The Founders

Kim Covell

Kim is the mother of three sons, one with autism. An editor with The Press News Group, her background includes working as a freelance photographer and writer for various publications. Soon after her son’s diagnosis, Kim became actively involved in raising awareness of autism. She founded the Flying Point 10K for Autism Awareness, and has been a supporter of the Cody Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities at Stony Brook University. She is on the board of directors of the Long Island Community of Practice, and is a former member of the Long Island Advisory Board for Best Buddies. Most recently, she founded the Flying Point Foundation for Autism, whose mission is to enrich the lives of children with autism through opportunity and understanding.

“These works inspired by autism deserve a showcase. My own son was moved to write a poem about his younger brother who has autism, and reading it drove home, for me, the power of creative expression as a means to communicate complicated emotions. Our hope is that aweinautism.org will be a forum for positive thinking and an outlet for those impacted by autism.” -Kim

Deborah French

Deborah is the creative director for publications & new media at Zimmerman/Edelson Pubic Relations & Marketing in Great Neck, NY. As a communications professional in public relations for 15 years, she has provided strategic guidance and developed materials for clients in the corporate, education and government sectors. Recently, she has been instrumental in the company’s efforts to execute a comprehensive plan for new media. Prior to her work in public relations, Deborah taught English at New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury, NY. She holds a Master of Arts in English and Comparative Literature, and has been pursuing her Ph.D. in media psychology at Fielding Graduate University for the past four years. Deborah has served as a volunteer for the Cody Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities at Stony Brook University. She enjoys writing songs, and has performed as a vocalist in various locations across the country. She is the proud mom of three young men, and recently became a grandmother. 

“The field of media psychology emphasizes a positive psychological approach to challenges … an approach that focuses less on the question, ‘What’s wrong, and how do we fix it?’ than ‘What’s right and good, and how do we encourage it?’ I think that’s what aweinautism.org is really all about.” -Deborah

Click here to read about the Awe in Autism Project and see our feature music video.