POTSDAM -- Author John Elder Robison will give Clarkson University’s Van Sickle Endowed Lecture as the school celebrates the start of the 2015-2016 academic year.

Robison, author of “Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's,” will speak at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23, in Cheel Arena.

The event is free and open to the public.

He also will attend a reception and book signing preceding the convocation from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Kodak Lounge in the Cheel Campus Center.

In his bestselling memoir, Robison recounts his life. The author grew up with Asperger's syndrome at a time when the diagnosis didn't exist, and he wasn't diagnosed until age 40. The book was named one of the top books of the year by Amazon, was listed in Publisher's Weekly as one of the top selling books in America for three years in a row, and was a finalist for the Books for a Better Life Award.

Robison, an adjunct professor at Elms College in Massachusetts, shares in his lectures how he overcame his disability, from an antisocial child to a father now running a multi-million dollar car specialty shop and his own photography business.

He's designed guitars for the rock band Kiss and toys for Milton Bradley.

Currently is involved in autism research at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, Robison has been applauded by thousands.

The Kenneth J. and Irla Van Sickle Endowed Lectureship was established in 1992 through donations from the estates of Kenneth and Irla Van Sickle of Shortsville.

The event will be streamed live at http://clarkson.edu/live .