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Karen Krejcha Bio Karen serves as Executive Director and Co-Founder of Autism Empowerment and also as the Board President. She is Editor of Spectrum Life Magazine and the host of the Autism Empowerment Podcast. Karen considers Autism Empowerment her calling and passion. She [...]
Autism Empowerment Mission Autism Empowerment is devoted to promoting a culture of acceptance, enrichment, and empowerment in the lives of children, teens, adults and families in Autism, Autistic and neurodivergent communities. We offer innovative and inspiring programs, training, and services as well as opportunities for leadership and volunteerism for [...]
Autism Empowerment is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization devoted to enriching and empowering the lives of youth, adults, and families within autistic and neurodivergent communities. We promote a culture of Autism Acceptance and believe that each one of us has gifts and talents to make the [...]
Autism Facts and Myths Here are a few facts and myths about Autism: There is a lot of information available online about autism. Some of it is factual. Some of it is a myth. Some of it is true for some individuals but not for others. Some information may [...]
Acronym and Initialism Directory An acronym is an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word. An initialism is an abbreviation consisting of initial letters pronounced separately (e.g., DDA or IEP) Alphabet soup is often used as a metaphor for an abundance of [...]
What are Pervasive Developmental Disorders / PDD / PDD-NOS? The diagnostic category of pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) refers to a group of disorders characterized by delays in the development of socialization and communication skills. Parents may note symptoms as early as infancy, although the typical age of onset is [...]
In Language You Can Understand Autism is a spectrum disorder and neurological difference that includes a broad range of symptoms. For purposes of this page, we're using "autism" to represent all autism spectrum disorder / differences including Autism, Asperger Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD/NOS). With autism, [...]
Chris Parrott Bio Chris Parrott joined Autism Empowerment’s Board of Directors in 2014. Chris was born and raised in Texas, and was a resident of Oregon from 2011 to early 2022, when he relocated to North Carolina. In 2025, he relocated again with his family to Vancouver, [...]
Opportunities for Giving and Making an Impact Thank you so much for considering a donation of your time, services or money to Autism Empowerment. Your willingness to give helps us on our way to making life more meaningful for youth, adults and families who consider themselves part of the [...]
How is Autism Treated? It is important to remember first that autism is on a spectrum. As such, there is no one size-fits-all autism treatment, therapy, intervention or coping strategy. There are many therapies for autism and as you do your research you will see that there is also [...]
Early Intervention Research has shown that intensive therapy during the toddler or preschool years may significantly improve cognitive and language skills in young children on the autism spectrum. There is no single best treatment for all children, but the American Academy of Pediatrics recently noted common features of effective [...]
Dr. Anson Service Bio Dr. Anson Service is a licensed mental health counselor and part of a team that assesses individuals for autism, ADHD, and more at Adventure Psychological Services. Dr. Service has been a regular columnist for Autism Empowerment's Spectrum Life Magazine [...]
Cash Gifts and Donations to Autism Empowerment Welcome! Thank you for joining us in supporting youth, adults and families in Autism and Neurodivergent communities! Together with your generosity, Autism Empowerment uplifts and empowers youth, adults, and families across the autism spectrum. Your donation helps us provide inclusive programs, compassionate education, and [...]
Autism Empowerment Statement on Supporting Autistic and Neurodivergent Communities February 18th, 2025 At Autism Empowerment, our mission has always been to promote acceptance, enrichment, inspiration, and empowerment for autistic and neurodivergent youth, adults, and families. As a neurodivergent-led organization founded in June 2011, we believe that every individual possesses unique [...]
Brian Tashima Bio Brian Tashima was born and raised in Hawaii and has been a resident of Vancouver, Washington since 2000. He is an author, screenwriter, filmmaker, musician, creator, consultant, and philanthropist. He's also the dad of two autistic children, and was himself diagnosed [...]
Past Autism Empowerment Outreach Events Outreach events and activities that we participate in give youth, adults and families impacted by Autism and Asperger's to have an opportunity to connect with Autism Empowerment and to meet other members of the autism and autistic community. There are many opportunities throughout each [...]
AE Neurodivergent Creators Collective A New Era of Inclusive Storytelling Welcome (see below) | Upcoming Events | Past Events | Resource Library Empty heading Empty heading Empty heading Empty heading Welcome to the Neurodivergent Creators Collective! The Neurodivergent Creators Collective (AE-NCC) was launched in Spring 2025 as a neurodivergent-led [...]
AE Neurodivergent Creators Collective A New Era of Inclusive Storytelling Welcome | Upcoming Events | Past Events (see below) | Resource Library Past Workshops and Workshop Resources: (Workshops are listed in reverse chronological order) 🎬 Craig McCourry: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Filmmaking Autism Empowerment and our Neurodivergent Creators Collective are proud [...]
Andy Humber Bio Andy Humber joined Autism Empowerment's Board of Directors in October 2016. He was born and raised in Boise, Idaho and was diagnosed on the autism spectrum in late elementary school. Andy Humber has volunteered at Autism Empowerment [...]
AWEtism We Embrace Support Group Welcome to AWEtism We Embrace (AWE)! A Peer-Led Online Support Group for Adults of All Neurotypes AWEtism We Embrace (AWE) is a welcoming, facilitated support group for adults of all neurotypes, including both neurodivergent and neurotypical individuals. 🗓️ We meet online via Zoom [...]