Introducing New Co-Director Amy Goodman

December 7, 2011 Prism Newsletter
By Amy Goodman

Hello, my name is Amy Goodman and I joined the Autism NOW team last month as the new Co-Director. I live in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, and I am on the Autism Spectrum. I learned about my disability at a later stage in life, actually at the age of 33. My brother’s friend suggested that I try to get diagnosed. My brother claims it all started with the Grateful Dead. If it weren’t for Dead Net Central, he wouldn’t have ever met this friend. I still may not have found what I was looking for, a diagnosis.

I was relieved to finally have a diagnosis and name for some issues I was having. With that diagnosis, I was finally able to put my life in perspective and focus on who I am. It was because of this new found information that I went to graduate school and got my degree in Special Education with a focus on Autism Spectrum Disorder at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. This was the perfect program for me. I was a part of the program from the beginning, and I was the first female to attend and graduate. Since then the program has grown to more than 30 students each year.

In keeping with the holiday theme, I thought I might share with you some traditions that my family has had for as long as I can remember. We always have a Mexican dinner during the holiday – cheese enchiladas, rice, and a whole lot of food and fun. Oh yeah, I cannot forget the stocking my sister decided to give my parents one year. She made a little stuffed stocking with a white beard and called it “Thou.” We gave my parents something to drink, a loaf of bread, some cheese, and “Thou” in a basket. Also, sometimes during the holidays we make luminaries and place them on the driveway to light the way. But most importantly, it’s time we spend together just like any other family.

So from our Autism NOW Center to your heart, enjoy the holidays!