The Spectrum as Light: Championing Autistic People

Kit Trapasso earned a BA In psychology from Valparaiso University, an MS in School Psychometry from Butler University, a School Psychologist Specialist Certification from Indiana University, an MS in Special Education from the University of Pittsburgh, and completed ABD in Special Education from the University of Pittsburgh. He has worked in public schools for 30 years in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Texas, California, and NY as a School Psychologist, Counselor, Behavioral Consultant, Parent Trainer, and tutor. Kit is presently employed by Orleans County as a Counselor/Behavioral consultant. He has also been the Director of the Chautauqua Children’s School for over 40 years. Kit believes that his profession helps children and families by evaluating their strengths and determining appropriate intervention strategies for success, reinforcing the positives. 

F. Rutledge Hammes earned his Master of Fine Arts from Old Dominion University and studied with several New York Times bestselling authors, Pulitzer Prize finalists and National Book Award winners. He has published over 30 short stories, essays and poems, a Kindle Book Award winning novel, and has been a contributing writer in several other books. He is a South Carolina Arts Fellow and a Pushcart nominee. He taught at Old Dominion University, worked in special education for two years, and has been a public school teacher for the 15 years since, working primarily with gifted and talented students, many of whom are on the Spectrum. He is presently the director of the most awarded Creative Writing program in the nation. An autistic person himself, he is the proud father of an autistic son. And today, he runs workshops for parents of autistic children and gives talks to help teachers better understanding autism and its vital role in our world. He is currently working on a book on context, high-masking autism and the secret history of autism disguised as our heroes.