Autism Lost Generations and Nuerodiversity

Leigha Cohen is a parent and grandparent who was born in 1950 in Brooklyn, NY.

Leigha Cohen “Ron Cohen” was born transgendered when that definition didn’t exist and was formally diagnosed in 1997. The same goes for her having Autism which she would finally get diagnosed in 2019.

Being a very visual person which would eventually lead her to explore photography in 1969 and then film making in 2010. She was very strong also in the sciences and mathematics and went back to school in 1980 to get a degree in Electrical Engineering.

She started doing black and white photography in college. Eventually in 1975 she was able to barter taking 6 MFA graduate courses in photography. Her equipment then was a Leica M2. Her thinking style is seen in her photography and compositions whether they be still life’s, portraiture, architectural, sports or Photojournalism. She has been shown in numerous shows in including shows supporting disabled artists.

What she didn’t know, is that for a large portion of her life, she would struggle with several emotional issues including un-diagnosed Autism, which would include periods of severe depression and mania “bipolar disorder”, severe anxiety disorder, gender identity issues, PTSD, being suicidal, self-harming herself and being dissociative at times. She became active in these areas in several support groups.

This would eventually start her to be involved in 30 years of psychotherapy starting in 1975-2021, psychiatrists starting in 2002, spending time in psychiatric hospitals and outpatient facilities a few times. She defines now as a psychiatric survivor.

She became disabled in 2004 with severe almost daily migraines and fibromyalgia causing chronic pain. She went back to doing photography when enabled and worked with several organizations supporting disabled artists including VSA and local hospitals in the Northeast where she displayed her photography where she won several awards.

In 2011, she answered an ad asking if one wanted to learn how to make a documentary. She took the class at Princeton TV and eventually made her 1st documentary, 99% Solution. It was about environmental and political issues associated to present and future access to clean drinking water. It was shown in the NJ 2012 International Film Festival.

She contributed to documentaries as an associate producer and filmmaker including Groundswell Rising and I am David Bryant, both that were shown in several film international film festivals. Another documentary she made was A Doctor's View Point, The Business of the US Medical System".

She started a TV show A Progressive Voice that was shown on multiple Community Access TV stations in the US starting in 2012-2015.

In 2019 she became involved with BRIC which is a is a non-profit arts organization based in Brooklyn. She is now a Certified TV and Community Producer. She completed the intensive: 2021 Cohort Class where she made a solo short documentary Autism Lost Generations and Neurodiversity which also features her son Jeffrey and Ex-wife Cyndy.