Join us for a hybrid author talk with Sam Farmer, a neurodiverse author whose later-in-life diagnosis with Autism was the impetus to write his first book "A Long Walk Down a Winding Road". Farmer’s first book, A Long Walk Down a Winding Road: Small Steps, Challenges, & Triumphs Through an Autistic Lens, as well as his other writing and public presentations, comprise what he calls his “paying it forward mission,” inspired by his deceased parents’ collective legacy. His mother as a social worker, his father as a doctor, and both of them as loving parents and as loyal friends, gave so much of themselves to others, including Farmer and his brothers. When his mother passed away, he could no longer pay her back for all she had done to help him move forward, so he decided instead to pay it forward to others who might benefit from his ideas and insights, and to do so in her memory. The paying it forward mission intensified after the passing of his father a year later, soon after which he began work on A Long Walk Down a Winding Road.

A Long Walk Down a Winding Road - From the unique perspective of someone on the autism spectrum comes a book about working to carve out a better life in the face of challenge and adversity. Interwoven with true stories of personal hardships and triumphs, A Long Walk Down a Winding Road offers ideas and insights aimed at inspiring and empowering the reader to enhance quality of life. It also exposes what it can feel like to be autistic, as told by somebody who actually walks in these shoes.

Sam Farmer is an information technology consultant, neurodiversity community self-advocate, writer/author, public speaker and adviser for Floreo, a company that leverages virtual reality technology in teaching life skills for neurodiverse individuals. Diagnosed later in life as autistic, he writes blogs and articles, records podcasts and presents at libraries, conferences and for corporations and autism community organizations, sharing stories and thoughts as to how one can achieve greater happiness and success in the face of challenge and adversity. A Long Walk Down a Winding Road - Small Steps, Challenges, & Triumphs Through an Autistic Lens is his first book. To learn more, visit www.samfarmerauthor.com.