- Email:
- anassim@iu.edu
Adria Nassim is a research assistant at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community. Nassim was diagnosed with multiple disabilities at birth and during childhood including cerebral palsy, a learning disability and an autism spectrum disorder in her mid-teen years. As part of her role at the Institute, she writes for the Indiana Resource Center for Autism's monthly newsletter where she shares her personal experiences of life with autism. She also gives guest lectures to college students around the Indiana University campus in which she discusses autism from both a clinical as well as a personal perspective. She writes a quarterly column on autism and developmental disability for Bloomington's Bloom Magazine, which was previously published in The Herald-Times, Bloomington's city newspaper, every other week. When she is not working, she enjoys swimming, reading, and spending time with her service dog Thomas
Degrees
Nassim holds a bachelor of arts degree in English, Emphasis in Professional Writing, Spanish Minor Brescia University, Owensboro, Kentucky
Personal Statement
Since I was young, I have known I wanted to do something to help better the lives of children with disabilities and their families. Through sharing my personal experiences of growing up with multiple disabilities I hope to provide insight for audiences as to what living with disability can actually be like day to day.
Thomas the Service Dog
Thomas, otherwise known as "Mr. T." was matched with Adria in September 2021. He is a service dog trained through The Indiana Canine Assistants Network, (ICAN) a nonprofit service dog training organization based in Zionsville, IN. Thomas is trained to assist Adria with challenges relating to an autism spectrum disorder and cerebral palsy. He loves to help her through the day by picking up objects, retrieving items on cue, assisting with balance on stairs and other uneven surfaces, and helping her safely cross streets. Thomas is very excited to join Adria at work and begin his new role as an Institute staff member. When he is not on the clock, he enjoys "free sniffs" in the grass, chewing his Nylabone on the living room rug, and chasing his favorite squeaky ball with Adria.
Research Interests
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Learning Disabilities
- Abnormal Neurologic Development in Children and Adolescents
Awards and Honors
- Nominated to Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, 2010
- Received the Mayor’s Award from The City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility, 2016 for her work in The Herald-Times
- Featured in Bloomington’s Bloom Magazine twice for her work in The Herald-Times and for her efforts to make Bloomington more aware of the struggles and challenges facing individuals with autism and related disabilities
- Invited guest speaker, MENSA International Summer 2018 convention
- Asked to testify before Indiana State Senate regarding bills impacting young adults with disabilities, 2015