CUMMINGS AND GOINGS
Conner, Chloe Rothschild &
Ron Suskind from @Life Animated
ing individuals had to say while making us in the audience think
‘out of the box.’ As, one-by-one, Steve called on them to answer
questions, I heard Conner sitting beside me answering as well. I
realized that I wanted to hear more of what Conner had to say, so
I started taking notes so that I could ask Conner the questions later
and discuss the panel’s answers. Each individual on the panel was
just that, an individual, uniquely different from the others, representing the wide spectrum.
T
his summer, Conner and I were fortunate enough to be
able to attend the Autism Society of America’s National
Convention in New Orleans. Conner was one of the photographers, and his task was to take pictures of our personal
journey at the convention. The choice of which sessions to
sign up for was difficult as there were so many I wanted to
attend, all conflicting with each other. Every session we were
able to go to was informative and worth attending. A few
that stood out for us were led by some of our friends. Chloe
Rothschild’s “Strategies for Living with Autism, Road Bumps
and All,” was insightful, and Jonathan Murphy along with
his mom Jodi of Geek Club Books had the room laughing
and learning while he shared his story – what a great combo!
We even got to attend the renewal of wedding vows from
Anita Lesko and Abraham Talmage Nielsen as they discussed romantic relationships.
The final day was scheduled as a keynote by Steve Silberman, but he suggested instead that he host a panel of self-
Conner, Alex Plank & Sharon
advocates talking about topics
of their choosing. Alex Plank,
Jeff Staley, Chloe Rothschild,
Lindsey Nebeker, John Newman Miller and Mike Buckholtz were all on the panel. All
questions were directed to and
about people on the spectrum.
They covered a multitude of
questions: What are the most
damaging misconceptions
played out in the media? Tell
us one thing you wish people
knew about Autism. What role
does the internet play? Why
should we care (or have discussions) about life experiences
from brown peoples of Aboriginal, African and multiethnic
decent? What changes can be
made to facilitate employment
and financial security? What
are the most important things
that neurotypicals can do to
become better allies?
The best part for me was that Conner was so interested and wanted to continue the discussion in the best way he learns … what we
call a business plan. Conner’s wrote on Steve Silberman’s FB page,
“I enjoyed so much my friends Chloe & Lindsey on the stage answering questions, and now I have five new friends on the panel.
Me and my mom will be discussing today my own thoughts and
what I heard from you.”
Conner & Lindsey Nebeker
Steve Silberman and the panel not only closed the event with one
of the most informative and inspirational sessions we had ever
attended, but also, Conner and I learned tools that will foster
conversations for months to come. And we got to see a little bit of
New Orleans with friends, too.
Warmest regards,
Sharon Cummings
Executive Director/Co-Publisher & Founder
[email protected]
Sharon, Steve Silberman & Conner
Elizabeth Roy @ASNV, Conner,
Jodi Murphy & Jonathan Murphy
You could hear a pin drop
in the crowded auditorium
as we all listened intently to
what each of these six amaz-
42
ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses
ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses
43