Dad's Panel
A empowered group of fathers will discuss their transition into the autism community. They will share their challenges and success they have had helping their children and families. This panel is a first of its kind and not to be missed.
Thomas Clark, Esq.
Thomas Clark is an attorney focused on helping parents of special needs children. Prior to establishing Thomas Clark Law LLC, Tom spent 15 years administering trusts and estates for three of Chicago’s largest trust departments. Tom is a graduate of IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, has been married to his wife Molly for 16 years, and is the father of Jack, an eight-year old with autism. In addition to special needs trusts, Tom assists parents with guardianships and general estate planning.
Ken Siri
Ken Siri, the author of Cutting Edge Therapies for Autism and 1001 Tips for the Parents of Autistic Boys is the single parent of a boy with autism. Ken is founder and president of Consilium Global Research (a financial advisory firm) and an active member of the autism community in New York City, where he and his son reside.
David Geslak
David Geslak, BS, CSCS, ACSM-HFS, has been developing exercise programs for individuals on the autism spectrum since 2004. He is the author of two books on autism fitness and produced a DVD to help educate parents and professionals about the benefits of exercise. He is a former Fitness Coordinator for a school for children with autism and has traveled across the world presenting on exercise for individuals with autism.
Wade Rankin
Wade Rankin is the father of three, the youngest of whom was diagnosed on the autism spectrum. After many years as an attorney in New Orleans, Wade moved to Chicago and into the field of casualty claims management so that he and his wife could better access the treatments and services their son needs. He is the author of what he describes as his “on-again/off-again blog,” Injecting Sense. Currently, Wade is the host of a monthly show on AutismOne Radio, also called Injecting Sense.
Mark Blaxill
Mark Blaxill is the father of a daughter diagnosed with autism, Chairman and co-founder of the Canary Party, editor at large for Age of Autism, a director of SafeMinds and a frequent speaker at autism conferences. He has authored a number of scientific publications on autism. He received a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public/International Affairs at Princeton University and an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School. He co-authored a book with Dan Olmsted, The Age of Autism: Mercury, Medicine and a Man-made Epidemic (Thomas Dunne, 2010).
