Gyasi Burks-Abbott
Autism Self-Advocate, Disability Fellowship Program Faculty Member, Author
Why are you interested in this project: Even though problems with my development were noted since infancy, I wasn’t definitively diagnosed with autism until I was 17 years old. So there were no autism therapies for me; my mother and I had to rely on whatever interventions seemed to work. I’m glad more children are being diagnosed at younger ages (even when they’re verbal and don’t have intellectual disability),and I can see the value of therapies designed with autism in mind. However, perhaps because of my upbringing, I’m a big believer in naturalistic support that doesn’t have a disability focus.
Favorite Hobbies/interests from childhood: I was an avid Boy Scout and history buff. I also loved to watch TV and travel.
Favorite Hobbies/interests right now: I still love history and enjoy watching TV. But now I also like to read and keep up with current events, particularly in the areas of disability policy and autism research.