This was my most challenging speaking engagement yet! No one has asked me to speak at a school graduation ceremony until recently; Other speaking engagements I have done were about giving information relating to autism, but this was a GRADUATION speech I had to give, and that was scary! Before I took my seat on the front row, I said: “I want my mom.” My dad was with me, but it was just one of those feelings, ya know.

I think the main reason why I was so terrified, in this particular event, was because it reminded me of the time I graduated high school in 2013, not too long ago. That does not feel very long ago to me, maybe because I know how important graduation is. So we practiced hard on getting the outline right before going up on stage to make the best impression on all of those graduates since it can only be done once. 

Before graduation, Dad and I had the privilege to check out the school . Gateway Academy. Out of all of the schools I have been in, this one...

How do you do? My name is Tyler McNamer.

The long awaited sequel to Population: ONE is available to purchase!

Becoming ONE

Adolescence was one of the most difficult times in my life, becoming a young adult was even harder. I had to come to terms with being different, learn how I could use my differences to find my place in the world, then find and maintain relationships that would accept and support me. 

Professionals told me I would not live independently. Those limiting beliefs affected me deeply.  Thankfully with help of my parents, mentors, therapists, and friends, I now have the ability to live on my own.

My training for adulthood started in middle school. If you would like to help your child make the shift into young adulthood, now it the time to prepare.  The work you do now will have a profound effect on their future. 

Your child with autism has a tremendous gift to give.  They...

When you child with autism enters high school, you may feel relief and a little anxiety. You may feel relief because how far he has come and anxiety because of the many social situations your child will face. This is completely normal of any parent as we all want our children to do well in different situations.

High school presents a variety of stimuli, such as crowded class changes, bell ringing, different teachers to adjust to, and many teachers and their teaching styles. If your child has an IEP, then he can receive assistance through many of these, but the social situations still remain. Your child will be interacting with many different students during the school day. But…what if you would like your child to branch out of his comfort zone and do a little more in terms of socialization to help him in the long run?

Find a Mentor

Finding a trusted mentor for your teen is easier than you think! For starters, reflect on the young adults or older teens you know that also know...

In the most recent keynote event I have attended to, I have been contact by teachers in Pullman, Washington. It's way out in the East close to the state of Idaho.

I got so excited to go! Sometimes it's nice to take a break from the trees in the West of Washington and enjoy some of the desert areas. The trip was nice, and I took a lot of pictures. The ones up above are a few of my favorites. Dad took that one of me when I was speaking.

This was a high school that I went. Teachers wanted me to speak about autism and I delivered. Main theme of the three separate talks was about "what I wished my teachers knew then about me" when I was going through school. Sort of reversed that topic question with a little something of my own. "What I wished I would have said if I had the ability to communicate properly during the beginning years of school." It was a great time talking in front of teachers, and I think some students even came into the room too. Crazy part about it was that in...

In my final days of high school, I have discovered the processes I call the End School Crises.

For those who don’t know what the End School Crises (ESC) is, let my tell you what it’s about.

I have been in school for a really really long time. About 15 years I’d say including preschool twice and kindergarten. Throughout those years I was so used to the whole routine of getting up in the morning and going to school. I see familiar faces all around teachers, students, para-pros, and other staff members in the schools. I had the ESC in Elementary, Intermediate, and Middle school. But in High School, it’s big… very big.

Signs of ESC include:

• Doing unexpected things
• Acting crazy
• Making a fool out of yourself
• Adrenalin Rush
• Strong sensible emotions such as sad, or mad
• Do as much things as fast as possible
• Get in trouble usually
• Feeling lost
• Strong fear of leaving school

These are certain signs of ESC. It’s easy to remember the acronym by the far left...