CNY Autism Consulting Helping Those on the Autism Spectrum Live Successful Lives Paul Meier  315-559-8242 Who Am I? I am autistic, diagnosed as an adult. When I was a kid there were problems, as there are with our kids, but they couldn't figure it out. Hard to believe in today's world, but being born in the 1960's that is just the way it was then. At about the age of 12 my parents sat me down and said that we had been to specialists and done testing, and there clearly was a problem, but they had no idea what. They said they would love me, and support me any way they could, but whether I made it in the world or not was ultimately up to me and the decisions I made. My mother was a therapist. I taught myself how to interact with the world by studying her psychology and counseling books. It was identifying patterns of what was typical, and acceptable variations within those patterns, that allowed me to function.  I also was helped by reading sociology and cultural anthropology. Today I am proficient enough that a lot of people can't tell I am ASD (autism spectrum disorder), but there is nothing natural about it. What looks natural and instinctive is really pattern recognition and mathematical algorithm. I am the parent of a kid on the spectrum, providing that perspective too. This really is my life. My kid is not biologically mine. I became "dad" when he was 11 years old. He is an adult now, and is doing well. Overall, I have been working with kids since 1985. The business, CNY Autism Consulting, was founded in 2011. I am privileged to be making my living doing something I love to do, while making a difference in the lives of people.