Sharisa Joy Kochmeister

Sharisa Joy Kochmeister is an author, songwriter, noted disability expert, guest lecturer and keynote speaker. ''As a child Sharisa Kochmeister had no way of communicating and was regarded as profoundly mentally retarded. Her disabilities include autism and cerebral palsy. It did not seem likely that she would ever tell the world what she saw or how she felt. Today, however, she speaks eloquently on behalf of people who have a voice but cannot be heard. Many awards have come her way, but she says her greatest satisfaction comes from knowing she has helped others be included and be more independent.''

Excerpts from Shattering Walls

The Continuing Realization of a Dream Too Many Would Choose to Have Deferred Or When the Walls Finally Crumble

FC (Facilitated Communication) And Me

From PeakParent .org: As a child Sharisa Kochmeister had no way of communicating and was regarded as profoundly mentally retarded. Her disabilities include autism and cerebral palsy. It did not seem likely that she would ever tell the world what she saw or how she felt. Today, however, she speaks eloquently on behalf of people who have a voice but cannot be heard. Many awards have come her way, but she says her greatest satisfaction comes from knowing she has helped others be included and be more independent.

Sharisa was placed in special schools until the age of fifteen, in classes with students who had the most severe physical and mental disabilities. In her own words, "I had no real friends, no real sense of identity, and no real life." When she was a teenager she learned to type with assistance. This enabled her to reach out to others and communicate. She began using facilitated communication, needing support first at the hand, then the wrist, the elbow, the shoulder, and eventually typing completely on her own.

Sharisa entered high school when she was sixteen and finished grades 9-12 in only three years. She graduated with honors, and went to the local community college as an honors student, before entering the University of Denver. Currently, she is a junior at DU and loves it there. "I feel totally accepted and welcome," she says. Sharisa is studying cognitive neuroscience and is working on a minor in English.

She now types independently on computer keyboards, laptops, and such augmentative devices as the "Lightwriter" and the "Pathfinder." She has written poems, essays, and speeches, as well as published an interview with a Russian exchange student and teacher. Sharisa has authored a fairy-tale called, "The Wicked Witch Autisma," which she hopes will explain autism to young children.

Music is an essential part of her life. She has written and co-written songs that have been performed in concert by the Hudson Valley Philharmonic Orchestra and at the Chatauqua Institute. She is also actively involved as a human rights advocate. She believes in setting a personal example for others and in helping individuals with disabilities advocate for themselves.

The most important issue for Sharisa is getting her bachelor's degree. She also plans to continue her education and get her Masters' and Doctoral degrees. She wants to work on systems change issues such as the refusal of services for people with developmental disabilities on grounds that their cognitive abilities may be too high to be considered developmentally disabled even though their adaptive and daily living skills are hampered significantly.

Sharisa advises families that have children with disabilities to do anything and everything they can for their children and to ALWAYS treat them as people, not just people with disabilities. "Love them with all your heart because that’s what children with and without disabilities need the most!" She advises families whose children have autism and do not have spoken language to try every way possible to find a means of communication for them. "Do whatever it takes," she concludes. Sharisa speaks eloquently because she speaks from the heart, and she expresses those values that all of us understand.