5/1/14 - Autism affecting his ability to communicate did not stop speaker Alex Kimmel from addressing an audience of two dozen people in Genoa Township last night. Since 2006, Kimmel has used technology to speak for companies, colleges, schools, and other organizations around the country about his life with autism and changes he wants to see in society to improve what he called "neurodiversty." He gave two presentations at 2|42 Community Church last night. The first one discussed the issue of self-determination for autistics and the freedoms and responsibilities that come with it. He used his own life as an example, outlining how he organized his day with lists of tasks and held regular meetings with family and partners to spell out long-term plans. The second presentation emphasized the need for individuals with disabilities to be truly accepted into society, rather than treated as outsiders. He said he disliked the puzzle-piece as a symbol for autism support since it promoted the idea that autistics were something in need of fixing and figuring out, instead of people worth getting to know. He also said April should be rebranded from autism awareness month to autism acceptance month, promoting inclusion and understanding of autistics in society. Attendees, many of them on the spectrum or relatives of autistics, were grateful for Kimmelâs presentation and felt it captured the realities of autism well. For more information about Kimmel and his talks, click on the link below. (TD)
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