Finding My Voice: Reflections from the First U.S. Autism Show By: Michelle Zeman

On April 6, 2025, the U.S. Autism Show occurred in Honolulu, Hawaii. Speakers Michelle Zeman (L) and Martin Slyngstad (R) are standing with Daniel Zimmerman (M) to show off the Proclamation that Slyngstad and Zimmerman received in honor of April being Autism Acceptance Month in Honolulu


A couple of weeks ago, I shared that I would travel to Honolulu, Hawaii, to speak at the first U.S. Autism Show. Now that the event has wrapped, I wanted to reflect on the experience and share what that was like.

 

I was honored to be one of only eight presenters at this event. Standing at the podium and sharing my story was profoundly personal and empowering. It was a chance to speak openly about my journey – through diagnosis, therapy, professional growth, and advocacy – and connect with others through shared experiences.

 

If you couldn't attend the talk, I shared my journey through several key areas of my life. I started by talking about my experiences before receiving a diagnosis—what life was like without the context or understanding that came later. Then, I discussed how things shifted after my diagnosis, including the challenges and realizations that came with finally having a name for what I was experiencing. I also spoke about growing up with therapy—how it shaped me, the ways it helped, and some of the complexities that came with it. From there, I explained how I found my way into the field of behavior analysis, what drew me to it, and how it intersected with my personal experiences. Finally, I talked about my journey into self-advocacy, how I began using my voice to advocate for myself and others in the community, and why that work has become so important to me.

 

 Knowing that my voice and other presenters' voices contributed to something much bigger – authentic representation made this event especially meaningful. Knowing that my voice and other presenters' voices contributed to something much bigger – authentic representation made this event especially meaningful. Knowing that my voice and other presenters' voices contributed to something much bigger – authentic representation made this event especially meaningful. Autistic people must not just be talked about, but are given a space to speak, for us to be heard and seen in all of our diversity. Representation like this helps challenge stereotypes, break down barriers, and create a more inclusive future for our community.

 

I'm so thankful to Daniel Zimmerman of Da Vinci NCR Services and Martin Slyngstad of Spire Autism for the platform to speak about my experience. I hope to speak at the next one or participate in some capacity. 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sad Times in Ocala, Florida Reflect Overall Poor Treatment of The Disabled Community in America Today

 The movie-going experience has been part of American life for decades now. At the same time, being disabled has also been a part of the human experience since the beginning of time. This piece will address the idea that although we are thirty-four years into the ADA era, movie theaters in Ocala, Florida, demonstrate how little respect people with disabilities have earned in thirty-four years. Over the weekend, I was treating my friend/caregiver, who I will call Jane, on a trip to the movies for her 24 th birthday. She was nice enough to not only drive my van for only the 10 th time since she started working with me but also because my power wheelchair broke several weeks ago and there was a delay in the delivery process of my new chair; she was willing to push me around. The first of many problems we encountered that day occurred when we got to the front door. It was only then we noticed that even though disabled people do go to places by themselves without caregivers or atten...
Read more

Life Behind the Camera: Observing the Neurotypical World from the Autism Spectrum By: Michelle Zeman

Image
  Imagine that you are a photographer covering a story. You aren't the story's subject - your only purpose is to zoom in, adjust the settings, and click the button. The subject(s) of the photo are the story - they know what to expect and how to respond given the situation. However, you're not in the picture as the photographer - you're just observing. You aren't asked to be in the photo, let alone be involved in the story, outside of clicking the button. You see the final image, and you publish it online, and when people see it, they comment on the people within the photo and the event that occurred. That is what life is like from my perspective of being on the Autism spectrum - I am on the outside looking into neurotypical life.   Growing up, I didn't have many friends. In elementary school, I went to a Christian school. You would be incorrect if you think a Christian school is different from a public school in terms of how friendships are created. There w...
Read more

The Movie “Conclave” Makes Me Rethink the Concept of Acceptance and How It Applies to My Own Life: By Jason Hahr

This post comes with a note to readers. This may or may not make complete sense. This post comes from a perspective of being stuck in my head. As much as I use this blog to teach and inform, this time, I am using it as a therapy tool as well. When I ask you, the readers, a question, please know that I am questioning you and my own subconscious. Now that I have said all of that, here we go. Initially, I was going to write a post about a movie I recently saw called “Conclave.” On the surface, the film has nothing to do with disability or disability-related issues. Still, if one looks deeper, one can see that the movie is about both self-acceptance and being accepted by others. I will not go into the movie's plot because, like I said, this is not a film review. I only reference it because it got me thinking. For eleven years now, I’ve been an outspoken voice for The Voiceless Minority, of which I am a member. However, I wonder if I have been an adequate advocate for people with disabi...
Read more