Alexander Durig received a Ph.D. in the social psychology of perception from Indiana University in 1992, where he was awarded a National Institute of Mental Health post-doctoral fellowship and spent two years as a visiting professor. Alex then spent 5 years as a professor at California State University, San Marcos. His first book, Autism and the Crisis of Meaning, was published in 1996. He has published in numerous academic journals, and has co-authored an article in the Encyclopedia of Sociology. Alex speaks publicly to healthcare professionals, psychologists, sociologists, linguists, and families whose lives have been impacted by autism. Alex retired from full-time teaching in 1999, and now lives in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where he dedicates his time to research, writing, and public speaking.