A journalist's side of the autism conversation
With a reporter’s eye and an insider’s perspective, Eric Garcia shows what it’s like to be autistic across America.
Garcia began writing about autism because he was frustrated by the media’s coverage of it: the myths that the disorder is caused by vaccines, the narrow portrayals of autistic people as white men working in Silicon Valley. His own life as an autistic person didn’t look anything like that. He is Latino, a graduate of the University of North Carolina, and works as a journalist covering politics in Washington, DC. Garcia realized he needed to put into writing what so many autistic people have been saying for years—autism is a part of their identity, they don’t need to be fixed.
“This book is a message from autistic people to their parents, friends, teachers, coworkers and doctors showing what life is like on the spectrum. It’s also my love letter to autistic people. For too long, we have been forced to navigate a world where all the road signs are written in another language.”
Garcia began writing about autism because he was frustrated by the media’s coverage of it: the myths that the disorder is caused by vaccines, the narrow portrayals of autistic people as white men working in Silicon Valley. His own life as an autistic person didn’t look anything like that. He is Latino, a graduate of the University of North Carolina, and works as a journalist covering politics in Washington, DC. Garcia realized he needed to put into writing what so many autistic people have been saying for years—autism is a part of their identity, they don’t need to be fixed.
“This book is a message from autistic people to their parents, friends, teachers, coworkers and doctors showing what life is like on the spectrum. It’s also my love letter to autistic people. For too long, we have been forced to navigate a world where all the road signs are written in another language.”
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A Conversation with Eric Garcia with moderator Sean Barron Thursday, March 19, 2026 6 p.m. Tyler History Center 325 W. Federal St., Youngstown, OH |
Thank you to our sponsors
Autism Society of Mahoning Valley
Potential Development
Denise and John York and The DeBartolo Corporation
Potential Development
Denise and John York and The DeBartolo Corporation
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A portion of all proceeds from Youngstown Press Club events goes to the Youngstown Press Club Scholarship Fund.
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What would it look like if we actually tried to build a better world for autistic people? |
Eric Garcia is the Washington Bureau Chief and Senior Washington Correspondent at The Independent and the author of the book We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation. Exclusively represented by BrightSight Speakers, he is also a columnist for MSNBC. He previously worked as an assistant editor at the Washington Post’s Outlook section and an associate editor at The Hill, as well as a correspondent for National Journal, MarketWatch, and Roll Call. He has also written for the Daily Beast, the New Republic, and Salon.com. Garcia is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Sean Barron
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Sean Barron is a reporter and photographer at The Vindicator. He was diagnosed with classic autism in January 1967 at age 5 after having exhibited many of the signs of autism, most notably, a lack of social skills and being able to connect with others.
Sean published “There’s a Boy in Here,” a book about his life with autism, in 1992, which spurred his interest in writing. In 2000 he left his full-time position at an area nursing home and returned to Youngstown State University to pursue a journalism degree. He began working at The Vindicator as a copy editor and then became a reporter and photographer. In 2004 he co-wrote with Temple Grandin, a prominent animal scientist, author, inventor and autism advocate, a book titled "The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships: Decoding Social Mysteries Through the Unique Perspectives of Autism." |
Register to attend by March 16, 2026
Book pre-orders must be in by March 4, 2026
Please pre-register to attend this event.
This event is free and open to the public.
Questions or help with registering? Contact us at [email protected].
This event is free and open to the public.
Questions or help with registering? Contact us at [email protected].