We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Colleen R. Ott. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Colleen R. below.
Colleen R., we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Years of being under diagnosed, and having to find my own way to either keep up with my peers or to keep with the projects that I am currently working on. I have also been known to learn from others and go the extra mile with everything that I do especially if for The Autistic Art Coalition of Philadelphia, since I am the Autistic Founder.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
AACOPhilly Bold Journey -Interview
Found in my [email protected]
1). Question: Spreading the word about you and/or your brand
The next part of the interview is where we’d love to learn more about you, your story and what you are focused on professionally – whether it’s a business, nonprofit, artistic career etc.
Please tell our readers about what you do, what you feel is most exciting or special about it, as well as anything else you’d like folks to know about your brand/art/etc. If relevant, please also tell our readers about anything new (events, product/service launches, expansion, etc).
ABOUT ME: I am a 46 year old female, who has had over 30 jobs at the age of 35, received a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. It is typical for an under diagnosed person to struggle with not having the proper supports, but I was raised in a different generation than today. I am an “Autie,” it is another way of saying Autistic more so used in UK (United Kingdom). I was born, and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the Busteleton/Somerton section of Philadelphia. Who is a Professional Photographer as well as an individual who is a life long artist. Graduated from a Commercial Arts School with the Best of Portfoilo Award on Friday, December 14th, 2001.
CITY YEAR PHILADELPHIA’s an AmeriCorps Program’s Founding Corps in 1997-1998. I served with Mural Arts Philadelphia Monday-Friday, and every other Saturday with Habitat For Humanity on Stiles Street in West Philadelphia. I was a fellow Corps Member with today’s Council President Kenyatta Johnson.
On Televised Show “This is My BRAVE.” -To help break down the stigma that revolves around mental health – I am an individual who has Anxiety, and is treated for it today. Most ASD individuals who had been under-diagnosed have ended up within the Mental Health System. There is a quote that was in this video that came back to me during the pandemic. “Neurodiversity is the Key to getting Along with ALL Walks of Life.” Was watched on Zoom a lot around the country & world. With Neurodiversity to accept a persons neuo-type is to accept them. It is only when an individual puts an, “ ist “ in its place that is the second thought that comes next like rac’ist. I was taught not to hate, therefore I do not. There is only dislikes, and that is left for sensory differences textures of fabric and maybe foods like mushrooms and other. https://youtu.be/qpe0gvHxagM?feature=shared
I was a store owner of my “SoULed Creations,” Photography & Handmade items in Lancaster City, Pennsylvania’s BUiLDiNG CHRACTER 342 Rear & 346 N Queen St, Warehouses A, B & C, it was a Co-Op Shoppe in Lancaster, PA, United States, Pennsylvania – my store was closed because I wanted to focus more on The Autistic Art Coalition of Philadelphia.
I am a CAPS (Community Autism Peer Specialist) I graduated on Friday, June 13th, 2022. A CAPS (Community Autism Peer Specialist) is a job that is community-based behavioral health service for individuals on the Autism Spectrum from youth, young adult & adults. Participants in the program receive services from a CAPS professional who is also on the Spectrum and has received state-approved CAPS training. Who provides peer support using their own lived experiences in navigating life as an individual on the Spectrum as well as their knowledge of wellness tools to provide guidance, mentoring, and support services to their peer in achieving their chosen goals in areas like living, learning, working and socializing. A CAPS offers unique support through the connection, empathy, and understanding of a shared experience living on the Spectrum. They offer encouragement, information, and are a safe and trusted person that helps their peer create and achieve their own plans for a wellbeing.
I am also a Retired EMT & The Autistic Founder & CEO of The Autistic Art Coalition of Philadelphia.
THE NON-PROFIT: The Autistic Art Coalition of Philadelphia started on the heels of the second pandemic of the United States (first being 1918) (1) because everyone was at the table – Remember when we were all on Zoom. Yes, new faces in the class room and other has always been there; until the pandemic no one knew who we were as Autistic, Neurodivergent &/or Intellectual disABILITY individuals. (2) I received the word that there was an individual who was being bullied for being Autistic. In true Philadelphia style I said, “Oh, hell No” – By June 2nd, 2022 – the first Color Flyers were given out at the Neurodiversity Employment Network Quarterly meeting on Thursday, June 2nd, 2022 at 9:00AM at Lincoln Financial Field. By this time I was not hired as a CAPS yet so I took all of my lived experiences and created the Autistic Art Coalition of Philadelphia’s Grassroots Group of Artist who came together in the name of Art & Design as well as Hope & Understanding. A few things happened this year lots of stepping out of my comfort zones conferences in a row, and throughout the year, Neurodiversity Employment Network, Disability Pride PA., Disability Summit, Meeting in the Park & Zoom, The 40th Anniversary of Speaking for Ourselves Conference, Philadelphia Autism Project, ASERT, A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, & then the meeting with State Representive Joseph C. Hohenstein and his Office Manager who also invited Barbara Baur of the Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Tacony LAB Community Arts Center to meet at the Athenian Diner – I invited fellow CAPS, Artists David A. Karasow. Which then developed our first location. Inside of the Tacony LAB Community Arts Center. The rest is history, we have been meeting inside of the Tacony LAB Community Arts Center ever since November 15th, 2022. Ironically the next year to the date after our first flyer went out, in 2023 on June 2nd we had our first Art Exhibition inside of The Tacony LAB Community Arts Center which was hosted by Mural Arts Philadelphia, The Tacony CDC, City Councilmember Mike Driscoll, & The Tacony LAB Community Arts Center.
Our Second Art Exhibition was held inside of the Roberts Center For Pediatric Research, which was hosted by Sensory Friendly Cities Inc., which was the organization which was given permission to have the show inside of The Robert’s Center – which is the home of CHOPS Center for Autism Research. This show came about orginally because on Thursday, September 14th, 2023 The Arc & Disability Summit held a summit inside of the Howard Gittis Student Center of Temple University, and I came into the main area which was a sensory-friendly lit room noticed someone who I knew from behind, but unsure mentioned a name and it was the individual. Cait Russell who was the Executive Director of Neurodiversity Employment Network at that time. We had a conversation about the AACOPhilly and how it was getting along with the next show. I mentioned our snag on why we could not at that time. Cait mentioned that she had a non-profit on the side that could help us. Then we had the first meeting at CHOP in the Robert’s Center some time after I came with my (2) Support Workers, Cait was at the table Suzanne M. Reimer from CHOP/CAR, and Emily LaSasso who worked with Suzanne. At the end of that meeting is was mentioned that the Family Coordinator was to be added to this team of individuals, then later down the line another individual was added to the cue of people from CHOP.
We are now up to our fifth show coming this Winter 2025, we’ve also had two Silent Auctions this year, after our lawyer informed us that we are now a non-profit. I was able to be the Autistic Founder and that was huge. It is important I have been told by acquaintances from the UK (United Kingdom) and other parts of the globe to make sure that I utilize the work Autistic before Founder because it is apart of our history as Auties. It is important to also mention from genX, but I leave that out – because then that is when some individual from GenX get the bright idea to tell another that they are not Autistic a form of bullying. I do not listen to that, I take all of the negatives and turn them into positives as an CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of The Autistic Art Coalition of Philadelphia.
The AACOPhilly has two locations today. The second location is located in Chinatown’s section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania inside of Liberty Resources is the Center for Independent Living in Philadelphia, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties, which advocates for and works with Persons with Disabilities to ensure their Civil Rights and equal access to ALL aspects of life in the community. I am a consumer of Liberty Resources Inc., since 2020 before the country shut down in March on the 15th of 2020.
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FIRST LOCATION: The Autistic Art Coalition of Philadelphia has been meeting inside of The Tacony LAB Community Arts Center 6918 Torresdale Avenue, Philadelphia PA. 19135, since Tuesday, November 15th, 2023. On a biweekly basis on Tuesdays, and we have kept it that way to this day. Our Next FREE Meeting/Group is “The Second Neurospicey Literary Magazine,” which is gives an individual no matter if Autistic, Neurodivergent &/or Intellectual disABILITY individuals who would like to get their art, poetry, writing about theater/dance, submit your photography, writing about a character – weather it is a character you made up, an animation, or storyline for an animation, do you write/drawl comics, or other. For more information on future classes times & dates place feel free to reach out to the General E-Mail Box of The AACOPhilly is [email protected].
Typically the First Biweekly Group/Meeting is “Open Studio,” where artists can come and bring what they are working on from home or if they are not working on anything from home. We can set them up with supplies while in the space which was provided for us as the Resident Group within the Tacony LAB Community Arts Center. Our Second Biweekly Group/Meeting is Community Celebrity Teacher comes out to teach, and on December 17th we will be bringing out a Program Manager from Mural Arts of The Tacony LAB Location to teach who is an impeccable Jewelry Maker and Teacher from The Tyler School of Art and Architecture.
SECOND LOCATION: The Autistic Art Coalition of Philadelphia has been meeting inside of Liberty Resources, Inc., 112 N. 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA. 19107, since July 1st, 2024, the First Day of Disability Pride Month. Which was the same day of the ADAPT Flag being raised at City Hall in the City of Philadelphia, PA. Which was founded by Vicki Landers.
We have been Meeting on Every Thursday since then from 1:00PM to 2:30PM for the exceptions of Holiday’s and for more information on future classes times & dates place feel free to reach out to Mary Beth Morgan at [email protected].
THIRD LOCATION: Working on an East Falls, Location.
Be sure to utilize out Eventbrite for more information too, and www.AACOPhilly.org
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
So I guess the Qualities would be trusting myself, and others. Teamwork & Patience. Meeting People where they are, & Listen to each other. Plus, being the group that never forgets that “Neurodiversity is the Key to Getting Along with ALL Walks of Life,” too. Which is why people nominate people, places & never things to obtain the “Neurodiversity & Neuroinclusion Award.” To find more information on the award please go to www.AACOPhilly.org and tell us why you think someone or someplace deserves this award.
What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these… Accept one another & Listen to one another. But don’t forget to Let people know where you are at, if you need help no matter how YOU communicate.
If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
Yes, I am waiting to hear back from The Achieva Family Trust – Program on a Grant on Funding for a piece of equipment that would go on my glasses to help me live more independently with my disability/diagnosis. Which is called ORCAM MYEYE 3 PRO for visually impaired or who have reading challenges. I am waiting patiently to find out. It would mean the world to me if I could read a book from start to finish, and understand at the same time.
Thank Goodness for my support worker who has helped me to fill out the application I am grateful. I hope she is doing well in her new job.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.AACOPhilly.org
- Instagram: @AACOPhilly.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AACOPhilly
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-r-ott-65b88446
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/qpe0gvHxagM?feature=shared
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/colleen-r-ott
Image Credits
Colleen R. Ott I am the Photographer of all of the Images on the previous screen. I am a Professional
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
