Winner of the INAP Performing Arts Youth Award 2015

Me and my award

 Last year on the 4th October, I was the recipient of the 2015 International Naturally Autistic People "Performing Arts (Youth)" Award at the ANCA World Autism Festival Awards which was held in Vancouver, Canada.

This week I received my award from Canada.

I'm one of the New Zealand nominees for the INAP awards

It was such an honour for me and a very big congratulations to all the other nominees and award winners from last year.  It's a real celebration of the Autistic Community

Spot the New Zealand flag with the Australian flag

There were nominees from all over the world, so it was very cool that little o'l me from New Zealand was an award winner.  I'm very proud.

Me on the big screen

The awards were part of the 6th Annual ANCA World Autism Festival which was held over six days.

There was the opening ceremony, workshops, networking, performances and of course, the awards ceremony.

My acceptance speech on the big screen

I couldn't go to Canada, so I had to video my acceptance speech which was played on the big screen at the awards.

Me in the Naturally Autistic magazine

I was also included in an article titled "Cultural Diversity" by Charlie Collura, in the Fall 2015 issue of the Naturally Autistic magazine.

The award, itself, is pretty cool.  I really like the little Inukshuk guy, which in the Inuit language is the singular of inuksuit which means "in the likeness of a human".
Salem