Looking for a Few Good Pixels

It’s time for us to start working on a cover for our book. We’ve looked through our own photographs, and we may still have one we like, but we thought we’d open up the possibility of finding something great from our readers. We are looking for a photograph, or image (drawn, painted etc.) of a […]

What Now? Ten Tips for Families with a New Autism Diagnosis

Squillo http://confutata.wordpress.com I’m sure the person who said hindsight is 20/20 didn’t have a child with autism. (Actually, I’m sure he or she didn’t have a child of any kind.) You’re never finished being a parent: as the Jason Robards character said in the movie Parenthood, “you never get to spike the ball and do

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(Extra) Ordinary Days

Kristen Spina http://kristenspina.wordpress.com/ I hang back, following but not too closely, watching my son and his two best friends through the viewfinder, my face hidden behind the awkwardness of a zoom lens. As I watch the boys cross the red wood bridge, I snap half a dozen photos. And then again, as they settle in

What is Neurodiversity?

Mike Stanton actionforautism.co.uk When I attended the National Autism Society’s first International Autism Conference in London in 2005, I heard Professor David Amaral tell the story of a young man with Asperger Syndrome who visited the MIND Institute at UC Davis. The young man was asked what he would do if they could develop a

Coming to Terms

Kev Leitch www.leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk Its now been nearly seven years since Megan, my eldest daughter, was diagnosed with both autism and a comorbid “severe learning difficulty” (known in the US as mental retardation — it means her measurable IQ is less than 70). Those six years have been a personal journey for me as I first

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The Autism Path

Jean Winegardner www.stimeyland.com I feel that when I got my son Jack’s autism diagnosis, it was as if I had been given directions to a trail head that started us down a path. The path was different than the one I’d planned on and this path was rockier than the one I left behind, but

Thoughts on Prognosis From a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)

Jordan S. Sadler, MS, CCC-SLP http://www.communicationtherapy.net/ Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) sometimes ask, “What is my child’s prognosis?” and that is understandable. As a parent, it is likely that I’d be asking it myself. However, it may be as difficult for therapists to answer as it is for parents to ask. For

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Autism, Parenting, and the Importance of Attitude

Shannon Des Roches Rosa www.squidalicious.com www.canisitwithyou.org www.blogher.com/blog/shannon-des-roches-rosa Consider the same day, the same circumstances, the same children, the same parent – but filtered through two different attitudes: Leo and I had the worst day ever. Leo and I had the best day ever! Why does Leo always wake up so early? His sisters sleep until

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.

Image: Photo of a plague doctor with a crow mask and goggles and hat, holding a cane topped by a skull.

How Parents Can Identify and Avoid Harmful Autism Supports

A child’s autism diagnosis can mess with parents’ heads. Media portrayals of children with autism and their adult spectrum-mates dwell almost exclusively on negatives and challenges, so when a parent is told that their child is autistic, they are usually incredibly upset. It doesn’t help when doctors lack the bedside manner to soften the emotional

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