This story was submitted by Anita Lesko
My husband and I, both autistic, met at one of my autism support group meetings I used to conduct. There was an immediate spark between us! We became friends for over a year before our relationship turned romantic. We got engaged on Christmas Eve 2014.
A few months earlier, Dr. Jenny Palmiotto had invited me to speak at her upcoming love & Autism conference on September 26, 2015. After getting engaged, I called Jenny to ask her what she thought about Abraham and I getting married at her conference! Without batting an eye, Jenny gushed “Yes!” Jenny then became conference organizer AND wedding planner!
Jenny and I quickly decided to make it an All-Autistic wedding. An All-Autistic “I Do” Crew was assembled, including having our friend Dr. Stephen Shore as the Officient to marry us. We opened our wedding to the public to show the world that autistic people DO want relationships and marriage. The event attracted international attention. People.com featured our story twice, and we were interviewed by many other news sources, including Good Morning America.
A year and a half later, we’re going stronger than ever. In fact, we just returned from New York City where I spoke at the United Nations for World Autism Awareness Day. I was invited there to be on a Panel that discussed dating, relationships and marriage, moderated by Caren Zucker.
Here is the video of me addressing the UN. I come in at 1:48:32