James Williams
Welcome to my website on autism. I’m James
Williams. I live in Northbrook, Illinois, a Chicago suburb of 34,071. I am nineteen
years old, and I have high-functioning autism. Despite my age, I have spoken at
several autism conferences, parent support groups, and special schools, and
have had several correspondences with individuals (normal and autistic) who are
interested in my advice. I am also the co-author of The Self-Help
Guide For Special Kids and Their Parents and the author of Out To Get Jack. On my website, I have
archived the speeches I have given and the essays I have written over the
years. Scroll down to view the archives.
If you have come to this website looking
for the other presenter on autism named James Williams, who resides in Texas,
information about him can be found here. I am a different James
Williams than the speaker in Texas.
Click
here to view my speaking schedule.
Talks and Presentations / Essays / Miscellaneous
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
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 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
The Wescott Alphabet (1996)
A collection of photographs representing the
alphabet, taken in 1996.
Essay about the author, and information on how to
contact him.
Links to other autism web sites, courtesy of the
website of autistic author Will Rogers.
Recent
and Upcoming Appearances
Find out where James Williams will be speaking
next and where he has spoken before.
If you have any questions or comments, or would
like James to speak at your conference, school, support group, or autism
agency, you can contact him here.
You can also post your question or comment here.
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 am making such material available 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.
