Probably not. Despite having worked in the media for four decades, I’m almost never the Jeff Johnson people are asking about when they begin the question, “Are you the Jeff Johnson who … ?”
No, I’m the autistic Jeff Johnson, a writer, speaker and advocate who works on behalf of people, like me, with invisible disabilities.
Specifically, I’m the Jeff Johnson who shares the challenges he’s faced as a physically disabled, cancer surviving, adult-diagnosed Autistic – along with his “unique” perspective on life – to provide encouragement, motivation and an excuse to laugh, online and in person … (and to oddly begin writing about himself in the third person, at random times, for no apparent reason).
I’ve been blessed to endure an inordinate amount of tragedy in my life, from breaking my back (and being told, mistakenly, that I would never walk again) to surviving throat cancer.
(Yes, I totally get the irony of a guy who makes a living with his voice getting throat cancer. No, I’ve never been a smoker, or used any tobacco products, my throat cancer was actually the result of a preventable virus, so get your vaccinations! But, I digress.)
The fact is, I’m probably the only person you know who gets frequent flyer miles from the Emergency Room!
But wait … there’s more!
Throughout my school years, I was bullied. I don’t mean “picked on” or “teased a little bit.” I mean mercilessly tortured and even physically attacked for being different. No matter how hard I tried, I never understood why my classmates saw things so much differently than I did … or why a few of them felt the need to punish me for those differences.
Then, just a few years ago, I was diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Condition commonly called Asperger’s Syndrome. All these years when I thought I was “broken,” my brain was actually just, literally, wired differently. Basically, while you’ve been running the Windows operating system (typical human neurology) on your Windows PC (brain), I’ve been running the same operating system on a Mac (my “Aspie” brain).
This does work and it does get the job done, but not in the same ways. Sometimes it requires a lot more effort on my part. Does that make life more challenging? Absolutely. Would I go back and change it if I could? This might surprise you: Not a chance!
Even though I’ve been through a lot, I’ve survived it all and even thrived through much of it. There’s nothing special about me, but I have discovered a process for dealing with adversity that – if it works for me – could very well work for you, too!
I call this process: Overcomeability ™ … and I’d love to share it with your company, organization, group, or school.
The autistic Jeff …
Jeff Johnson shares the challenges he’s faced as a physically disabled, cancer surviving, adult-diagnosed Autistic – along with his unique perspective on life – to provide encouragement, motivation, and an alternative way of responding to the seemingly endless stream of negativity in today’s world.
Opening himself up to audiences in a way that makes people laugh and earns their trust, Jeff uses self-deprecating humor, musical comedy, and his amazing ability as a storyteller to entertain and inspire.
Jeff has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, on Fox News Channel and by hundreds of other media outlets. He’s spoken to thousands of people around the country, including speaking to an audience of more than 10,000 on the National Capital Mall in Washington, D.C.
Click around the site to learn more or Get In Touch with questions or booking requests.