James Williams
Welcome
to my website on autism. I’m James Williams. I live in Northbrook , Illinois , a
Chicago U.S. , and served on the leadership team for
Camp
R.O.C.K.S.
On my
website, I have archived speeches I have given and the essays I have written
over the years. Scroll down to view the archives. To purchase my books online,
click on the book title links above, which will take you to the websites where
my books are sold.
If you
have any questions or comments, or would like to arrange for me to speak at your
conference, school, support group, or autism agency, you can find my contact
information here. Those interested in
arranging a presentation may look at a sample presentation contract here. You can also post your
question or comment here.
Click here to view my speaking and
appearance schedule.
Speeches and Presentations / Essays / Miscellaneous
Speeches
and Presentations
Biomedical Issues From An Autistic
Perspective: How Do We Experience Them? (2013)
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.
“Are You There World, It’s Me Autism?” Sample
Presentation Outline (2012)
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.
In Search of the Proper Autistic
Friend (2006)
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.
Understanding: The Free
Therapy (2004)
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.
What To Do During An Autism
Cataclysm (2005)
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.
Auditory Training: My Personal
Experience and Thoughts (2005)
A
presentation that talks about this therapy, which I have had several
times.
How Do Autism's Symptoms Relate to
Abilities of Non-Autistic People? (2005)
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.
My Unconventional Life with
Autism (2005)
A
presentation that discusses stories from my life, things I have observed, and
what can be learned from these stories.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Autism (2005)
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.
The Role of Context in Defining
Autism (2006)
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 don’t work.
The Importance of Critical
Thinking (2006)
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 isn’t always a
necessity.
Autism's Appearance in Books and
Film (2006)
A
presentation that describes the appearance of autistic symptoms in popular
culture, and what we can learn about autism from these
examples.
Check It Out! A 3rd Grade Autism
Reading List (2006)
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
A Response to the Tragedy in Newtown,
Connecticut (2012)
Originally
written for a Facebook post on December 19, 2012.
My First Adventures into Social
Thinking (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 Winner’s Social Thinking curriculum.
(Note: This essay contains
mature content that may not be suitable for young
children.)
Possible Explanations Behind The
Autistic Struggle To Understand Social Skills (2012)
A
thought experiment that discusses possible reasons for autistic struggles with
social skills and social interaction. Published on the Age of Autism’s
website.
Oakton Community College Autism
Interview (2011)
An 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 “The Sound of Falling Snow,” by Annabel
Stehli.
Six Principles Of Autistic
Interaction (2005)
Essay on the rules many
autistic individuals use when they interact.
The Court of Expectations Is In
Session (2004)
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.
Thoughts on the Mindset of
Individual People (2005)
An essay I wrote that
tries to explain why some people are unwilling to change their beliefs or
values, and why it’s not worth it to try to change them.
The Ten Commandments of Autism
Understanding (2006)
A
list of guidelines that should be considered when someone tries to understand
autism.
Recommended Viewing (2004)
A
list of movies that I enjoy, and recommend that people see them to enrich their
understanding of autism.
Miscellaneous
Guidelines for Teaching Individuals
with ASD In School Settings (From A
Student’s Perspective) (2012)
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.
Diary of a Kindergarten Intern
(2011)
A
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.
One-Way Street / Music My Friend /
In The Name of My Safety (2011/12)
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.
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.
Any material
on this site may be reproduced, provided I am given acknowledgement as the
author.
However,
this site also contains copyrighted material, the use of which has not always
been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I have utilized such
material in my efforts to advance the understanding of autism and topics related
to autism. I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted
material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance
with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed
without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.
For more
information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.