“Russell was a phenomenal keynote speaker for our annual conference. His poetry was personally moving to me, and the stories he told of overcoming adversity were highly inspirational to all of the people at our conference.   He really brought the message of gaining strength through admitting his weakness and pushing through adversity one little step at a time.  This is a message we all need to hear, particularly people affected by autism who have an even more personal connection with Russell’s story – Russell showed that he did not just say that message, but he lives it as well! My favorite part of the conference was actually where he admitted he still has struggles, and showed how he may have to recover from a breakdown and then go talk to hundreds of people. We had about 800 people at our conference, and after Russell finished speaking, I’m not sure there was a dry eye in the house. Very impressive young man with an inspiring story who I would recommend to anyone. His kindness and generosity and overall his honesty can help make anyone want to try to be better.”

 /// Robert Peyton, Ph.D. – President, Autism Society of Wisconsin