Alex Plank , who was the star of our Issue 8 cover story , graduated from George Mason University with a degree in Film and Video Studies . Alex is best known in the autism world for running , owning and developing WrongPlanet . net , a popular community for individuals with Asperger ’ s Syndrome and Autism , which he started in his teen years after being diagnosed at the age of 9 . “ Back in 2004 , I had the idea that I needed to find others who were like me because these people wouldn ’ t just understand where I was coming from but would understand me on a social level as well . What I mean by this is that I believed that I could foster a community of people who would not misinterpret my intentions because their brains would be wired similarly to mine . It turns out that the niche I had identified in creating Wrong Planet filled a need for many others .” Indeed , it did . Wrong Planet has more than 100,000 registered members , and its discussion forums contain millions of messages . Both Alex and Wrong Planet have been featured by CNN , The New York Times , The Washington Post , The Los Angeles Times , and Good Morning America .
Meet
Alex Plank
We are so excited to have Alex be a part of ZOOM because he understands exactly how impactful an online community can be . Alex once stated , “ In many ways , the autistic mind is geared towards the types of interactions that occur on the Internet . We can be very literal , and the Internet requires people to be literal . For instance , even a neurotypical ( a person who isn ’ t on the autism spectrum ) will not know you ’ re being sarcastic on the Internet unless you explicitly say so ; for example , using an emoticon ( or smiley ). What ’ s great about interacting online is you can reach an entire “ planet ” of people with whom to interact . In essence , it has made the world even bigger and has allowed people like me to finally find other autistics with whom we can relate .”
Alex currently lives in Beverly Hills , California and has added autism advocate , public speaker , film maker , photographer , consultant and even actor to his resume . We are so fortunate to say that he can now also add Zoom Advisory Board Member to that list . Watch out world … Alex is just getting started , and we are excited that he has agreed to take ZOOM along for the ride .
Plank with The Bridge star Diane Kruger .
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ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses