Autism

Selfie of Jean, a white woman with long medium-brown hair, smiling. Background: a body of water and a city skyline.

Jean’s Adult Diagnosis Story

I am very grateful to have this new piece of information about myself. I don’t consider my diagnosis to be an answer to all my life’s problems, nor do I consider it to be a deficit. What I see it as is a new lens to see my behavior through.

Black-and-white photo of Anton Levey, a bald white man with a dark goatee, holding a snake. Meme-style text on the photo reads, "Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name!

I Don’t Know His Name, But His Face Rings a Bell

My particular form of prosopagnosia (facial blindness) includes inability to recognize faces and names.  For example, every year I dreaded our family reunion and the inevitable awkwardness of seeing cousins and aunts and uncles and having no idea what their names were.

Decorated Christmas tree with presents underneath.

Let Me Stim, Let Me Stim, Let Me Stim

Let me stim: Holidays mean hanging with folks who might need a gentle reminder about kindness and accommodation for autistic kids and adults, on being nice about understanding autistic behaviors versus assuming naughtiness.

Small white boy with short curly brown hair running through a pumpkin patch.

How to Help Autistic Kids Have the Best Halloween Ever

When it comes to Halloween and autistic kids, parents need to be clear-headed, creative, and flexible, and prioritize our kids’ needs and stamina. So, if you’re in the market for Halloweening advice, let me dump some on your head, courtesy of personal experience, friends’ adventures, and the Internet.

Young white boy sitting in a quiet outside corner of the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Outings, Travel, and Autism

We are adamant about taking our autistic son on as many outings as we can, to stores, movies, restaurants, parks, and other destinations. We want him to be a dude-about-town so he gets used to being part of our community, and our community gets used to him.

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