Zoom Autism Magazine Issue 10 | Page 46

Diagnosed with Asperger ’ s at the age of 44 , special education consultant and advocate Carol Greenburg ’ s understanding of autism is enhanced by the daily triumphs of her autistic son ’ s struggles with verbal language . Carol is the executive director of New York Special Needs , serving the five boroughs of NYC and beyond . She is both the East Coast Regional Director of AWN ( Autism Women ’ s Network ) and an editor at Thinking Person ’ s Guide to Autism book and blog . She has spoken in venues throughout the United States , including two BlogHer conferences in New York City , conferences for Autism Society of America , Asperger ’ s Association of New England and UCSF ’ s Developmental Disabilities Conference . From her home base in Brooklyn NY , where she lives with her husband and son , she has presented at local educational institutions such as Hunter College , City University of New York in Queens and St . Francis College in Brooklyn as well as at a variety of parent support groups and community-based organizations . A member of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates ( COPAA ), Carol has written articles for or been interviewed by diverse media outlets

Meet

Carol Greenburg

ranging from Family Circle Online , Child Mind Institute , Parents . com , Neurology Now and of course ZOOM magazine . In fact , Carol was the topic of Zoom ’ s Issue 9 cover story .
We are so excited to have Carol and her unique perspective as an autistic adult and as a mother . For example , when asked during a recent interview how being autistic helps her parent her son , she replied , “ Bluntly put , I think I ’ m more likely to “ get it ” than a non-autistic parent . My son and I have different experiences of this world that isn ’ t designed for our brains , but I do know exactly how it feels to be penalized for violating a social convention I don ’ t understand . I believe we both resent all the rot about our alleged lack of empathy as scientists are only beginning to study the “ intense mind ” theory we ’ ve instinctively understood all along . I get the drowning sensation of other people ’ s emotions washing over me in waves I cannot process in real time . Most importantly though , I can serve as a role model in a general and in a specific way . My son and I have always been and will always be autistic . So not only does he see me as an autistic comfortable in my own skin generally , but he watches carefully as I model various coping mechanisms and self-advocacy techniques . He is , of course , free to adapt the ones that work for him and toss aside the rest , which he has already made abundantly clear to me .”
We are so grateful that Carol accepted our invitation to be a part of our Advisory Board because her insight and honesty will benefit us all .
Carol and her son .

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ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses