Young man with autism seeks inclusion

Timothy Rohrer is quite an impressive young man. Timothy has autism but instead of holding him back, it has spurred him to try to change people’s perceptions of those with disabilities.

He first gained attention for writing a pamphlet that was widely shared around the country; it was called How to Be a Good Influence to People With Disabilities. Because of the social isolation he felt, he was determined to “create an environment in which people with disabilities are collaborated with neurotypical people in their circle of friends and the chance for them to accomplish their dreams.” Tim seeks to foster better understanding between people with disabilities and their neurotypical peers; he wants people to know "Approaching someone with a disability is more than just feeling sorry for them. It's about giving them compassion, friendship, and love!"

Timothy has now expanded his reach by starting a YouTube channel to bring his advocacy for inclusion to an even wider audience. It features videos like See Us With Your Hearts, What I Want People to Understand About My Disability, and What’s True Inclusion?, which you can see below. Those are just a few of the over 20 videos he has posted. Many of them are animated.

As the parent of a 20 year old son with autism, I know that one of the most heart breaking aspects of his disability is his lack of friends; he almost always ate by himself in the school cafeteria. Hopefully, with advocates like Timothy Rohrer, incidents like that will eventually become rare.

You can find his YouTube channel here.

You can download his pamphlet and find other resources here.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle. Any opinions expressed are Bill Doyle's own.