By Lindsey Eaton
LOPES Academy alumni relations specialist
Photos by Ralph Freso
My name is Lindsey Eaton, and I am 30 years old. I have autism, but it doesn’t stop me from achieving my dreams. As a matter of fact, I am diagnosed as AWESOME!
Every April, worldwide we celebrate Autism Awareness Month to create awesome awareness and acceptance for those with autism. With a prevalence of around 1 in 40 people, the chances are probably more common than you think that you know a friend, family member or co-worker with autism.
Autism is a spectrum. One person with autism might be able to express themselves and their needs and wants, while another person with autism might need help expressing themselves. However, the signs of autism are common. Typically, those who are diagnosed with autism – children, teens and adults alike, all show the same signs, such as a lack of socialization, struggles making and keeping friends, and challenges with coping with schedule rigidity, so the littlest schedule change, such as a fire drill or unscheduled meeting, can cause anxiety.
When I was first diagnosed with autism, I was 15 years old. I knew at a younger age that I likely had autism because of research I had conducted related to signs similar to the ones I discussed above. I was relieved when I was officially diagnosed as my family and I got some answers from Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC).
I started enrolling in classes about employment, financial awareness and programs like CommunityWorks, which prepares adults with autism for employment by teaching them workplace readiness skills with peer mentors who serve as co-workers and SARRC staff who help with instruction during program hours.
As more time went on, I grew comfortable with my autism diagnosis as I realized God made me unique.
Psalm 139:15 reminds us that we are all wonderfully made. I have many unique skills and abilities, including having the ability to utilize technology, the ability to be reliable and driven, and the strength to utilize public speaking to educate and empower the world to become more inclusive for those with autism.
In late 2022, I was in the movie “In a Different Key: The Story of Autism,” about the first person diagnosed with autism, Donald Triplett, who recently died at 89 years old. Donald’s story brings awareness to autism. He lived in Forest, Mississippi, and worked at the same bank for many years.
I live independently in my own place in Scottsdale. I juggle daily independent living skills, like keeping track of my budget, cleaning my house and living a healthy lifestyle by walking around my neighborhood or going to the gym. I utilize holistic, all-encompassing strategies, like using a calendar to track when I eat out with friends and family and an action planning tracker to track progress of goals, like drinking more water, developing new hobbies, such as reading books and spending 15 minutes to clean my house. I have learned to adopt social-emotional coping strategies, like journaling my thoughts and telling myself a positive self-affirmation when I feel down or "in my head.”
I recently started receiving Adult Occupational Therapy services to help me improve on skills like cooking and cutting food, organizing my house and improving community navigation.
Besides living independently, I juggle a busy social schedule filled with activities with friends and family. I’m preparing to become an aunt for the first time, as my first niece is due to arrive April. She’ll be a baby Lope, as I got her baby onesie from the Lope Shop! I plan to show her around GCU and LOPES Academy.
One of my proudest accomplishments is graduating from the LOPES Academy at the Cardon Center Program at GCU.
I found out about the program via a Google search related to inclusive post-secondary programs for people with disabilities. I was hesitant to apply but then received a message from Allison Mancinelli-Kolanko encouraging me to apply and be part of the first group of participants.
I was hesitant to apply, as I had recently graduated from another program similar to it – the First Place Transition Academy.
But I applied and went through the interview process. I got accepted to participate in the program. Our group started in 2022. The moment when we got our GCU swag bags was priceless. The program changed my life by giving me some of my best friends and many unforgettable professional relationships.
I also learned many skills I remember to this day, like how to think flexibly, how to advocate for myself and how to communicate professionally. When our group graduated, it was powerfully cool to see all of us in our caps and gowns getting our certificates of completion. We all had the opportunity to hug, high-five or handshake Allison. I chose to hug her. Our group was then celebrated during a graduation celebration on campus. The best part is that nine of us are now part of the LOPES Academy Alumni Association.
When I officially graduated from the program, I had one of the toughest transitions filled with moments where I missed the program and GCU’s campus. Over the summer, I worked with our program team to lay the groundwork for the LOPES Academy Alumni Association, which is a collaboration between the LOPES Academy and the GCU Alumni Relations team.
We created a position for me to become the part-time LOPES Academy Alumni Relations Specialist. I have planned a few successful alumni events, including a Riverbed Arcade game day and lunch on campus and Zoolights in collaboration with the GCU Office of Alumni Relations. In the coming months, we’ll be welcoming nine more alumni to our association. We’re collaborating with program partners, such as GCU Athletics, to create promo codes for tickets and schedule fun events.
I also work at Christ Lutheran School as its part-time office assistant on Tuesday and Thursday. I help with tasks like copying, folding rags, shredding and distributing preschool lunches.
The highlight of my work day each day I am there is working and helping in the Connections classroom for kids with autism. I help with with tasks, such as administering tests, supervising students when they are doing math activities, and assembling folders filled with graded work. The students and the team feel comfortable talking to me. In a few weeks, I am preparing to speak to a variety of grades – second grade, third grade and junior high – about my journey with autism to bring awareness and acceptance for autism.
One cool thing at Christ Lutheran School is that a many of our teachers went to GCU and graduated in recent years.
Outside of work, I serve on boards like the Arizona Association of People Supporting Employment First and the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center Self-Advocate Advisory Board.
When I am not working or advocating for those with autism, I enjoy hanging out with my family and friends, going to the spa at my house and getting facials, watching reality TV like "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" franchise, and eating dinner at the in-house restaurant where I live.
My focus is taking care of myself so I don’t get burned out of life.
Back to Autism Awareness Month, I want to invite anyone who wants to wear blue to wear blue in April. Autism Awareness Day was April 2, but in my eyes and opinion, Autism Awareness doesn’t need to stop at a day – it can extend all year.
If you are an employer, please also considering hiring a person with a disability.
