MEET JOHN SMYTH
John Smyth, author of From Autism’s Tomb, is a 21 year old expert on autism, isolation, and escape from isolation to a life of contribution.
Diagnosed with severe autism, communication disorder, and seizure disorder, John lost his speech to regressive autism at about 20 months of age and became nonverbal. Until the age of 16 ½, he was unable to communicate even his most basic needs.
John’s public school system and other professionals tested him to have the mind of a three year-old. He was placed in life skills classes for most of his education, having taken a couple of years off to do Verbal Behavior Therapy in a private setting.
At the age of 16 ½, John began taking lessons in Supported Typing. To his parents’ complete surprise, he began communicating age-appropriate thoughts immediately. In the 4 ½ years since that time, John has graduated high school with a 3.8 GPA. He will attend Marian University in Indianapolis in January 2016 to pursue a major in pastoral leadership and a minor in peace and justice, with the goal of public advocacy for the educational rights of nonverbal autistics.
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