Sunday, November 26, 2006

Top Autism Advocates of 2006 -- Who Made the Most Impact?

Who do you think are the people and groups who made the biggest impact for people with autism and their families in 2006? I'm compiling a list for an upcoming article on Autism Bulletin. You can send me your nominations via e-mail at michaelsgoldberg AT yahoo DOT com. Or you can simply post a comment below this article by hitting the "comment" button.

You could name individuals (maybe radio talk show host Don Imus, who kept discussing the Combat Autism Bill on the air? some parent who posted important or moving videos on YouTube? An awesome teacher? A researcher? Author? Advocate? Parent?) You could name a group, a school, a medical or research facility. Anyone you feel made a difference for the autism community. All nominations considered, but please include information about the person or organization so I can look them up or contact them to find out more.

Let me know your nominations by December 10. Thank you.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

How about Bob and Suzanne Wright who founded Autism Speaks? I can't remember if the autism series on NBC, MSNBC, etc. was in 2006 or 2005, but they certainly have used their prominent positions in the U.S. media world to significantly raise awareness among the general public of the rise in autism cases and all of the challenges that come with that increase. Plus, of course, they've raised millions of dollars for autism research through their new partnership with NAAR and dozens of fundraising walks and other events around the country.

joyce said...

How about Doug Flutie
he founded the Doug Flutie jr foundation for autism
Joyce

Anonymous said...

I would support Doug and Laurie Flutie and the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation - they've subsidized various events that have helped our family learn and cope with the challenges of autism.

Anonymous said...

I think Susan Senator would be a good one for the list. Her book "Making Peace With Autism" has shown parents how they can build a family life despite the ups and downs of the ASD rollercoaster and she has done a lot to raise awareness of autism with media appearances and talks to parent groups around the country.

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