Chantal Sicile-Kira’s passion for empowering others, her love of writing, and her personal interest in autism has led her to become an award-winning author of five books, speaker, and leader in the field of adolescence and transition to adulthood. Chantal recently founded AutismCollege.com, which provides practical information and training on-line for parents and educators.
Chantal’s first experience with autism was teaching self-help and community living skills to severely developmentally disabled adolescents in preparation for their de-institutionalization. Years later this experience would prove invaluable when her son, Jeremy, was born. Chantal was told to find a good institution for him when he was diagnosed severely autistic. He graduated from Torrey Pines High School with a GPA of 3.78 and gave a commencement speech using voice output technology that still inspires many http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8cEtand01w (Preview) .
Chantal has served on the California Senate Select Committee on Autism & Related Disorders, and as Co-Chair, South Counties Autism Regional Taskforce. Chantal has written five books and her latest is Autism Spectrum Disorder (Perigee, 2005). Chantal blogs on HuffingtonPost.com, PsychologyToday.com, and AutismCollege.com.
Chantal has received numerous awards including Autism Society of America Literary Work of the Year Award; two San Diego Book Awards; National Autism Association 2013 Jo Pike Believe Award, the 2012 Baron Inspiration Award; Cure Autism Now (Autism Speaks) Local Hero Award; and named a 2013 Top Ten Autism Blogger and Social Healthmaker by Sharecare. AutismCollege.com is one of Ten Autism Tech Sites recommended by Mashable.com.
Chantal and her family have appeared on, PBS, Fox, and NBC and were featured in MTV’s True Life “I Have Autism;” and were featured in Newsweek’s cover story, “Growing Up with Autism”
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