The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

We are a generation of change makers and it’s exciting to see the emergence of so many autistic voices speaking out for a seat at society’s table…for equal opportunities to live independently, work and contribute. In my session, I’d like to show you creative ways of being an “acceptance” ambassador to educate your communities and advocate for inclusion.

Using pop culture storytelling as a catalyst for change.

Research shows that narrative has a powerful impact on the brain and the actions that follow. Stories elicit empathy. Stories facilitate connection. Stories affect change. They captivate our hearts and minds, both individually and collectively, and can move us towards better understanding of a culture, a special population, or the human condition.

My family and I believe that we can use the power of storytelling to change how people view and interact with those of us on the autism spectrum. Our approach is to be a part of modern popular culture to entertain and delight while increasing the public’s understanding of autism. Let’s reach people using methods that are on trend and popular—comics, apps, webisodes, podcasts, social media, live presentations—to grab their attention and help them develop an interest, curiosity and compassion for autistic individuals.

We proved it can work.

We created an interactive autistic hero comic bookbased on one of my experiences growing up with Asperger’s. When it was released in the App stores it was the top download of ALL apps in iTunes on World Autism Awareness Day. Parents, teachers, and even kids themselves, told us that the app made a difference. For some, it was the first time they had a character they could identify with and for others it was such a positive way to talk about autism at home and in classrooms.

Since then, we’ve worked with a talented autistic team, educational specialists, and autism organizations to create pop culture-based autism education tools—digital comics, webisodes, presentation and assembly templates, curriculum and activity guides.

Becoming a league of acceptance ambassadors.

It won’t come as a surprise to you that my life transformed when my family found communities—people, clubs, organizations, schools—who only saw me, not a disability. This culture of acceptance has empowered me to become more independent, share my talents and pursue my dreams.

I want to show you how to use our tools as a framework for your own outreach and advocacy. In the comic book world there are so many great superhero teams—Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers, Justice League, and X-Men, to name a few. We can become our own powerful force, a Mighty League of Ambassadors, destined to open the doors of acceptance so everyone has a chance to reach their fullest potentials!