Welcome to the Autism, ADHD podcast. I am so happy that you join me today. I want to take a moment and ask for your help. Please take just a second and give the podcast a five-star review. This will help me continue the podcast and keep bringing you helpful

information. Thanks so much again for taking the time to give that five-star review. Now let's get

started. Welcome Anthony Iani to the podcast. Thank you, Holly. It's great to be here. I'm so excited you're

with us today. So I am going to introduce you to my audience really quick. So Anthony is one of the

most sought after motivational speakers and autism advocates in the U.S.

He has won numerous athletic awards, actually so many that we can't even list them today,

including the Tim Bograkis Walk On Award.

In addition to athletic awards, Anthony received awards as an autism advocate,

including being named to the CBS News

National List of Inspiring People on the Autism Spectrum. So I'm thrilled that you're here

telling us about your story. And it's inspiring and it's full of motivation and really struggle.

And I think people appreciate hearing these stories from the beginning of when you are on your

journey to where you are now.

And that has a lot to do with unfortunately bullying and really going at life in kind of a different way. So why don't we start

at the very beginning for you? Is that work? Absolutely. Let's do it. All right. So for me,

let's rewind in 1993. That's when I was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder or PDD NOS for short, which is on the

autism spectrum. And that was a time period of Holly where nobody really knew what autism was.

There was obviously no awareness for it, no path or guidance or even resources at that time for

families and individuals who were affected by autism at that time. And the mid-90s was more of

the ADD, ADHD era for diagnoses.

So my diagnosis being on the spectrum was very rare during that time period.

And then a year later, when I was five years old, a group of doctors and professionals

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