What I Learned at the United Nations on World Autism Awareness Day

I had the distinct honor of being invited to the United Nations Headquarters for World  Autism Awareness Day 2017. I was on a panel with four other people, and moderated by Caren Zucker, the journalist, producer and New York Times bestselling author. Our topic was dating, relationships and marriage.

I shall never forget that moment as I walked up the stairs of the United Nations, so majestic with all the flags from around the world flying in the wind. I first had to go through the security check point, which was equal to that of airport security. Once out of that, I was greeted by a volunteer who was waiting to escort me to the room the event would be taking place in. Finally arriving at the location, I was in awe when I entered the great room with its stadium-style seating. I then saw my name in front of my seat. It was an extremely overwhelming experience.

The event began with an exceptional presentation by world-famous autism researcher Dr. Simon Baron-Cohen. One after another highly-acclaimed individual spoke about autism and what they and their organization were doing to improve the lives and wellbeing of those on the autism spectrum. Representatives from all around the world were there.

I learned firsthand the tremendous amount of work being done on a global scale to help us folks with autism. These people have devoted their lives to helping us. More and more resources are becoming available to individuals with autism and their families. This leads to better outcomes and happier, more productive and fulfilling lives.

Here is the video of the whole event. I can be seen at marker 1:48:32.

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