STEPHEN SHORE, Ph.D.

Stephen Shore, Ph.D. Diagnosed with "Atypical Development and strong autistic tendencies" and "too sick" for outpatient treatment Dr. Shore was recommended for institutionalization. Nonverbal until four, and with much support from his parents, teachers, wife, and others, Stephen is now a professor at Adelphi University where his research focuses on matching best practice to the needs of people with autism.

In addition to working with children and talking about life on the autism spectrum, Stephen presents and consults internationally on adult issues pertinent to education, relationships, employment, advocacy, and disclosure as discussed in his books Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences with Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Ask and Tell: Self-advocacy and Disclosure for People on the Autism Spectrum, the critically acclaimed Understanding Autism for Dummies, and the newly released DVD Living along the Autism Spectrum: What it means to have Autism or Asperger Syndrome.

President emeritus of the Asperger's Association of New England and former member of the Board of Directors for Autism Society, Dr. Shore serves in the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, Advocates for High Functioning Autism, and other autism related organizations.



ALEX PLANK

Alex is 25 years old and runs, owns, and develops WrongPlanet.net, a popular online autism community that he established in 2004 after being diagnosed with autism. He graduated from George Mason University with a Bachelors of Arts in Film and Video Studies. A co-host of Autism Talk TV, Alex lives in Los Angeles, California where he works as a filmmaker.



JACK ROBISON

Jack Robison is 21 years old and is diagnosed with Asperger's. He is a co-host of WrongPlanet's Autism Talk TV show. Majoring in chemistry, Jack takes classes at both Greenfield Community College and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His specialty is chemistry, but he also dabbles in engineering, electronics, programming, economics and many other miscellaneous geeky things. Jack and his girlfriend Kirsten Lindsmith were the subject of "Navigating Love and Autism," the front page article in the December 27th issue of the New York Times.



KIRSTEN LINDSMITH

Kirsten Lindsmith is a 20-year-old aspergian female majoring in Pathology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She was only recently diagnosed at the age of 19, and is relatively new to the autism community. Kirsten and her boyfriend Jack Robison were the subject of the New York Times front page article, "Navigating Love and Autism." She is a blogger for WrongPlanet.net, and a co-host of WrongPlanet's online show, Autism Talk TV. She likes reading, writing, and World of Warcraft.



SCOTTY HOLMAN

Scotty Holman went undiagnosed for nearly 25 years as he struggled to understand himself in a world that remained foreign and threatening. His distress was exacerbated by a traumatic series of events that devastated his family, and left him "bitter, depressed and alone."

Since being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, he has embarked on a journey of self-discovery, and is learning to embrace himself and let go of the past.

He now writes and speaks publicly about his experiences with autism. His work is featured regularly on WrongPlanet.net and his first book will be published in 2013 by AAPC. Scotty says, "If my story can prevent others from experiencing the pain and confusion of an undiagnosed life, those difficult years will not have been in vain."

He likes Bob Dylan and pumpkin pie.



DAVID FINCH

David Finch grew up on a farm in northern Illinois. He earned a degree in music engineering at the University of Miami, where he stunned the locals with his gleaming, pasty white skin, then returned to Chicago, where he worked as an engineer for ten years. He and his wife, Kristen, married in 2003, and in 2008, David was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. His essay "Somewhere Inside, A Path To Empathy" appeared in the New York Times and became the basis for his first book, The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man's Quest to Be a Better Husband. David lectures frequently at schools and other organizations on the topics of educational challenges for children on the spectrum, and on the importance of love, understanding, and guidance in all relationships.

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