A person once stopped me because he thought I was acting strange. “Are you drunk?” he asked me. That encounter led me to create a handy card that identifies the cardholder as autistic and gives a simple explanation of autism for…
This presentation explains how I navigated life on my own after leaving home for the first time to attend college at one of the top animation and art schools – California Institute of Art (CalArts). By living in the home…
What do autistic children do when doctors seem less than understanding and supportive? I will share the thoughts of my parents and my own feelings on best practices for communicating with medical professionals. Using my own experiences as well as those…
The encouragement and support of understanding teachers has been a real gift in my life. They have helped me learn to interact in day-to-day settings and among my peers. When educators are aware of various traits and behaviors an autistic…
People often use “figures of speech” in conversation. This program explains how I learned that a literal translation of what is being said is often not what is meant and why it was an important leap forward in my relationships…
Building a “circle of friends” is a core concept behind the way I learned to get through life. It seems elemental: as much as possible, in as many different settings as possible, I surround myself with normal peers who understand…
These days I can do many things on my own. I have a car and commute daily to the local newspaper where I work as an editorial cartoonist and illustrator. My outside responsibilities have also grown to include grocery shopping,…
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Hope you enjoy this. Gearing up for an online feature. Illustrating is a passion of mine. And for the past year, I have been working as a cartoon illustrator for the Southeast Missourian in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Here is a series…
As a child, much of my world was a puzzle, as represented by the puzzle piece. My parents often times felt like they were playing “detective” with their efforts to figure me out. Because of my autism, my senses were…
