By Zoey Giesberg, MSW I’m not a big fan of sappy romantic dramas. While I will admit to being among the many who sobbed at the end “The Notebook” when I first saw it as a teenager, stories of people falling in love while something “greater” than themselves try to keep them from being together just feels tired to me. There aren’t many ways to make this Romeo and Juliet narrative new and innovative, and the onslaught of these films…
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By Zoey Giesberg, MSW Earlier this week, one of my favorite actors Kristen Bell revealed that she suffers from depression and anxiety. In an interview with “Off Camera with Sam Jones”, she talked about how her mother told her at a young age about a hereditary serotonin imbalance in her family and taking medication to help ease the hormone. You can watch the interview here: It was shocking to me to hear this from Bell. She’s known for being a…
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“Be true to yourself.” I enjoy working and volunteering with kids. I volunteer at Salvation Army, I work at We Rock The Spectrum Santa Monica, and at the FACT social skills groups. I recently was honored to received an Outstanding Volunteerism Award for 4 years of dedication from the Salvation Army Bessie and David Pregerson Child Care Center. The center provides child care and housing to low income families, and I feel very blessed to have been a good role model for these youngsters.…
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By Sherie, GAP Member Take it one step at a time. I am a administration assistant intern and a social media manager at FACT. I help with FACT fundraising efforts, events and I manage a GAP Facebook page for members and parents of the GAP program. One of my short term goals is to be Microsoft certified. One of my long term goals is to learn how to drive. GAP has helped me get better at self-advocating. It also motivates…
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“I like to contemplate the future” We are proud to share with you that this month, Michael achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. Throughout Boy Scouts, Michael feels he gained leadership skills and learned how to help his community. He also feels he learned how to better understand his strengths, weaknesses and goals. As he puts it, “I feel completely lifted having achieved this level of advancement in scouting. I am proud to see…
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Linda Andron-Ostrow, Executive Director Imagine a little boy with autism whose sensory sensitivities limit him from going in the backyard because the sound of butterfly wings is too overwhelming. I knew this boy years ago when he was diagnosed with autism. In my book, his mother wrote a chapter on humor, imagination, empathy and autism. She demonstrated that all these things that are “not supposed” to be part of the lives of those on the spectrum are indeed supposed to…
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By David, GAP Program Member An passionate artist inspired by the natural world and the unknown. David is a member of the GAP program who’s artistic talent inspires everyone who sees it. He recently was on our Los Angeles Public Library tour, AUTISM FEELS, where he shared insights about how his autism diagnosis helps him to see the world differently. He shares this vision through his art. David works well with most mediums – from pencil & paper to finger…
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Zoey Giesberg, MSW I may have mentioned here before that I didn’t learn I was autistic until I was thirteen years old. In fact, looking back on the articles I’ve written for FACT, I did indeed write about it. But I want to come back to that topic to discuss something I sort of touched on in that piece – self-acceptance about being autistic. Accepting being autistic has not been easy for me. As I said many months ago, I…
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Linda Andron-Ostrow, Executive Director You know I used to hang out in ice cream parlors and parks. Last Sunday, Zoey and I had an opportunity to participate in a Google Hangout. For those of you who don’t know, this is virtual way to be on video chat with several people… it’s a new world! And part of this new world is Neuro-diversity, a growing movement asking us to see autism as part of a continuum of human functioning and to work…
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David & Patti, Parents Earlier this month, we ran with our 12-year old son, Maxim Singer ran in the Unified Relay for the Special Olympics. We were even featured on ABC 7 – click here to see us in action! Maxim was born with Down Syndrome. While we were unsure how to manage this at first, his ability to love & make people laugh have made him an integral part in our community and we wouldn’t have it any other…
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