By: Amy Goodman, Director of Autism Now

What’s new with Autism Now, you ask? Well, one of my new roles as director is doing consulting work that involves public speaking. Public speaking is something that is difficult for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but in order to overcome my fear of people and being social I decided to try something new. I decided it was time to for me to take my expertise from working on Autism Now and make my public speaking debut by offering services to anyone who wants me to come speak about autism, ASD, bullying, employment, or anything else related to Autism Now or TheArc@Work, our employment initiative here at The Arc.

I recently spoke at the 2015 Alabama disABILITY conference in Orange Beach, Alabama. I believe I was a success because I was able to connect with my audience of individuals with disabilities by presenting from my own experiences. For example, I was talking about dating, relationships, and marriage and I was able to use examples from my life of how I as a person with a disability was able to overcome challenges in order to be married. I was able to have a long term relationship because I was ready and needed it at that time in my life. I found someone who needed me as much as I needed them and it worked out for both of us.

Preparing for speaking engagements is a lot of work, but if done effectively can help build the confidence of the speaker. I prepare over a long period of time, like 2 to 3 months in advance, by reading the information, putting the information into an outline, and writing out what I want to say. Then writing note cards with less information and finally putting just enough information on the power point slides to remind me what to say. Usually that isn’t even full sentences.

I have learned relaxation techniques to help me with anxiety and after this first speaking engagement, I decided I will probably change how I deliver my message. Next time, I think I will share a story, a poem, or quote that has something to do with the topic I am presenting that day. The most important thing is to be able to grab your audience’s attention before starting your presentation. If you can make them laugh or smile then they will tend to be more attentive to what you have to say.

So, the next time you need someone to speak at your event or conference, who are you going to call? Amy Goodman, Director of Autism Now – I’m ready and at your service to share my story and experience your event. Contact me at agoodman@autismnow.org or 202.600.3489.