Donna Williams
Australian writer (1963–2017) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Donna Williams (author)?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Donna Leanne Williams, also known by her married name Donna Leanne Samuel and as Polly Samuel (born Donna Keene; 12 October 1963 – 22 April 2017[1]), was an Australian writer, artist, singer-songwriter, screenwriter, and sculptor.
Donna Williams | |
---|---|
Born | Donna Keene (1963-10-12)12 October 1963 Melbourne, Australia |
Died | 22 April 2017(2017-04-22) (aged 53) Ringwood East, Victoria, Australia |
Occupation | Writer |
Period | 1992–2017 |
Genre |
|
Literary movement | Autism rights |
Notable works | |
Spouse |
|
Website | |
www |
In 1965, aged two, Williams was assessed as "psychotic".[2][3] During the rest of her childhood, she was tested multiple times for deafness and labelled as "disturbed".[2][3] In 1991, she was diagnosed as autistic and also underwent treatment for gut, immune system and sensory perceptual disorders. She wrote four memoirs: Nobody Nowhere: The Extraordinary Autobiography of an Autistic Girl (1992), Somebody Somewhere: Breaking Free from the World of Autism (1994), Like Colour to the Blind: Soul Searching and Soul Finding (1998) and Everyday Heaven: Journeys Beyond the Stereotypes of Autism (2004) – and released two albums, Nobody Nowhere and Mutation. She was the subject of several TV documentaries during the '90s.
Williams wrote textbooks on the autism spectrum and was a qualified teacher, international public speaker and autism consultant.
Williams died of cancer in April 2017.[1]