Autism As They Grow

Amalia Starr and Bobbi Sheahan

Guest:

Margret Ericsdottir

BIO: President & CEO of the Golden Hat Foundation, founder of Frontier Filmworks, co-author of The Golden Hat: Talking Back to Autism, advocate for individuals with autism and mother of a 14-year-old boy with nonverbal autism, Margret D. Ericsdottir embodies the definition of grit.

Earlier in life, Margret enjoyed a very successful career and held various executive positions in Icelandic companies, however in 1997 Margret's youngest son Keli was born and soon was diagnosed with severe autism. Margret was prompted to shift her focus from career-related pursuits to caring for Keli. Her determination to help Keli and other families with children with autism led her to make a documentary film about autism.  A Mother’s Courage: Talking Back to Autism follows her remarkable journey, in which she talks with world renowned experts and explores various interventions.  When the time came for the film to be narrated in English, Kate Winslet stepped forward to help, which was the start of a relationship that would lead to the creation of the Golden Hat Foundation.

Currently Margret is the President and CEO of the Golden Hat Foundation where she has devoted her time to creating awareness about the intellectual capabilities of those with autism.

 Margret will talk about the newly released book, The Golden Hat:Talking back to Autism, along with how the Golden Hat Foundation came about and the short and long-term goals of the foundation. She would also like to discuss ways that people can get involved with the Golden Hat Foundation to make a difference in the lives of those with autism.