BROOKLINE
By Laura Lovett
For Vanda Marie Khadem, founder of Autism Higher Education Foundation, music is an emotional outlet.
Growing up she was too impatient to learn to read music, so she taught herself by ear. As an adult she composed. She is now a family lawyer but has kept up with music, something she had imagined she’d pass along to her daughter Sarah. When her daughter was diagnosed with autism at age 3, that dream did not change.
In fact, Sarah’s journey into music inspired Khadem to establish the Autism Higher Education Foundation, an organization devoted to providing educational and vocational opportunities to people with autism.
Sarah was 6 when Khadem signed her up for piano lessons. Shortly after beginning, the teacher said Sarah couldn’t sit still and lessons wouldn’t work. Read More…
