I have been employed by several families since I was 18 years old. My personal experience began essentially when I was diagnosed with autism at 4 years old, however my practical involvement as an advocate for people with autism started in my early teens when I did extensive seminars and educational and parent groups. Most of my employment was in Ontario. I moved to Alberta in 2009. I started mentoring youth when I was 17 years old. I deal exclusively with male clients, partly because , in my experience, the majority of professional assistant are female and I believe the relationship with the client is very important and I want to provide a male role model to adolescent youth and teens. The kind of work I do depends heavily on the needs of the client and family. The interaction and program is negotiated with the family. To give a few examples… I participate in physical recreation activities such as swimming, outdoor activities, interactional play, motivational dialogues, providing information and resources to the family and client. As I mentioned, it is highly individual based on the needs and preferences of the client and family.