Lynda's Topics include:
Single Parent WorkshopsStaff DevelopmentStudent AssembliesA Person A Victory
Biography: Lynda Grace Monahan
Lynda is a person who is just as ordinary as anyone else. She was born and grew up in New York. She got married had her own business and then her son Christopher chose her as his mother. Her son helped her see the world in a beautiful way. He proved to her that when you are chosen to be a parent of a child with differences, you yourself are a very special person also. When she holds her conversation with her son, she wants to show everyone that it can be done. She never believed all of the stipulations that were believed of Children with different learning abilities.
She set out to prove Children are Children. They are very precious no matter what wrapping they come in. They all have some special unique quality that can be found. The most unique quality that they can give is love. When you base your relationship on that and that alone, you can change the predicted outcome.
She has spent the last 23 years learning about the world of Autism and learning what it isn't. She wants to share everything that she has had the fortune of learning from her greatest teacher of all, her son Christopher. Lynda has traveled around the country, and has motivated teachers, students, family, politicians, and children from New Jersey to Washington D.C. to Maine.
Program Title
Living with Autism
Chris' Topics include:
Disability AwarenessOvercoming AdversityCharacter EducationSelf-esteem EnhancementPolitical Grass Roots Advocacy
Biography: Christopher C. Gagliardi
As a young man, Christopher has seen more of history and more in his 23 years that he has been on the earth. He came into the world with a condition called Infintile Autism. His mother, Lynda, has and still has determination to see that her son can live in an normal environment. It is through the support of his friends that he has been able to function in society with a mental challenge. He has been involved politically as a result, fighting for the rights of the physically and mentally challenged.
He has been the first person with a physical or mental challenge to be elected to The Student Council Vice Presidency and Presidency at Ridgefield Memorial High School (His alma mater). In addition, he was also a 9x Bergen County Chorus Member, a 2x New Jersey Region Chorus Member and recently was involved with Summertime Players Guild of Bergen County in productions of "Aladdin" and "Carousel." Chris has also spoken from Washington D.C. in which he was involved in the first Summit for The Physically and Mentally Challenged, where he had the major honor of Introducing The Sec. Of Education Mr. Richard W. Riley to Speaking for The New Jersey Dept. Of Education, which he currently still works with, to a recent speaking engagement in South Portland, Maine to the Entire Maine Board of Education.
His greatest heroes in his life in which he feels that have influenced him are: Ronald Reagan, His mom Lynda Grace, Daisaku Ikeda, Peter Noonan, Michael DeOrio, His Friends in RMHS throughout his life and his Music Teachers, Thomas C. Voorhis and Belinda Aguia Campos.
In his spare time when he is not doing speaking, he sometimes works at Starbucks Coffee in Englewood as a Barista. In addition, he loves to be on the computer, typing, writing, cooking, etc. Anything you can think of, Chris likes to do.
His motto is a line from the book "The Human Revolution": "A great human revolution in just a single individual will achieve the change of the entire nation and further will help achieve the change of destiny for the entire human race." - Daisaku Ikeda
Mission | Speakers | Programs | Events | Scheduling | Links | Contact Us
Perspectives | Testimonials | Vision on Tour
