Inclusion and more

My name is Lindsey Eaton.  I am a member of the First Place-Phoenix Council of Resident Engagement.  CORE helps make First Place-Phoenix an amazing place for residents to live at start to work at by promoting acceptance and inclusion.  I am preparing to move into First Place. There are many emotions. I am excited for what's to come as a resident- I will continue to improve on the skills I learned from the Transition Academy like staying on budget, cooking my own meals,  doing my own laundry and taking public transportation. I will keep my apartment clean.  I will work at the AZ School Boards Association. I shred papers, answer the phones, greet guests and assemble handbooks.  In my downtime, I will spend time with my boyfriend, go to events in Downtown Phoenix, assist with community life tasks and hang out with friends.  I will tour my family and friends around First Place. My supervisors Ellen and Kristi and co-worker Katie are going to come and vis...

My name is Lindsey and I have autism. I am diagnosed as AWESOME.   When I was 15 years old year, I was officially diagnosed with autism. I had a hard time talking to my friends, dealing with sudden change and not seeing things as black and white. The things came easier to my peers came hard for me because of my new diagnosis. Autism gives me many extraordinary gifts like the abilities to fix computers,  have photographic memory of trips I have taken in the past and speaking in front of large groups. Most people cannot stand speaking in front of large groups but I LOVE IT! I have spoken in front of large groups ranging from 100 to 4,000 about topics ranging from integrated employment to my Best Buddies story.  Several years ago, I became a Best Buddies Ambassador, a position that helped me come to LOVE public speaking. When I first started speaking, I was nervous beyond words. I would look at my speeches and not even attempt to memorize them.  Now I...

You might think you know everything about me, but here are a few interesting facts 1. I love public speaking While most people fear the podium and sharing their story in front of large groups, I love it! I have spoken in front of groups ranging from 100 to 4,000 with no fear! All the speeches have one thing in common- I practice, practice and practice. One common line in EVERY speech is -  I have autism. I am diagnosed as AWESOME!  Here are a few of my best speeches Chaparral graduation   (Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board members, Kim Hartmann and Bonnie Sneed were present)  SARRC Breakfast  Institute for Corporate Productivity Conference Best Buddies AZ Gala If you want me to speak to your company, school or in the community, let me know!  2. I keep in touch with my high school friends and the teachers who taught me This might sound surprising but I keep in touch with many of my friend...

13.4% of people with disabilities are unemployed or underemployed. Together we can change this. We need to encourage more employers to hire people with autism or other disabilities.  I was at one point in life part of the above statistic.  I knew I wanted a job when I graduated from high school.  I completed a program called Project SEARCH. Project SEARCH helped me learn new employment skills like how to talk to supervisors, how to request time off and how to ask for help.  After Project SEARCH I worked at Christ Lutheran School as an aide in the preschool for two years. I worked with 3 and 4 year old students teaching them to write their names, how to count to ten and how to share.  One of my favorite memories was when one of the students named Cole sat on my lap.  I developed a close relationship with my supervisor Mrs. Plumb. We talked about our lives, our families and supported each other in the classroom. We still keep in touch, even though I left th...