John Hall Author of “Am I Still Autistic? How a Low Functioning, Slightly Retarded Toddler Became CEO of a Multi-Million Dollar National Corporation

I was recently introduced to this book by my friend Devon Blaine of the Blaine Group, a PR Firm in Beverly Hills, CA and the title immediately caught my attention.

John Hall was diagnosed severely Autistic and mildly mentally retarded and had become the CEO of a very successful company?!

I believe I thought as many would, that he must have been misdiagnosed, but I had to read the book. This was no mistake or joke. John was severely impaired for many years and through the help of Dr. O. Ivar Lovaas of the Lovass Institute and the dogged determination of his mother, John was able to get the treatments and training he needed to be able to cope with the world.

The story does not end here, however as John’s son has been diagnosed with severe Autism and John can now tell the story from both sides.

John’s story is compelling, honest and surprising. The book is well written and I believe it is a must read for parents of children that have been diagnosed. – JW

Am I Still Autistic, The Book?

Autism does not have to be a life sentence. John Hall knows. As a toddler, he lived in his own private world, flipping light switches, flushing toilets, banging pans, avoiding eye contact, and babbling unintelligibly.

Today, he is CEO and co-owner of a national communications firm based in Southern California, where he lives with his wife and two children. Defying his initial “slightly retarded, low-functioning autistic” diagnosis, he pushed his way through elementary and high school, put himself through college, earned an MBA, and is sitting for a doctorate!

His confusing, frustrating, often heart-wrenching, sometimes comical journey from disabled to triumphant will inspire every teacher, therapist, parent, and family member who lives with, loves, or works with a special-needs child. Am I Still Autistic? offers a unique inside perspective on life in the special, secluded world of autism, and how love, support, and persistence can help make even the most unlikely candidate for success turn their life around.

John HalL

John Robert Hall III was born in Santa Monica, California on March 5, 1975.

At about 2 years of age, John was diagnosed as severely autistic and slightly mentally retarded. He spent most of his early childhood years in an intensive therapeutic program known as Cheerful Helpers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

By the age of 6, John had shown significant progress and was mainstreamed in a regular first grade classroom with special education support services.

Despite his progress, John struggled through elementary school to catch-up with his peers, make friends, and better relate to the world he was living in. While he persisted and continued to make dramatic progress throughout elementary and junior high school, it was not until his junior year in high school until John felt he was somewhat “normal.” John went on to complete high school and embarked into adulthood.

John worked full-time through college and by the age of 20 was a Director of Sales & Marketing for a prominent call center firm.

John Hall with His Family

In 1997, John co-founded Greenwood & Hall to provide direct response and emerging e-commerce companies with integrated telemarketing, customer care, payment processing, and product fulfillment solutions.

Greenwood & Hall is now recognized as a leading provider of customer relationship management solutions to a variety of sectors. Most specifically, Greenwood & Hall has emerged as a leading provider of end-to-end solutions to post secondary institutions. Greenwood & Hall’s solutions support the student lifestyle including new student recruitment, retention, financial aid administration/advising, and student services.

At Greenwood & Hall, John oversees business development, corporate strategy and development, new product development, higher education consulting, and the Company’s Enrollment Management Operations. John also manages projects of national interest for Greenwood & Hall.

These projects have included the dedication of the National World War II Memorial, the dedication of the Marine Corps. Museum, White House Conference on Aging, the United States Department of Defense Freedom Walk events, the “Shelter From The Storm” multi-network telethon for victims of Hurricane Katrina, and most recentlyHope For Haiti Now, American Idol Give Back, and Stand Up To Cancer.

John volunteers his time as a mentor for college-ready high school students at Roybal Learning Center, an urban high school in Downtown Los Angeles. He serves on the Board of Directors of Mapping Your Future, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that improves access to post-secondary education as well as financial advocacy.

John received his B.A. in Political Science and his Masters Degree in Business Administration (M.B.A.) from Pepperdine University. John is currently completing his Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.) from the University of Southern California.

John currently resides in Irvine, California and has two children, John IV (J.R.), age 5 and Lia, age 3. His son, J.R. was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and neurological disorders.

John can be reached by email at jhall@amiautistic.com.

Am I Still Autistic Website