Laurence A. Becker, Ph.D.
Laurence A. Becker, Ph.D. Union Institute (1980). BA (with honors) and MA, University of Texas-Austin. Instructor, Schreiner Institute, Kerrville, Texas. Chairman of the English Department at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School. Austin. Producer, WITH EYES WIDE OPEN: Richard Wawro, Savant Artist with Autism. The film received 3 International and 4 National awards.
Becker travels widely as a workshop leader and consultant. In September 2001, he was the keynote speaker at the Texas State Autism Conference. He has served on the boards of The Austin Waldorf School, Very Special Arts, Texas, and American YouthWorks and on the advisory board of Down Home Ranch, a residential center for Down syndrome children and adults in Elgin,Texas. He currently serves on the advisory board of the Inside Outside School near Austin, and Strokes of Genius in NYC.
Co-author with Dr. Frederick B. Tuttle, Jr. two books published by the National Education Association on gifted education. His work with savants is included in ISLANDS OF GENIUS, by Dr. Darold A.Treffert and in THE PRODIGY’S COUSIN by Joanne Ruthsatz and Kimberly Stephens. His article, “Autism and Nutrition” was included in the 2006 THE OFFICIAL AUTISM 101 MANUAL, by Autism Today. “Gifts Along the Whole Spectrum: The Portrayal of Disability in Film” was his featured article in the July 2006, KALEIDOSCOPE Magazine on Arts and Disability. For an entire year, 2009, he, along with fourteen other authors, wrote an article each month for the Autism at Home Series. His topic was “WHAT’S OLD, WHAT’S NEW: BOOKS AND FILMS WORTH KNOWING.”
Dr. Becker produced his second documentary film, FIERCE LOVE and ART, featuring 7 savant artists, savant musician Tony DeBlois, author/minister Ron Sandison, all with autism, and their parents, who used art to bring their children home “from solitary confinement on Autism Island” and to nurture their intelligence, creativity, and wisdom to share with the world. The film featuring Dr. Temple Grandin, narrator, is now available. Dr. Darold A. Treffert, the world’s leading authority on savants, makes comments throughout the film.
For most of his life Becker has been an active tournament tennis player and coach. For the past several years he has focused more of his energies and time on the study of the nutritional needs of persons with autism. In 2009, after having both hips replaced at the same time, he began riding in charity bicycle rides, the Hill Country Ride for AIDS, the Autism Ride, the Rosedale Ride, and the Atlas Ride. He and Rosanne, his wife of 60 years (2020) are the parents of three grown children and one grandchild.
