About Me
Early Years
Daniel Lenois grew up in the crop-laden fields of Ellington, CT, where he initially entered into the public school system at the Elementary grade level. However, people with disabilities were not held in high regard in the early 2000s. As a child with Asperger's Syndrome, now commonly referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Daniel experienced much difficulty in integrating himself into an otherwise almost-exclusively neurotypical school setting. The elementary school principal's corresponding attitude, that, despite medical documentation, Daniel's symptoms were merely social and behavioral issues, and thereby should exclusively be treated as such, created a hostile learning environment teeming with fear, distrust, and abuses of power. Harsh measures were quickly implemented in an attempt to recondition Daniel into a more neurotypical child. The school's abuses were systematically documented, and consequentially, Daniel was almost immediately pulled out of the public school system.
A Force for Change
Throughout his adolescent years, Daniel worked with various local and state-level organizations and government representatives, with the goal of furthering not just autism awareness, but also autistic acceptance. Daniel formed a close association with the Focus Center for Autism, a direct care facility specializing in working with autistic children and teens between the ages of 5-18. Daniel would eventually find not just confidence, but also purpose, in his proactive role as an advocate. Daniel would go on to appear on dozens of public panels at high schools, colleges, universities, and government facilities, dispelling common misconceptions and stereotypes, answering audience member questions, and giving an honest perspective on what life on the autism spectrum is truly like. Daniel's proudest achievement during this time was a public panel hosted at the University of Rhode Island, attended by over 500 audience members.
Daniel would go on to formally step away from activism in 2016, to pursue his own educational goals.
Reaching for New Heights
At Age 19, Daniel undertook the General Educational Development exams, passing on the first try, attaining his General Equivalency Diploma. He then pursued an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice on a part-time basis at Tunxis Community College for over five years, paying for classes out-of-pocket as he went, before ultimately transferring to Central Connecticut State University in 2021 for a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, with one minor in Writing & Publishing, and a second in Cinema Studies.
It was while at CCSU that Daniel found his true calling in literature and education. Thriving for the first time in an educational system which enabled and encouraged him to put his best foot forward, Daniel seized every opportunity to learn and grow, and where none existed, created more opportunities on his own. Daniel ran and won a seat as Senator in CCSU's Student Government Association, holding the office for one term. Daniel made the decision not to run for re-election, in favor of founding CCSU's first-ever Creative Writing Club, working with campus administration and the SGA to secure necessary founding and resources needed in order to enable literary citizenship and fuel the creative arts. Daniel was confirmed as President of the Creative Writing Club in 2022, and went on to oversee the organization's needs until stepping down in 2023 to pursue his own literary ambitions. Daniel graduated from Central Connecticut State University in December 2024.
Looking to the Future
Daniel now actively pursues his goal of becoming the very teacher he wishes he had from a young age. Daniel is currently enrolled at the University of Connecticut, pursuing an accelerated Masters of Arts in Curriculum & Instruction.
He is currently expected to graduate in May 2025.
