Speeches and Presentations
Written submissions of the public comments presented to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, a U.S. federal advisory committee on autism, in 2014.
Power Point slides from a presentation that discusses biomedical issues that some people with autism face from an autistic perspective, based on my biomedical history.
An outline for a presentation that looks at autism from the perspective of how its symptoms and differences mesh with cultures and society at large.
The Autism Camp Test (2010)
An abridged version of a test written as part of a series of training materials for summer camps for individuals with autism, with explanations for the answers in the test.
A presentation that describes observations of young children I conducted during volunteer work at a child care center. Based on these observations, this presentation discusses potential difficulties that arise when autistic individuals try to interact with their peers.
Most people have a need to understand what they are doing at all times. In this presentation, I describe possible things that can happen if that need is not met.
A Whole New World (2000)
A presentation that describes problems that autistic people encounter in their daily lives with drama. This was the first presentation I wrote.
The Autism Empathy Test (2004)
A presentation that discusses differences between autistic and neurotypical abilities in the form of a test. It is also presented in the form of a slide show.
A presentation written for special-ed teachers and parents of children with autism that gives examples of problems that occur in a home or school environment, and what should be done to mitigate those problems.
A presentation that talks about this therapy, which I have had several times.
A presentation written for middle school students that relates autism to issues that occur in the daily lives of neurotypical individuals. Also available en Espanol.
A presentation that discusses stories from my life, things I have observed, and what can be learned from these stories.
A presentation written for and presented to late elementary and middle school students (4th to 8th grade) to teach autism awareness by referencing scenarios from the Harry Potter book and film series.
A presentation written for professionals that discusses how our perception of a behavior changes based on where the behavior took place, and when rules sometimes donít work.
A presentation that discusses how conventional rules don't always work when applied to autistic people. Situations are discussed that show when such rules should be bent, and when conformity isnít always a necessity.
A presentation that describes the appearance of autistic symptoms in popular culture, and what we can learn about autism from these examples.
A presentation for teachers that shows the appearance of autistic symptoms in books that are usually assigned to or read by grade-school students.
Essays and Articles
An article about employment issues and autism co-written with autistic individual Rachel Silverman.
A blog post I wrote about about 10 things I believe are important for teachers to remember when educating individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Originally written for the blog Autisable.
Originally written for a Facebook post on December 19, 2012.
An autobiographical essay about some of the unconventional social experiences I experienced during my life that enhanced some of my social abilities, originally written as an endorsement to Michelle Garcia Winnerís Social Thinking curriculum.
(Note: This essay contains mature content that may not be suitable for young children.)
A thought experiment that discusses possible reasons for autistic struggles with social skills and social interaction. Published on the Age of Autismís website.
interview I gave with a student at
On Independence (2010)
An essay about redefining what it means to be an independent adult with autism, as well as different options for independence.
Written for S.I. Focus.
Ask James Williams (2005)
A column published in S.I. Focus, a quarterly magazine.
On Curing Autism (2004)
Essay published in the book ďThe Sound of Falling Snow,Ē by Annabel Stehli.
Essay on the rules many autistic individuals use when they interact.
A letter I wrote that was presented in court arguing why Special Education services should not be taken away from two autistic children.
The Power of Fear (2004)
An essay that discusses the relationship between fear and autism.
The Days of The Week (2004)
An essay explaining the mathematics behind this savant skill.
A Tale Of Two Daycares (2005)
An essay that talks about the policies and rules of two daycare centers and the lessons that can be learned from them.
An essay I wrote that tries to explain why some people are unwilling to change their beliefs or values, and why itís not worth it to try to change them.
A list of guidelines that should be considered when someone tries to understand autism.
fictionalized retelling of a diary I wrote when working as an intern in a
kindergarten classroom at a public school in the
Dates on a Calendar (2011)
A one-act play telling a story of a social misunderstanding.
Three poems I wrote describing autistic ways of thinking, two of which I wrote for my high school newspaper.
Highlights from the Q+A Blog (2010)
Archived questions that I have been given from my Q+A blog, as well as my answers.
Recommended Viewing (2004)
A list of movies that I enjoy, and recommend that people see them to enrich their understanding of autism.
The Wescott Alphabet (1996)
A collection of photographs representing the alphabet, taken in 1996.
Information about the author.
Links to other autism web sites, courtesy of the website of autistic author Will Rogers.