Making Autism a Gift: Inspiring Children to Believe in Themselves and Lead Happy, Fulfilling Lives

Length-34 minutes, 48 seconds

Deborah Harper, President of Psychjourney, interviews Dr. Robert Evert Cimera, author of Making Autism a Gift: Inspiring Children to Believe in Themselves and Lead Happy, Fulfilling Lives published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

Dr. Robert Evert Cimera

Dr. Cimera graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1997 with a specialization in school-to-adult life transition. During his doctoral training, he worked as a research assistant as well as supervised students in the Moderate and Severe Disabilities Teacher Training Program.

Prior to pursuing his doctorate, he was a director of a program that transitioned secondary students with severe and multiple disabilities (including those with autism, mental retardation, behavior disorders, and various mental illnesses) from school to work. In this capacity, he collaborated extensively with general educators, special educators, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and other community-based professionals.

He is currently a professor in the College of Education, Health, and Human Services at Kent State University in Ohio. In addition to teaching, he also has been conducting many scholarly endeavors. For instance, he currently has over thirty publications, including many peer-reviewed research articles and seven single-authored books. Visit his webpage.