In this webinar, Anthony Ianni, an anti-bullying motivational speaker, will share his story of living with autism. Bullied at a young age, Ianni was told autism would make it difficult for him to graduate high school and that he would most likely be unable to live alone as an adult. Instead, he graduated, earned a degree from Michigan State University and became the first known individual with autism to play NCAA Division I basketball. While in college, he was a member of two Big Ten championship basketball teams and played on the Spartans’ 2010 NCAA Final Four team.
Anthony is passionate about shedding light on the need for educators to prevent bullying and advocate for individuals with disabilities. “Bullying can affect everybody today, including people with Autism. A stat most people don’t know is that 65-90% of kids with Autism are the prime target for bullies. I myself was one of those victims when I was younger and it continued until I was a freshman in high school. After I heard this stat I knew I had to take action!” Hear Anthony’s story and advice on anti-bullying practices.
Learn how bullying impacts individuals on the autism spectrum
Gain information on how to build relationships, intervene and minimize trauma from bullying
Understand Anthony’s personal journey and use this information to shape future practices
Anthony Ianni, of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, is one of the most sought-after motivational speakers in the country. At the age of 4, Anthony was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), which is on the Autism Spectrum (ASD). Doctors and specialists told Anthony’s parents that he would barely graduate from high school, would never graduate from college, would never have a shot at being an athlete and would likely live in a group institution with other Autistic kids for his adult life.
Anthony graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in sociology in 2012 and was a winner of various awards during his time as a basketball player. He was a two-time Big Ten Champion, a Big Ten Tournament Champion, and a member of the 2010 Final Four team. He won the 2011 Tim Bograkos Walk On award and the 2012 Unsung Player award.
Michigan’s Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley asked Anthony to give the keynote address at an autism gala in Detroit hosted by the Autism Alliance of Michigan. He knew then that he wanted to be the person whose voice the autism community and others could look to and be inspired by. He worked for The Autism Alliance of Michigan as a motivational speaker for two years. In 2012 Anthony launched his own anti-bullying initiative called The Relentless Tour. He was also appointed and currently holds a seat on to the Governor’s Autism Council. In March of 2015, Anthony was hired by the Michigan Department of Civil Rights to continue his work as a motivational speaker in both autism awareness and the fight against bullying. Last year alone, Anthony went to over 200 schools across the state and the country and reached to almost 85,000 individuals.
As a speaker, Anthony has been nominated for and won a number of awards for his work. In 2013, he was a finalist for the Detroit Pistons Game Changer award and won the 2014 Epling Agent of Change Award. He was one of Autism Speaks’ “10 Individuals who Inspired in 2014,” and named to the CBS News national list of “Inspiring People on the Autism Spectrum.” He also received the 2015 BOOM Athlete of the Year Award and the 2016 Autism Support of West Shore “You Make a Difference” Award.
Registration may be cancelled up to 14 days prior to the event for a full refund. Cancellations received within 14 days of the event will not be refunded. No-show registrations will also not be refunded.