try not to let life’s problems bring me down. On rare occasions, h…

Summer is here! Before I tell you about the great summer program at Autistry I want to celebrate and congratulate our students who have successfully found employment. This is a tough job market where even entry level positions often require college degrees. Though Autistry does not formally provide …

Photo of Bruce Campbell and Fandemic Tour CEO John Macaluso As a geeky lover of pop culture, what’s more fun than getting to be around and interact with some of your favorite celebrities? Or how about seeing the artists who create your favorite comics?  What about experiencing some great panels on p…

J.R. Reed has been a freelance writer for 20 years on topics ranging from business to food and beverage, travel, and pieces on celebrities. He covered NASCAR’s West Coast Swing for five seasons and the Anaheim Ducks for twelve. Late in 2017 he decided to focus solely on autism, from high school and …

By Jackie Edwards There are many holistic ways to help young children on the autism spectrum improve their social and communication skills and one of the best is gardening. Garden (horticulture) therapy dates back as far as the 1600’s when people who couldn’t afford to pay for their hosp…

Rebecca Eisenberg is a speech language pathologist, instructor, children’s book author, blogger and mother. She’s been helping children with complex communication needs since 2001. One of her passions is using children’s literature to teach important lessons and to create a more acceptin…

By Nonya Sieffert They told my husband and I that our son was different and may never do things like other kids. We refused to accept it! We were determined to prove them wrong and make sure our son J.R. never heard the words “can’t do” as we helped to support him on his journey to what he can do. J…