Sue Rubin, Independen Typer

Sue Rubin is a 34 year-old woman with autism who was considered mentally retarded as a child. At the age of thirteen, Sue learned to express herself through the use of a computer keyboard. Facilitated Communication / supported typing revealed that Sue was in fact highly intelligent.

Sue went on to study history, specializing in Latin American History, at Whittier College, graduating in the Spring of 2013. Today, she writes speeches and travels around the world to makes presentations about her life with autism.

Sue describes herself this way on the Whittier College blog, Southern Labyrinths:
"I am a fun, kind-hearted person easily misunderstood by my weird behaviors such as talking out of turn and staring into space. I enjoy socializing and meeting new people however social situations are not always easy for me."
 
 

Sue Rubin – Typer, Movie Star

Sue was the subject of Autism Is a World, a 2004 Academy Award nominated short subject documentary film directed by Gerardine Wurzburg and co-produced by the CNN cable network. What amazes many viewers of the film is that it was written by Sue.

Autism is a World is a rare and compelling voyage into Sue Rubin’s mind, her daily world, and her struggle with autism. In this extraordinary film, she guides the audience through all that is special, and unusual, about her life, providing an unflinching look at the world of autism.

Director Wurzburg has called Sue “the Helen Keller of her generation.” Her dialogue is narrated by actress Julianna Margulies (ER, Good Wife).

In this video clip from Autism Is a World, we see Sue using Facilitated Communication in a real world environment… a race track. By the way, she won!

 
For more about Sue Rubin, read Autism Is a World – Short Documentary Demonstrates the Power of Facilitated Communication, where you can watch the opening scenes of the CNN documentary.