Well, here we are…Christmas Day and the last blog of 2022. As I said in my previous post, 2022 was an up and down year for me having both low and high points. Now that 2022 is about to close, attention will now shift over to 2023 and what is to be expected for “Going the Distance.”
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First off, we will be starting 2023 right out of the gate beginning on Thursday January 5th in Orlando, FL where I will be speaking at a Flutie/Disney Event hosted by Doug and Laurie Flutie along with several other Flutie Fellows.
Also, in 2o23, I am looking to continue growing my involvement with the Flutie Foundation by participating in various events such as marathons and other functions that they either host or are involved with. I believe that my involvement with Flutie will grow rapidly in 2023 more so than in 2022, but only time will tell.
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Still, the action really doesn’t pick up until Late January where I will be teaching a class at Unicorn Children’s Foundation called the Disney Decades Club. This class will run for 10 weeks and will cover Disney’s 10-decade existence from 1923 to Present Day. What’s more, this will be a tremendous opportunity to teach developmentally different individuals and get them to open up their eyes about a topic in a way that they haven’t seen Disney in before.
This will be my third major activity with Unicorn Children’s Foundation since I joined the organization in 2021 first as a Junior Board Member and then as a member of the Board of Directors. Of course, UCF will also have it’s gala on March 11th at the Boca Raton Hotel in Boca Raton, FL. The theme this year is “Golden Age of Hollywood.”
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Next up, my appointment to the Flutie Foundation this past fall has given “Going the Distance” the opportunity to land more speaking engagements and trainings.
Already, I have several events lined up for the first quarter of 2023 which you can check out in the “Upcoming Events” section of this website. The ultimate goal is to do in-person events beyond “Going the Distance’s Core Triangle in California, Florida and New England. However, this could only be done with generous financial support and backing from you, the community.
So, if you would like to offer me financial compensation for my speaking services, please do not hesitate to do so. Once again, I can speak at comic cons/fan conventions and educational as well as employment conferences/trainings.
Furthermore, I also continue to do book signings of the book I contributed to “This is Autism” by Jessica Leichtweisz and Aidan Allman Cooper at events, conferences and trainings. So, if you would like to purchase a copy and then have me or the other contributor’s sign at a future event, you can find it on Amazon.com for only $19.97!
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Next, you might be wondering what I have planned in terms of what I will be presenting in 2023. Well, in addition to “Autism in Disney Characters,” “School Safety Drills and Autism,” and “The Man Behind the Curtain,” I also have an entire menu of presentations that have yet to be shared with all of you, including presentations on both educational topics such as school assemblies, IEP’s and high school senior class trips as well as employment presentations on topics such as flexibility.
If you are interested, be sure to check them out here:
I also have targeted several local anime conventions in Boston and Providence in the spring and summer to debut a presentation called “Cosmo the Seedrian: What Does She Represent in Autism/Neurodiversity?” about how the character from the anime adaptation of “Sonic the Hedgehog” display traits of autism/neurodiversity.
It’s similar to “Autism in Disney Characters,” however, it’s aimed towards anime fans who are connected to autism/neurodiversity. If you want to take a look at the presentation, feel free to take a look:
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Lastly, my friends and colleagues over at the Autism Tree Project Foundation in San Diego will be celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2023 and it’s more than likely there will be some events to mark this tremendous milestone. Stay tuned for any details for any events I might participate in and in the meantime, you can also contribute to their year-end campaign which goes through till December 31st and of course, you can donate at any time.
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So, there you have it, 2022 is now in the books and it’s time to look ahead to 2023 as “Going the Distance” will enter its second year of operation.
I thank you all for your continued support and I hope you have a great holiday season and happy new year. Take this time to reflect on the year that was and get excited for what is to come in the year ahead. Trust me, it’s gonna be big!!
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Catch you all later and I will see you all in 2023!!
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