Bradley
Olson--A Person with Autism
Updated: December, 18, 2009
Hi, from Bradley Wayne Olson. I am autistic. People ask me what it is like to have autism. I reply that I do not mind being autistic because it is part of who I am and I do not know any other way of life.
My site will tell you about myself and you will find that I am no different from anyone else except for the diagnosis of autism.
I was born in Fridley, Minnesota on April 29, 1978. I share my birthday with these famous people and events listed at Wikipedia. I was diagnosed with autism when I was 18 months old. There was not a program for autism in Bemidji, so I lived with a foster family in Wayzata, Minnesota. I attended a program for children with autism at Children's Health Center in Minneapolis for 2 years which is now Children’s Specialty Center. After that, I went to live with a foster family in Duluth, Minnesota and attended school there for three years. I moved back home with my mother Carol and my sister Stephanie in Bemidji, Minnesota in 1986 (home of Paul Bunyan and Babe The Blue Ox) when I was in 2nd grade and attended Lincoln Elementary School. I attended Central Elementary for third through fifth grade and Bemidji Middle School for sixth through eighth grade. Ninth through twelfth grade, I attended Bemidji High School and graduated in 1997. After high School graduation I attended Northwest Technical College for three years and earned a degree in Microcomputers in 1999. Upon graduation from Northwest Tech I started my employment at NLFX Professional (You can purchase all of your sound and lighting equipment online). I use my skill for the computer and love for music and electronics at my employment. I nominated my employer for the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities Award conducted by MarketResponse International. A nominations process to identify Minnesota businesses that are using innovative employment practices in hiring people with developmental disabilities and promoting an inclusive work environment. Forty-five nominations were received and 11 businesses were selected. On October 1, 2008, these employers and their employees were recognized. A copy of the article appeared in the Bemidji Pioneer on October 12, 2008 and can be viewed at Photobucket.com
I like to keep busy. Some of the things I enjoy are Special Olympics Minnesota. I started Special
Olympics in 1990 and have earned medals in the following sports: swimming,
track and field, bowling, equestrian, volleyball, basketball, and table tennis.
My favorite is roller skating but it is no longer a sport in Minnesota. I was able to go to the International Special Olympics meet in
Raleigh, NC for roller skating in 1999. At the Internationals, I won a bronze
in freestyle, silver in dance and gold in figures.
In 1998 I was awarded the Inspirational Amateur Athlete Award of the year from
Midwest Sports Channel, which is now the Fox Sports Channel.
Paul Molitor was awarded the Professional
Athlete of the year.
Besides Special Olympics, I like music, especially country and 50's-70's pop and rock music. I collect CDs, LPs, and 45 records. My CD collection numbers over 1,600. I also have a small postcard and coin collection and the state quarters. And with my interest in computers, I have done web design for a few non-profit organizations and Lighthouse Lodge. I have also been the editor of the newsletter for Bemidji Special Olympics which is no longer published. I have also enjoyed having articles that I have written published in the local newspaper, the Bemidji Pioneer.
Some of my other activities include going to the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine to be a participant of their Autism Research Project, An NICHD Collaborative Program of Excellence in Autism. They have invited me back for additional studies. For information on the research project, visit their website at http://www.wpic.pitt.edu/research/CeFAR/. Another activity was being a mentor for Minnesota Autism Society Camp Discovery. My most recent added activity is singing in the choir at my home church Trinity Lutheran (LCMS).
I especially enjoy spending time with my nephews: Nathaniel, 14, and Nicholas, 10.
For
social networking, I can be found on Facebook,
MySpace, and Twitter
Growing Up With Bradley" by Stephanie Coyle
Published in "Voices From The Spectrum"
Edited by Cindy N. Ariel and Robert A. Naseef
Awards I have received
Published
articles about myself