communication

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The Cost of Compliance Is Unreasonable

Beth Ryan loveexplosions.wordpress.com Today I sat in my dentist’s reception area waiting for my appointment. This time my panic had nothing to do with my fear of all things dentist. I had just read this blog entry [Unstrange Mind’s No You Don’t]. It is certainly not for the faint of heart. My husband wept after […]

Interview: Amy Sequenzia on Facilitated Communication

Amy Sequenzia is an autistic self-advocate and poet. She types using Facilitated Communication (FC). She talked with us about what FC allows her to do, and what she would like people to know about it. What does Facilitated Communication (FC) mean to you? Why does it work for you? FC is how I can make

A Person Is Not A Function

Elizabeth J. Grace www.tinygracenotes.com I haven’t seen my friend Eric in years, and we are not in touch right now because our friendship, our communion, is about hanging out together. He’s not much of a talker at all, maybe ten words? and not a writer. (And even if he were a talker, I am heinous

A Video Explanation From a Nonspeaking (at times) Autistic

Paula C Durbin-Westby paulacdurbinwestbyautisticblog.blogspot.com I am not a completely nonspeaking Autistic, of course. Many people have seen me speak and some do not even know that I lose speech at times. My loss of speech is temporary, and can last a few seconds to a few hours or the good part of a day. Sometimes

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An AAC App and Autism Success Story

AAC, or Augmentative and Alternative Communication, provides many autistic people with communication options. We keep hearing how some of those same people are discovering new tablet- or app-based AAC options that even better suit their needs. One such person is Nathan, whose mother Lisa Valerio describes him as, “a 9 year old boy with autism

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On Gratitude (For New Autism Parents)

Shannon Des Roches Rosa www.Squidalicious.com My son Leo has passed the eleven and a half years mark. I feel like I’m finally hitting my stride as an autism parent, in terms of accepting Leo on his own terms, and not giving a damn about the imaginary “easier” alternate reality society thinks I’m supposed to pine

I’m Not a Bad Parent … Right?

Deanne Shoyer www.smallbutkindamighty.wordpress.com   Deanne is the mother of gorgeous twin boys, five years old, who are both on the autism spectrum. I’ve read a number of blog posts where the writer describes the ways that strangers or relatives make them feel their parenting skills are inadequate. This post will not be adding to that

Communication: A Million Little Things

Lydia Wayman www.autisticspeaks.wordpress.com If I knew what to say, I’d tell you a million little things that I’ve acquired in my brain over the weeks and months — and lifetime. If I could, I’d tell you that I’m so over age appropriateness. You say Disney and American Girl isn’t age-appropriate for me? Well, excuse my

The Advocate/Parent Dialogues, Day Seven: Kassiane

We held a dialogue series last week between parent Robert Rummel-Hudson, author of Schuyler’s Monster and blogger at Fighting Monsters With Rubber Swords; and self-advocates Zoe, blogger at Illusion of Competence, and Ari Ne’eman, President and co-founder of The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network. Readers let us know that they wanted more, and more perspectives, so we’re

The Self-Advocate/Parent Dialogues, Day Six: Melody Latimer

We held a dialogue series last week between parent Robert Rummel-Hudson, author of Schuyler’s Monster and blogger at Fighting Monsters With Rubber Swords; and self-advocates Zoe, blogger at Illusion of Competence, and Ari Ne’eman, President and co-founder of The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, You can read the entire series at thinkingautismguide.blogspot.com/search/label/dialogue Readers let us know that

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