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Autism NOW’s Co-Director Receives National Honor

Earlier this month, Amy Goodman, Co-Director of the Autism NOW Center, received the Outstanding Advocate of the Year award from The Autism Society of America. This comes as no surprise to The Arc’s national staff who work with Amy on a daily basis. Her passion for what she does is present in every task she undertakes. The Autism NOW Center wouldn’t be the success it is without Amy’s dedication. You can view Amy at work answering questions in The Autism NOW Answer Series.

Read in Amy’s own words why winning this award is so important to her:

This award means a lot to me because it is proof that all my hard work and dedication to my profession has paid off and that individuals do appreciate me. It stands as a testament that what I do makes a difference in the lives of individuals with autism. I am so lucky to be able to share my life with those in need and I feel proud to be able to say I’m an individual with autism who has paved the way for others to enjoy life to the fullest extent.

This award is not only for me personally but to be shared with all my colleagues at The Arc, my friends and colleagues at The Autism Society of America, Robert Hunter of The Grateful Dead for enabling my brother to make a connection with Kent Moreno, who told us about Asperger’s syndrome in the first place, and all my friends and colleagues at Marshall University and the College Support program because if it were not for all their support and encouragement I would not be where I am today. I owe it all to them.

I may not move mountains by myself, but I can advocate and give others a voice they may not know they even have. This award has validated my life for me and I now know I am where I need to be and that I will survive in this world. It has given me a sense of self-worth and the confidence to know I can achieve or accomplish things above and beyond what others said I would never do.