17 People Who Fought for Autism Awareness
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2 min readThese scientists, teachers, and community leaders sought greater understanding of life on the spectrum.
Monday, April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day, kicking off World Autism Month, which lasts throughout April. Established by the United Nations, World Autism Awareness Day offers a chance for those affected by autism to spread the word about what it means — and to advocate against the discrimination and misunderstandings that people with autism face.
In the early days of the autism awareness movement, the discourse about the autism spectrum was heavily shaped by neurotypical parents and teachers of children with autism. That historical trend is reflected in the obituaries for researchers, educators, and advocates who've died in recent years, as seen below. Of course, the autism activists of today are more and more frequently adults with autism, whose voices and perspectives are leading the way toward. Meanwhile, from Legacy's obituary pages, we note the lives of 17 people from previous generations, who worked in years past to further the causes of autism research and awareness.
Daryl Blonder, author and web developer. Last fall, he published a remarkably poignant memoir, 'Problem Child: Confessions of an Aspie,' that chronicles his struggles with Asperger syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder, and depression. Most recently, he developed an artful website that reached out to adults with autism spectrum disorders. Read more
Victor Winston, founder of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. He was raised in Vilna, Poland (now Vilnius, Lithuania) but as a teenager was forcibly resettled in Kazakhstan in Central Asia by the Soviets two weeks prior to the Nazi invasion. Through ingenuity, resourcefulness, and luck he survived World War II and came to the United States in 1946 almost penniless with minimal knowledge of English. Read more
More notable figures include Teresa Bolick, Richard L. Simpson, Donna Williams, Monica Ann Walker, Louisa M.T. Silva, Charles Kimball Skinner, Dorithia Martin-Coleman, Bob Morris, Nancy H.H. Cale, Jaak Panksepp, Gerald "Gerry" Groden, Manon Sohn, Thelma Volger, Martha Ziegler, Bonny Lou Hulsy, and many others who have been vital in shaping the understanding and support networks for individuals with autism.
Article updated 3/28/2018.
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