Autism

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From the Archives: A Southern Gal In Need of Sensory Input

From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism Blog

Devon Alley

18 May 2013 | 3:23 am

In these snippets from the archives, my daughter accuses me of being echolalic, and she desperately needs some increased sensory input after I pull her out of her regular routine. September 1, 2006: As A. and I were walking up the stairs to our apartment...(read more)
Currently, there is insufficient evidence to support instituting a gluten-free diet as a treatment for autism.

Left Brain Right Brain

Sullivan (Matt Carey)

23 May 2013 | 11:00 pm

Perhaps the most commonly cited alternative therapy approach for autism is the gluten free/casein free diet. The idea was promoted largely based on the “leaky gut” and “opiod excess” idea of autism. The basic idea was that the intestines of autistics are for some reason “leaky” and incompletely digested proteins from gluten (grains) and casein (milk) enter the bloodstream and act much like an opiod (drug) causing (somehow) autism. Multiple research teams have looked for evidence of these “opiods” without success. But the idea that eliminating…
Children With Autism Benefit From Enrichment Therapy

Autism News From Medical News Today

24 May 2013 | 1:00 am

Children with autism showed significant improvement after six months of simple sensory exercises at home using everyday items such as scents, spoons and sponges, according to UC Irvine neurobiologists. They found that a treatment known as environmental enrichment led to notable gains in male subjects between the ages of 3 and 12. Results appear online in Behavioral Neuroscience...
Why does Jenny McCarthy need Miss Montana?

Autism News Beat

autblog

14 May 2013 | 8:52 am

From the bottom of the ocean To the mountains on the moon Won’t you please come to Chicago No one else can take your place -Graham Nash, “Chicago” The first autistic Miss America contestant is a cheerful 19-year-old with heart-breaking beauty and a refreshing message. She celebrates her autism, telling reporters and talk show hosts that “Being on the spectrum is not a death sentence, but a life adventure, and one that I realize has been given to me for a reason,” and “It’s amazing how people don’t accept other people just because they’re different.
SAP To Employ Hundreds Of Autistic People

Autism News From Medical News Today

23 May 2013 | 8:00 am

In an effort to "help the world and improve lives" German software company, "SAP AG", has just announced it plans to work alongside Specialisterne and recruit hundreds of people diagnosed with autism (Autism Spectrum Disorder) to join their workforce. The company said that it seeks to hire people with autism as software testers, programmers and data quality assurance specialists...

Autism News From Medical News Today
Children With Autism Benefit From Enrichment Therapy

24 May 2013 | 1:00 am

Children with autism showed significant improvement after six months of simple sensory exercises at home using everyday items such as scents, spoons and sponges, according to UC Irvine neurobiologists. They found that a treatment known as environmental enrichment led to notable gains in male subjects between the ages of 3 and 12. Results appear online in Behavioral Neuroscience...
SAP To Employ Hundreds Of Autistic People

23 May 2013 | 8:00 am

In an effort to "help the world and improve lives" German software company, "SAP AG", has just announced it plans to work alongside Specialisterne and recruit hundreds of people diagnosed with autism (Autism Spectrum Disorder) to join their workforce. The company said that it seeks to hire people with autism as software testers, programmers and data quality assurance specialists...
How Disruption Caused By Premature Birth Can Lead To Conditions Such As Autism And Learning Difficulties

23 May 2013 | 12:00 am

Researchers from King's College London have for the first time used a novel form of MRI to identify crucial developmental processes in the brain that are vulnerable to the effects of premature birth. This new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), shows that disruption of these specific processes can have an impact on cognitive function...
Link Between Epilepsy And Autism Found

16 May 2013 | 10:00 am

Adults with epilepsy are more likely to have a greater number of characteristics of autism and Asperger syndrome, according to new research by the University of Bath, England. The finding was discovered by Dr. SallyAnn Wakeford, a PhD student from the University's Department of Psychology, and revealed a previously unknown link between epileptic seizures and the signs of autism in adults...
Human Intelligence Cannot Be Explained By The Size Of The Brain's Frontal Lobes

15 May 2013 | 12:00 am

Research into the comparative size of the frontal lobes in humans and other species has determined that they are not - as previously thought - disproportionately enlarged relative to other areas of the brain, according to the most accurate and conclusive study of this area of the brain...

AGE OF AUTISM
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Speaking at Autism One

Age of Autism

24 May 2013 | 3:48 pm

Now speaking. Fascinating opening. He spent his life around people with intellectual disabilities and yet did not know anyone with autism. Talking about his family's work with so many IDs. His focus as environmental lawyer leading him to mercury topic....
Congressional Panel Autism One

Age of Autism

24 May 2013 | 8:57 am

Mark Blaxill introduced the Congressional Panel. .
New Study by Dr. Martha Herbert & Dr. Julie Buckley in Journal of Child Neurology on Autism and Dietary Therapy

Age of Autism

24 May 2013 | 2:46 am

Dr. Martha Herbert Managing Editor's Note: Thank you to Dr. Martha Herbert and Dr. Julie Buckley. Dr. Julie Buckley Of special significance is that we have an academic researcher working in conjunction/cooperation with a practicing physician in order to publish...
SCOTUS Affirms Recovery of Attorney's Fees in Vaccine Cases Under Broad Circumstances

Age of Autism

24 May 2013 | 2:45 am

U.S. Supreme Court Affirms Recovery of Attorney’s fees in Vaccine Cases under Broad Circumstances Under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 (“NCVIA”), vaccine injured parties became entitled to a no-fault compensation system to be commenced by service upon...
Did VICP former Director Geoffrey Evans Share Private Patient Medical Information with Dr. Paul Offit?

Age of Autism

23 May 2013 | 2:45 am

By Lou Conte I recently received an audiotape of an American Academy of Pediatrics sponsored teleconference that Dr. Offit held with other physicians in November of 2008. Dr. Offit spoke on the tape spoke about the HHS decision to concede...

ScienceDaily: Autism News
Premature birth interrupts vital brain development processes leading to reduced cognitive abilities in infants

20 May 2013 | 12:42 pm

Researchers have for the first time used a novel form of MRI to identify crucial developmental processes in the brain that are vulnerable to the effects of premature birth. This new study shows that disruption of these specific processes can have an impact on cognitive function.
Autism: Sensory-motor or environmental enrichment may be promising approach

18 May 2013 | 12:33 pm

In the first successful experiment with humans using a treatment known as sensory-motor or environmental enrichment, researchers documented marked improvement in young autistic boys when compared to boys treated with traditional behavioral therapies, according to new research
Brain frontal lobes not sole center of human intelligence, comparative research suggests

13 May 2013 | 12:28 pm

Human intelligence cannot be explained by the size of the brain's frontal lobes, say researchers. Research into the comparative size of the frontal lobes in humans and other species has determined that they are not -- as previously thought -- disproportionately enlarged relative to other areas of the brain, according to the most accurate and conclusive study of this area of the brain. It concludes that the size of our frontal lobes cannot solely account for humans' superior cognitive abilities.
Enhanced motion perception in autism may point to an underlying cause of the disorder

8 May 2013 | 10:18 am

Children with autism see simple movement twice as quickly as other children their age, and this hypersensitivity to motion may provide clues to a fundamental cause of the developmental disorder, according to a new study.
Childhood disability rate jumps 16 percent over past decade

5 May 2013 | 4:37 am

More children today have a disability than a decade ago, and the greatest increase is among kids in higher-income families, according to a new study.

Autism News Beat
Why does Jenny McCarthy need Miss Montana?

autblog

14 May 2013 | 8:52 am

From the bottom of the ocean To the mountains on the moon Won’t you please come to Chicago No one else can take your place -Graham Nash, “Chicago” The first autistic Miss America contestant is a cheerful 19-year-old with heart-breaking beauty and a refreshing message. She celebrates her autism, telling reporters and talk show hosts that “Being on the spectrum is not a death sentence, but a life adventure, and one that I realize has been given to me for a reason,” and “It’s amazing how people don’t accept other people just because they’re different.
Dr. Bob’s Facebook delusions

autblog

21 Jan 2013 | 3:06 pm

Dr. Bob Sears is best known for his 2007 work, The Vaccine Book, ostensibly written “to give parents a balanced look at pros and cons of vaccination so that they can make an educated decision.” In reality, the book has only added to the unnecessary fear, uncertainty and doubt about vaccines that have driven thousands of parents to leave their children vulnerable to preventable diseases. And while America’s medical establishment has caught on to Sears, he still enjoys a following. His book has sold about 50,000 copies, and Sear’s Facebook page lists over 6,000…
AAP opposes worldwide ban on thimerosal

autblog

17 Dec 2012 | 1:15 am

In a series of articles released today, the American Academy of Pediatrics outlines its opposition to a proposed UN treaty which, if approved, would ban the preservative thimerosal from vaccines worldwide. The ban is also opposed by the World Health Organization and the US Public Health Service. It is estimated that multidose vaccines with thimerosal as a preservative are used in 120 countries to immunize approximately 84 million children, saving about 1.4 million lives each year. The AAP’s opposition reverses the professional organization’s call in 1999 for the removal of…
Autism hearing, round two

autblog

29 Nov 2012 | 1:32 pm

3:23 pm CT – The public witnesses are seated. They are: Mr. Bob Wright, Co-Founder, Autism Speaks Mr. Scott Badesch, President, Autism Society Mr. Mark Blaxill, Board Member of SafeMinds, an anti-vaccine advocacy group Mr. Bradley McGarry, Coordinator of the Asperger Initiative at Mercyhurst, Mercyhurst University Mr. Michael John Carley, Executive Director, Global & Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership Mr. Ari Ne’eman, President, Autistic Self Advocacy Network Bob Wright is up first. The former president of NBC Universal is schooled on how to use a microphone. Wright is playing…
Live blogging the autism hearing

autblog

29 Nov 2012 | 11:00 am

You can watch the House Committee on Government Operations and Reform online HERE. 12:59 pm CT – Joe Biden is shopping for children’s books at Costco. Welcome to C-Span 3. 1:00 – OK, here we go. Chairman Darrel Issa reminds us that the mission of the committee is to make sure tax money isn’t wasted. The topic today, he tells us, transcends partisan politics. “If the numbers grow from 1:88, then we will in fact have an epidemic.” ” The committee will be acting as a conduit of information for the rest of congress. Issa thanks Brian Hooker of Focus…

Andrea's Buzzing About:
Tastes Like Spring — A recipe for Scallion Pancakes

andrea

6 May 2013 | 8:16 pm

“What are they?” asked my son en passant. “Scallion pancakes; they’re a kind of fry bread.” “Can’t go wrong with fry bread!” he replied, and snatched one to eat before mowing. Yes, Spring is here (again), and we’ve gone through our usual winter-spring-winter-summer-winter-spring nonsense. The daffodils are blooming, the grass needs mowing, and the scallions are […]
TASTY TUESDAY: Proofreader’s Sandwich

andrea

30 Apr 2013 | 9:29 am

Way back when I was an evening proofreader at a newspaper, I grew an avocado tree from a pit. Alas, somebody kept dumping their old coffee on it, and the young tree died. It would also have been nice if this sandwich had occurred to me at the time; it would have been mighty sustaining […]
More bloviating by discredited Dr Wakefield

andrea

13 Apr 2013 | 1:49 pm

Outbreaks of fully-preventable diseases are increasing As reported on Thursday, April 11th in the UK paper The Independent, “Swansea measles outbreak: Confirmed cases rise to nearly 700″, which is worse than than last year’s outbreak in Merseyside, England. Over 2,600 MMR vaccines were given last week, but are still insufficient to counteract the number of unvaccinated […]
Fractal flakes

andrea

18 Dec 2012 | 8:36 pm

To decorate for our winter party before the semester-end break, we made paper snowflakes in art class at school. Being the geek that I am, I made a mobile from the fractal of the Koch snowflake, which starts from a single equilateral triangle, and keeps adding triangles onto the triangles. The mobile is made from […]
Old Lady Shoes

andrea

22 Nov 2012 | 10:45 pm

Yeah, you’ve seen them: old ladies wearing Old-Lady Shoes. Dowdy footwear that inextricably time-travelled from some economically-depressed post-war period. Or low-heeled, lace-up shoes resembling dull leather sneakers, that shuffled in from the land that fashion forgot. Practical shoes. Hopefully, comfortable shoes, given the tired way those old ladies are getting around. But damn, I mean […]

LoriB.me
Happy 10th Anniversary WordPress!

Lori

18 May 2013 | 2:18 pm

WordPress will be 10 years old on May 27th, 2013. Hard to believe it has been so long! Dougal Campbell had a great idea to start the WordPress 10th Anniversary Blogging Project. I have been using WordPress since v 0.71 and it is still my favorite way to build a website. What better way to celebrate than to write a WordPress post?!When I first started using WordPress in May 2003…I was 36 years oldI lived in Oakland, CA with my partner KarenI had been building websites for 8 yearsI was an open source PHP/MySQL software junkieMy business site was built using a Template Monster template with a…
Hyperfocus

Lori

10 Apr 2013 | 5:57 pm

Happy Autism Acceptance month everyone! So nice to read all of the positive posts about autism. I sometimes still have a hard time seeing the positive aspects of autism in myself, but there are at least a few that I am thankful for. I think my favorite one is hyperfocus. Hyperfocus (according to Urban Dictionary) is “a theoretical state of being or ability in which one is able to concentrate and focus on a particular subject so intensely, ultimately becoming oblivious to everything else around”. I do realize that this is not always a positive thing and has been a source of…
Autism Acceptance means…

Lori

2 Apr 2013 | 7:57 am

By Karen HillmanFully accepting that my partner’s autism shapes her world, but does not define all of who she is – she is autistic and also a web developer, a gamer, a cat lover, a music lover, a brown-belt in karate, a geek, a great listener, a vegetarian, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a friend. Her autism does not mean that she has no empathy; in fact, she is one of the kindest, most sensitive people I know. It means that I have to rethink the way I relate to and express myself to her – I have to be clear, open and honest more than I ever had to – or wanted to – before we were…
Laravel Learning Resources

Lori

4 Mar 2013 | 8:04 am

Over the past year or so, I have become enamored with the Laravel PHP framework and have a huge code crush on the soon to be released version 4.After attending Laracon in Washington D.C. a couple of weekends ago, I was inspired to start the Baltimore Laravel meetup group. I am compiling this resource list for our first meeting. If you have any favorite Laravel learning resources that are not on this list, please leave a comment!Laravel on the webLaravel: http://laravel.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaravelCommunityTwitter: Laravel on Twitter (list below)Official DocsDocumentation:…
2012: The Highlights

Lori

8 Jan 2013 | 3:14 pm

If I had to pick one word to describe 2012, it would be ‘busy’. If I had to pick 2 words, they would be ‘too busy’. Living in Baltimore is very busy. I don’t think I will ever get used to it. Work was way too busy for a while. It is great to have so much work, but also nice not to have to work every single second. Things have slowed down for the holidays and I have been enjoying the break.So much has gone on this year, I don’t even think I can remember it all, so here are the highlights…Karen got a very well-deserved promotion at work It makes me very…

Ballastexistenz
Trendie Tubies

Amanda

2 May 2013 | 12:27 pm

[A makeshift clothes line made by tying yarn up on a bookshelf. Clipped to it are three cloth circles. One is a yellow cat on a black background, another is light brown owls on a light green background, and the last is blue flowers on a white background.] I don't normally advertise products here, but I thought anyone using a feeding tube might be interested in these things. They are called Trendie Tubies. They are absorbent cloth pads, in a variety of styles, designed to be used around the opening of your feeding tube once it's healed enough to stop needing the kind of dressings you…
Feeding tubes and weird ideas

Amanda

2 May 2013 | 8:54 am

My favorie BADD post: Tube-ageddon. I haven't had much time to write anything here about the hell I went through getting my GJ tube. I had every indication for a GJ tube. I had gastroparesis so bad it was starting to affect my breathing, in a way that doctors said was likely to result in infection after infection until I died. From the emergency room onward, doctors were saying my best hope was to get a feeding tube. Yet the pressure I got from doctors, while in the hospital for one of those infections, was to just keep getting infections, go home, wait to die. Most of them wouldn't…
A bunch of stuff that needed saying

Amanda

18 Apr 2013 | 3:41 am

The following stuff is important stuff I wrote elsewhere on the net. If some of what I'm saying doesn't make sense, ignore it, it's just context that I'm not able to describe right now. The main thrust of what I'm saying should make sense without understanding the full context of what I wrote. And I can't rewrite it all right now for this blog. So the following is pretty much as I wrote it. Also sorry for all caps in places, it was because where I was writing it I couldn't use other forms of emphasis. And please don't assume that this is all about…
I’m starting to heal here.

Amanda

11 Apr 2013 | 4:23 pm

The hospitalization started awful but got better after the Internet convinced the hospital that lots of people care what happens to me. Since not everyone has that resource, my goal once I get better is to work hard on a non discrimination policy that will prevent any other patient from going through what I went through. I don't have the energy to go through the whole story again. But basically my gastroparesis was getting so severe that I could no longer keep up a minimal Iiquid diet and was also aspirating frequently as the gastroparesis got more severe (due to gas bubbles from food…
I’m out. (I aten’t dead)

Amanda

21 Oct 2012 | 8:11 pm

It's hard to write the sort of way I write on this blog so it has been hard to write about it here. Because my brain is very unrecovered from everything. Went in. Got cured of pneumonia. That process was easy and quick for the doctors and long and harsh for me. Especially with the meds upsetting a stomach that had not seen food in weeks. Which came of interest after they cured the pneumonia. Turns out I have gastroparesis. Partially paralyzed stomach. Hence more nausea and lower appetite over the years. Lost ungodly amounts of weight this time and they noticed finally that…

Reports from a Resident Alien
My tweets

Lisa D.

23 May 2013 | 1:49 pm

Wed, 17:33: Just found out the neurodiverse people outnumber the neurotypical ones in one of my classes. We're taking over the world!
My tweets

Lisa D.

14 May 2013 | 9:01 am

Mon, 14:22: Four clients in one hour at the college food pantry. "Broke college student" can be quite a literal statement.
My tweets

Lisa D.

12 May 2013 | 9:01 am

Sat, 21:11: Every time I make a granny squares afghan, my cat Christy sits on the pile of unfinished squares. Cat, get off; this is not your bed! Sun, 01:21: You can write in plain language to explain things to laypeople, but you can never write simply enough to reach the willfully ignorant.
My tweets

Lisa D.

11 May 2013 | 9:01 am

Fri, 15:55: I am starting to think that much of the prejudice against fat people is actually prejudice against poor people.
The Cat and the Mirror

Lisa D.

6 May 2013 | 10:55 am

In my psychology classes, I learned about something called the "Mirror test", which is designed to determine if an animal has a sense of self. Human infants can pass this test at 18 months.The test goes like this:1. Familiarize the animal with the mirror.2. Put some kind of mark on the animal, which it can see only by looking in the mirror. For example, you might put a dab of paint on an elephant's forehead.3. Put the animal in front of the mirror again. If the animal reaches up to touch the mark, to investigate, groom, or wipe it away, it passes the test.Passing the mirror test…

drive mom crazy
What makes the world a better place? The Community Alliance for Ethical Treatment of Youth I am a part of!!!

theamazinj

24 May 2013 | 2:12 am

Being a part of the Community Alliance for Ethical Treatment of Youth, CAFETY, has been a really great opportunity for me to do many really great things to help the future generations. My hope is that the rest of society will see what CAFETY is trying to do for the youth to discover the ability to empower the next generation to be better self-advocates, explore their potentials for positive contributions through self-determination, and become the leaders of tomorrow. The youth are very important to us because these children are going to be the Adult generation of the future. Treat them well…
Every one wants to have their own Success

theamazinj

18 May 2013 | 5:32 am

Beyond Living Life, by theamazinJ Death hurts smiles loves hates a part of what is a part of what needs to be living our life to living beyond thinking about death. Life is always filled with so much joy and a reason to shine our energy very bright and strong. We envision the roots of our energy to lift us higher and higher and higher until it reaches our peak when we are old enough to move on. Life exists and so do we, so make it a good one and never regret, always accept anyone, never taking anything for granted or taking advantage of others. Life is purely a burst of energy filled with…
A poem called “Being a Light in a Dark World”

theamazinj

16 May 2013 | 12:49 pm

Being a Light in a Dark World, by theamazinJ I sense the light, As an angel who senses, feels, who brings love and peace to the world. Love is something that we all need so as to heal the world, the world that needs healing from the negative emotions affecting so many people. Positive emotions and feelings don’t hurt, but are less strong than anyone of us knows. I love, you love, but we don’t need the hate most of you feel at the moment. Hate that destroys a person’s character whether you feel the person is less cognizant than you, less of a person than you, because they…
A poem called “A Falling Star”

theamazinj

13 May 2013 | 4:03 am

A star, Falling, Falling, Falling, crashing into two hearts melting into one, discovering a beautiful sense of fulfillment of joy of respect of being who they are deliberately just exposing to feel what they feel to enjoy the essence of connecting people. enjoying the love, feeling right now for the kindness for the beauty for the gift they give to each other and the star bursts in front of them just to see the two become one. Being Autistic and having a star fall on you only exists in time when you connect with another person you’ve always needed. Think about the people you engage with…
Reflecting on having good Solid Boundaries

theamazinj

12 May 2013 | 5:16 am

This post is about how to express ourselves by creating boundaries and accepting other people’s boundaries. There is a list we need to make to create boundaries. It’s important to have them. If we don’t have boundaries, then people will walk all over us like we are moving mud down a hill. Here is a list of things to remember to create your own boundaries that help me: 1) Set yourself up in situations with others where you can be trusted 2) Make a list of all the personal things and people you trust to tell these personal things to 3) When talking to other people randomly,…

Whitterer on Autism
What once was true is no longer

Madeline

19 May 2013 | 11:09 pm

Who’d have thought it.
The Right to Choose – Unfair Questions to Pre-Teens

Madeline

12 May 2013 | 11:37 pm
Some Terms Stick

Madeline

4 May 2013 | 10:59 pm
Challenging Behavior

Madeline

28 Apr 2013 | 11:28 pm
Growing Pains

Madeline

21 Apr 2013 | 11:09 pm

Left Brain Right Brain
Currently, there is insufficient evidence to support instituting a gluten-free diet as a treatment for autism.

Sullivan (Matt Carey)

23 May 2013 | 11:00 pm

Perhaps the most commonly cited alternative therapy approach for autism is the gluten free/casein free diet. The idea was promoted largely based on the “leaky gut” and “opiod excess” idea of autism. The basic idea was that the intestines of autistics are for some reason “leaky” and incompletely digested proteins from gluten (grains) and casein (milk) enter the bloodstream and act much like an opiod (drug) causing (somehow) autism. Multiple research teams have looked for evidence of these “opiods” without success. But the idea that eliminating…
Mark Geier loses his last medical license

Sullivan (Matt Carey)

22 May 2013 | 10:39 pm

At one time, Mark Geier held licenses in 12 different states. Not any more. Until recently he had a license in Hawaii, but no longer. Per Todd W at Harpocrates Speaks: Mark Geier: Not a Leg to Stand On. Mark Geier, who promoted the idea that shutting down sex-hormone production in autistic children, adolescents and young adults was an autism cure, is no longer licensed to practice medicine in the U.S.. More thorough discussion at Mark Geier: Not a Leg to Stand On. – By Matt Carey
Autism not linked to Lyme disease

Sullivan (Matt Carey)

22 May 2013 | 10:29 am

There are many hypotheses of what causes autism. Many. Among those is that autism is caused by Lyme disease. Lyme disease is caused by infections of bacteria spread by ticks. A quick internet search brings up numerous sites discussing a supposed link between autism and lyme disease, with organizations, conventions and books devoted to the idea. For example, one book is titled The Lyme-Autism Connection: Unveiling the Shocking Link Between Lyme Disease and Childhood Developmental Disorders. Nine studies in pubmed come up on a search with terms autism and lyme. A group calling itself…
Two steps forward, one step back

Sullivan (Matt Carey)

21 May 2013 | 12:11 pm

Good News: British groups supporting unorthodox biomedical approaches to autism are distancing themselves from theories attributing autism to vaccines. Bad News: These groups are still promoting treatments – such as stem cell therapies – for which there is no coherent scientific rationale and no good evidence of efficacy or safety. Treating Autism, with an address in Bow, East London, and the Autism Treatment Trust, based in Edinburgh, have circulated ‘advocates and organisations involved in the care of patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder’ with a package including a (curiously…
It’s DSM 5 day

Sullivan (Matt Carey)

18 May 2013 | 8:15 am

Yes, the day has arrived that the DSM 5 (the Diagnostic and Statistical manual) is released by the American Psychiatric Association. The DSM codifies the traits which make up, among many other things, an autism diagnosis. There was a great deal of controversy of the past few years about the way the DSM would handle autism. A major change was to move away from the “spectrum” of autism disorders (ASD) to a single autism diagnosis with a severity scale. Since eligibility for services is often tied to an autism diagnosis–such as insurance, special education and state disability…

Susan's Blog
Make Yourself Heard

Susan Senator

21 May 2013 | 10:09 am

I’ve been doing my Swami gig live these days and recently sat down with a woman I’ve known forever (forever in autism years means since diagnosis). She is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Her son is currently home and should be (would like to be) living elsewhere. He is a Priority One, like Nat, and so his situation is difficult. His mom took him out because the placement was inappropriate. The match was terrible. The needs of the young men were completely different. I’m pretty sure that this was a vacant slot offered by the Department of Developmental Services and…
What is Missing in the Autism Picture

Susan Senator

20 May 2013 | 4:27 am

Around 14 years ago we were invited to a holiday dinner with the family of one of Max’s friends. I think I had just had Benj, because I had that new baby feeling of not quite remembering everything else I was supposed to remember. This was a gathering of several families; I remember that the hosts had a very long table. The dining room and all the front rooms had large Victorian-style low windows that faced the sunny street. The kitchen was right off the dining room and had a door to the back yard, which wasn’t a yard at all because this was a first floor apartment in a row of…
Self-indulgent, self-hating, offensive blog post

Susan Senator

19 May 2013 | 9:34 am

I still think about It sometimes. My brain cells loop alot, rather than moving forward and outward. But I wonder if I get this out on “paper” if it will make the shitty thought go away. The other day I was speeding down a hill on my bike — which is when I think of everything and nothing — and I realized that I’ve rarely written about a the question I first asked Dr. E, the developmental pediatrician who first evaluated Nat, 21 years ago. He delivered the diagnosis, “PDD, under the Autism Umbrella,” (almost charming, calling it the Autism Umbrella, as…
Disability, Disorder, Disease — Or Difference?

Susan Senator

19 May 2013 | 9:06 am

I’ve been spending a lot of time with Nat — not unusual — and everything’s been going pretty well. But there are a lot of moments where I have to sigh and remind myself “this is the disability.” Meaning, he is limited by his autism in certain ways. Meaning he can’t do what I want him to do. But I don’t know if he feels his limitations. If my expectations are too high, is that his fault? I’m thinking back to our lunch the other day, in a nice restaurant. Apart from our deciding what to eat, we did not really talk to each other. Sure, I told…
Nat’s first visit to an adult primary care physician

Susan Senator

17 May 2013 | 12:42 pm

I took Nat to an adult primary care physician today — my own — for his annual checkup. We have loved our pediatrician for almost 20 years. She grew up with us. I learned from her all about childcare and she learned from me about autism care. I thought that because Nat is now 23, he should be going to a doctor for adults. My doctor is a lovely man whom Ned and I both see and have for years, and I knew he’d be deft at handling an appointment with Nat. Now I know that using the words “deft” and “handling” implies that Nat is difficult at the…

Life With Joey
On Sixteen Years

Joeymom

24 May 2013 | 7:52 pm

I've been married 16 years today. I've learned some things in 16 years. Split the load. One cooks, the other cleans. One does the laundry, the other scrubs the bathroom. One picks up, the other dusts and vacuums. One deals with this meltdown, the other deals with the other one happening at the exact same moment. Warm up your toes before bedtime. Dream about winning the lottery- together. You never really run out of things to say. You just sometimes run out of energy for using words to say them. And that can be OK, as long as you communicate. Coming home to find one of your chores done for you…
Happy Birthday, Andy!!!

Joeymom

20 May 2013 | 9:32 pm

To my little man, the best son and best brother on the planet. We love you.
For Mikaela, Owen, and their families... from ours.

Joeymom

20 May 2013 | 2:22 pm

We lost two beautiful lives this week. Mikaela was lost in California, Owen in Florida, and both to the nightmare we have discovered for our own family: eloping. And to those families, who have been slammed with the judgment of the ignorant on top of the pain of losing their beloved children, I say this: You are not alone. We are praying hard for you, and know it could easily be us next. There are several reasons kids with autism elope. There is the fright-flight response to stress and anxiety. There is the wandering behavior of their own curiosity and lack of impulse control (for those of…
Having failed miserably

Joeymom

18 May 2013 | 7:41 pm

The meeting about Joey's suspension just didn't really go well. Our principal is very nice, and I think generally, he is a very good school principal. However, I don't think I got across what was needful. I get tired of trying to communicate in formal letters where every word is oh-so-carefully-vague and meetings where there i no time to process, no time to sift through and say what is needful, to bring in the references and ideas that I think would make things so much clearer. I get tired of having to think and communicate in words all the time. No wonder Joey gets exhausted. So I started…
On The Run

Joeymom

16 May 2013 | 4:12 pm

There are many challenging behaviors that can present in any person, but this week we have been keenly aware of one that Joey has been displaying for three years now: "eloping." This is in the original sense of the term, "to slip away" or "escape." With Joey, we have noticed variations in the behavior, and it can be important to note the difference in them when trying to help Joey. I call them bolting, escaping, and running. All three are stress responses. There is also wandering, which we don't see very often, and is more of an impulsive behavior than a stress response. Bolting is actually…

I Speak of Dreams
I blinked and she was gone

Liz

20 May 2013 | 5:32 pm

Over the weekend, I hosted a party honoring my darling daughter's graduation from university. It was a lovely event, with family and friends from near and far coming together to celebrate. Over the years, Jumper Girl has been blessed with a number of caregivers, with whom we are happily still in touch. Many of them were at the party. Of course we were telling stories. One story was the time that Jumper Girl, age about 2, escaped from our secure back yard, when my back was turned for just a minute. At that time, we were putting jingle bells on her…
When dyslexia goes to college....

Liz

20 May 2013 | 4:14 pm

When a well-remediated, hardworking dyslexic student matriculates at a university with excellent disability support, and the dyslexic student finds a field of study that ignites that student's passions, this is what happens: Oh, those honors? My Jumper Girl! I am so proud of her, for so many reasons.

Kim Stagliano
Kim Stagliano: Two Child With Autism Wander and Drown in One Week

Kim Rossi Stagliano

20 May 2013 | 5:55 am

I awoke to an email on Saturday, the subject line read, "My son is missing." I paused for a moment. You know how email can be - lots of funky subjects that lead to phishing emails of all sorts. But I opened and read the email. And then I Googled the name of the child and the details that the sender had provided. My God, her son was missing.Owen Black had wandered away from his holiday condo in Perdido Beach,Owen BlackAlabama and within two minutes, was out of his mother's sight, having slipped out the door.I sent out a FB missive that hundreds shared and Tweeted for…
Trumbull High School Leads Way in Autism Inclusion

Kim Rossi Stagliano

23 Apr 2013 | 10:40 am

Miss G at our local High SchoolAutism awareness month has been overshadowed by recent news events. The blue glow of landmarks and skyscrapers has faded away for most Americans. Even those of us touched by autism have put aside the month's label for the day-to-day reality of caring for, helping, loving our children. Last week was our April vacation here in our Connecticut town. That meant long days of downtime, which is always difficult for my girls, who depend our their routine. Bella, my youngest, kept handing me her purple knapsack. And off we'd go to look at the calendar and re-count…
The big circle

Kim Rossi Stagliano

19 Apr 2013 | 5:16 pm

Mia called this ride the big circle. It's called the Vornado. She asked to ride it. Always chilly at the carnival . We stayed about an hour and rose two rides. $1.25 a ticket and 3 tickets per ride. Yikes! Mia and Gianna had fun while Bella and I watched.
Carnival Time!

Kim Rossi Stagliano

19 Apr 2013 | 3:12 pm
Jenny McCarthy Chats with Kim Stagliano For Autism Action Month

Kim Rossi Stagliano

7 Apr 2013 | 6:05 am

Thanks to Jenny McCarthy for allowing me to share a real life glimpse of what lifeis like for our family - during autism action month - in the hopes that it will educate people outside our community a bit more than a blue landmark. Jenny continues to work hard for the autism community - despite the constant drubbings she takes in the media. And her org Generation Rescue is putting dollars and tools directly into families' hands to help children gain health and skills. Read the full interview at Jenny McCarthy's SPLASH blog at the Chicago Sun Times.Unless you know someone…

Squidalicious
In Which Mali Knows What a Pilum Is

Shannon Des Roches Rosa

23 May 2013 | 10:05 pm

Today Mali made a major word score on the SpellTower app with 'pilum,' which is a Roman javelin. "I know about this because I read so much mythology, Mommy." (So did I. Also a lot of Roman-centric Asterix the Gaul comics. But I still didn't know the word.)While we were waiting for Leo's bus to arrive, we did an SAT vocabulary quiz on my new iPhone. She got 15 out of 20 correct on her own, through knowledge or deduction.Also while waiting for Leo, we had the following exchange:Mali: "I want something cold with lactose in it."Me: "Lactose is the sugar in milk, is that what you meant?"Mali, a…
"Take off your cape and just be a friend."

Shannon Des Roches Rosa

13 May 2013 | 10:54 pm

Please read Don't Be a Hero. It's an important essay on why folks who work or volunteer with people with disabilities need to rethink that pervasive Hero mindset. Excerpt: "Imagine learning that someone befriended you with intentions of putting it on their résumé as volunteer experience or merely to pat themselves on the back. What if your friend accepted your social invitations “out of the goodness of their heart?” How would it feel to know that what your “friend” gained from your relationship is the righteous feeling that they were doing you a favor? Would you feel like you…
An Intense Ten Days

Shannon Des Roches Rosa

15 Apr 2013 | 7:50 am

It's been a while since I did a laundry-listing post. But the last ten days have been so overwhelming, in terms of emotional intensity (I cried a lot, OK?) and events, that I'm just going to have to do that in order for this site to be a functional journal. Which it's supposed to be. And isn't, not lately. I'm also not meaning to be a whiny git, because I've had my full share of whiny parent gits lately and I'd rather not be in their company. But I do want to get all this down, even in raw form. So I can look back and learn, and try to do better.Last weekend was the big fundraiser for Leo's…
"Is Your Son Really That Difficult?"

Shannon Des Roches Rosa

12 Apr 2013 | 10:04 am

Photo © Merrick Brown at FlickrThat's what the well-meaning blinds salesperson who just left my house asked me, after I told her I was leery of installing vertical blinds in our family room -- mostly because I was worried Leo would love them to pieces, quite literally. I launched into kind-but-firm on-the-spot advocacy and acceptance mode. I didn't cry (something I might have done in the past) or get strident (something I am still working on). Instead, I smiled to show how much I love my son, and let her know that she was misunderstanding my concerns.I told her that I wouldn't call my son…
Using His Words

Shannon Des Roches Rosa

8 Apr 2013 | 12:15 am

Seymour's folks were here for the weekend, to attend the big fundraiser for Leo's school, and to watch Iz play soccer. The kids all loved having their grandparents on site, Leo especially -- he greeted them with squeals and giggles, and answered most of their questions (which he is not motivated to do with everyone, trust me). And after they left, he used more language and had the longest conversation he has ever had with us, by far. We need to convince the grandparents to come more often! Here's our exchange:Leo: "Want to get in the car!"Us: "Why do you want to get in the car?"Leo: "Want to…

The Karianna Spectrum
Mood Matching

21 May 2013 | 12:33 pm

When I was in college I took a social skills class on the side. I think it was titled something about "effective relationships," and of course I took it because I was hoping to snag a guy. Proving that I had a lot to learn about men, it didn't occur to me that most guys wouldn't dare even breathe near such a class, so of course my idea fizzled fast. Aside from my botched plan, the two things I most remember about this extra-curricular endeavor were the squeaky-clean perky exchange student and... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
[13] You are Doing it Wrong

16 May 2013 | 9:38 am

The other day, my son asked me if I was a good artist when I was young. I hesitated, and explained that I was very creative when I was younger, but that trying to copy real life was tricky for me. I told him that I really enjoyed a class in college where we were allowed to explore different ways of interpreting the same object. It wasn't just about making things look "right." "Well, I'm an excellent artist," my always-confident son responded. He then told me there were several kids in his... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
My son is wearing hot pink flip-flops at school.

15 May 2013 | 12:32 pm

... with his cowboy uniform. Six years ago, (so hard to believe it really has been that long) I entered the office of what would soon be our local school. I wanted to register my older son for the first grade and get him on any wait-lists immediately so that he could attend the school closest to our new home. The school secretary told us we had to register through the district, and then bring the paperwork to her. Just a few days later, I returned with my completed paperwork. There was a... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
I'm Going to be Honest

14 May 2013 | 9:19 am

Several years ago, I was really into running. I enjoyed the camaraderie of the now-defunct "shredheads" (I still tag my workouts "#shredheads" on Twitter) and enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment I had at the end of my various races for "Project 2010k". That is, until I realized I was still a slow "newbie." I think it hit me during "The Relay." Yes, it was an amazing experience, one that I'll probably never get again. Yes, it was "empowering" in many ways. Except, it kinda wasn't because I... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
[12] Norwegian Pride

10 May 2013 | 9:49 am

I've never been to Norway. But, I love Scandinavian things. Bring on the lefse! My name means "valley dweller" apparently, although I don't speak Norwegian. I tried to learn around age 12, using some cassette tapes I purchased out of a mail-order catalog, but aside from some simple vocabulary, I don't know much. (My grandpa had a placard by his front door that read: "You can tell a Norwegian, but you can't tell him much." Heh.) I suppose I became really interested in my heritage around... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Mother Of Confusion
4 Pregnancy Revelations For Expectant Moms

Monique

22 May 2013 | 10:45 am

Is pregnancy hard for soon-to-be moms? Or, is it a rewarding phase of their lives? It takes more or less 9 months to be pregnant. For some, these 9 months are nothing to worry because only a few changes are felt. But, there are moms who complain a lot because they have the most terrible morning sickness. They can’t even eat and sleep well. The results of pregnancy are not the same. So, avoid comparing yourself to others. Instead, learn more about the entire maternity leave. Here are 4 revelations: Morning sickness or pregnancy nausea does not occur in the mornings alone. Yes, most…
Parenting 101 For Folks With Kids

Monique

7 May 2013 | 8:47 am

Are you expecting a child? Plus, would you like to start a family of your own but are afraid of the typical mistakes you will make along the way? Well, these are really valid concerns because there really is no specific handbook or a license for raising children. Most of the time, as parents one will need to discuss with other parents and even those who have started to groom themselves to be one about these issues. Luckily, there are now options to address these concerns and you wouldn’t need to keep yourself in the dark. A lot of first time parents are really scared of being able to…
Things To Prepare Before Your Pregnancy

Monique

16 Feb 2013 | 7:50 am

Are you one of those newlywed couples who are planning to have a baby soon? There are several things that you need you prepare before pregnancy. Pregnancy can be very complicated and couples need to be knowledgeable about it to prevent any complications and doing the wrong things. In case you don’t have any idea of what you need to prepare before pregnancy, here are my advice to you. Learn About Pregnancy If it’s your first time to have a baby, the very first thing that you need to do is to learn about pregnancy. There are a lot of things that needs to learn about pregnancy. You…
Living And Being A Mom

Monique

11 Jan 2013 | 7:17 am

A lot of women, who have stepped into motherhood, understand how it feels like to worry about a lot of things regarding their family. Another thing that they worry about is how they are going to raise their kids, financially and responsibly, because they would like to let their kids know that they are important. Many people also know that having and raising children is really hard work because many people would like to be able to do these properly. Even if it is difficult, a lot of women would still aim to be mothers because of the fulfillment that it can bring in their lives. It is also…
Things To Do During Pregnancy

Monique

13 Dec 2012 | 12:32 am

There are several things that you need to do in preparation for your pregnancy. As a matter of fact, you need to consider them as soon as you consider being a parent yourself. To begin with, you need to have a to-do list. This will keep you organized and this can prevent you from panicking when the big day comes. It is very important that you take note of everything so you won’t miss anything at all. You can also add a birth plan, in this way you never have to worry about giving birth that much. You also need to include the hospital on which you will give birth and as well as the things…

Stimeyland
Three Weeks to Go

Stimey

24 May 2013 | 7:56 pm

Stimeyland Has Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: http://feeds.feedblitz.com/Stimeyland (Click here to get to the subscription page.) Once you clicked the above and are on the new subscription page, just click how you want to subscribe at the top right. I know this is SO obnoxious. I'm sorry. Please subscribe!! I promise lots of funny new embarrassing stories and heart-string pulling posts if you do! Please? OR! Visit www.stimeyland.com and subscribe by email from the sidebar. http://feeds.feedblitz.com/stimeyland
The Day of 1000 Cakes

Stimey

22 May 2013 | 8:39 pm

Stimeyland Has Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: http://feeds.feedblitz.com/Stimeyland (Click here to get to the subscription page.) Once you clicked the above and are on the new subscription page, just click how you want to subscribe at the top right. I know this is SO obnoxious. I'm sorry. Please subscribe!! I promise lots of funny new embarrassing stories and heart-string pulling posts if you do! Please? OR! Visit www.stimeyland.com and subscribe by email from the sidebar. http://feeds.feedblitz.com/stimeyland
The Inclusion Problem

Stimey

21 May 2013 | 9:27 pm

Stimeyland Has Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: http://feeds.feedblitz.com/Stimeyland (Click here to get to the subscription page.) Once you clicked the above and are on the new subscription page, just click how you want to subscribe at the top right. I know this is SO obnoxious. I'm sorry. Please subscribe!! I promise lots of funny new embarrassing stories and heart-string pulling posts if you do! Please? OR! Visit www.stimeyland.com and subscribe by email from the sidebar. http://feeds.feedblitz.com/stimeyland
In Dreams

Stimey

16 May 2013 | 6:27 pm

Stimeyland Has Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: http://feeds.feedblitz.com/Stimeyland (Click here to get to the subscription page.) Once you clicked the above and are on the new subscription page, just click how you want to subscribe at the top right. I know this is SO obnoxious. I'm sorry. Please subscribe!! I promise lots of funny new embarrassing stories and heart-string pulling posts if you do! Please? OR! Visit www.stimeyland.com and subscribe by email from the sidebar. http://feeds.feedblitz.com/stimeyland
Jean and Jack Day

Stimey

13 May 2013 | 8:40 pm

Stimeyland Has Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: http://feeds.feedblitz.com/Stimeyland (Click here to get to the subscription page.) Once you clicked the above and are on the new subscription page, just click how you want to subscribe at the top right. I know this is SO obnoxious. I'm sorry. Please subscribe!! I promise lots of funny new embarrassing stories and heart-string pulling posts if you do! Please? OR! Visit www.stimeyland.com and subscribe by email from the sidebar. http://feeds.feedblitz.com/stimeyland

Elvis Sightings
Mother's Day

12 May 2013 | 10:22 am

It's Mother's Day, and Facebook is full of photos and memories and memories-in-the-making and tributes to amazing mothers and radical mothers and those whose families are not bounded by traditional concepts of family.Lots of tangled emotion around this day.I was thrilled to find the below piece of artwork in Joy's backpack on Friday!And check out the message from the back of the painting:Task = 10 min on taskPrompt + ModelSome Hand Over HandOutcome = "Priceless"This quote says a great deal about how things are with Joy's educational journey this year.First - that she has incredibly dedicated…
Light Up My Blue Suede Shoes

2 Apr 2013 | 4:53 am

Thanks to TJ Mertz for alerting me to this image --and congratulations to TJ on his election to the school board!I've been Elvis-Sighting blogging since mid-2008.The United Nations first celebrated April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day in 2008. This April makes five years of Autism Awareness Day/Month that I've blogged through -- and mostly ignored. Flipping back through all those Aprils, I've not once used the phrase "Light It Up Blue" for autism.It's not that I'm opposed to autism awareness. By all means, let's be aware! But let's not be scared, or scare-mongers.
An Honor

23 Mar 2013 | 4:05 am

"A burden," Wisconsin state representative Dan LeMahieu (R-Cascade) called my daughter, speaking before a gathering of school board members and public school administrators in Madison last week. "A burden on our schools."OK, he wasn't singling out Joy as an individual. He was talking about students with special needs in general, you understand. But especially the more disabled ones, the more expensive ones. Speaking in Joy's own school district, about students with extra challenges... so yes, in a very real way, he did refer to my daughter as a burden.Rep. LeMahieu probably…
She Told Me, I Listened

7 Mar 2013 | 5:37 pm

She pulled down her pants this afternoon, in the middle of the living room.I took her to the bathroom, where she promptly peed on the pot.She told me. I listened.So small. And yet, I can't help but think that the earth moved on its axis just a little bit!
A Letter on Sequestration

1 Mar 2013 | 4:43 am

I sent a letter this morning to four people: President Obama, Senator Ron Johnson, Senator Tammy Baldwin, Representative Mark Pocan.=======Dear President Obama,Yesterday afternoon, my husband and I sat down with a team of seven educators and administrators to write this year's Individualized Education Program (IEP) for our daughter's upcoming school year.Our daughter Joy is a cheerful, bright-eyed second-grader, full of energy and laughter. She can ice-skate, she can snow-shoe, she can manipulate an iPad like nobody's business! Joy also only speaks a few words. She has a sobering catalog of…

Disability Scoop
Church Denies Wedding For Couple With Special Needs

Shaun Heasley

24 May 2013 | 10:14 am

A Catholic church has turned down a request from a couple with disabilities to be married, with a clergyman insisting that the pair is not ready.
Study Points To Disability Housing Crisis

Michelle Diament

23 May 2013 | 9:08 pm

Housing is out of reach for many with disabilities, with a new report finding that rent for a small apartment often exceeds the total government benefits offered to such individuals.
Tech Giant To Recruit Workers With Autism

Michelle Diament

22 May 2013 | 9:12 pm

A leading software company, with offices in the United States and around the globe, is launching a strategic effort to hire people with autism in order to tap their unique talents.
Feds Eye Better Outcomes For Kids On SSI

Shaun Heasley

21 May 2013 | 9:13 pm

Through improved supports and services, the Obama administration is looking to boost the long-term prospects of kids with disabilities who receive Supplemental Security Income.
Barred From Living Together, Newlyweds Offered Joint Placement

Shaun Heasley

21 May 2013 | 11:30 am

More than a month after marrying, a couple with intellectual disabilities who were forced to remain in separate group homes may soon be able to live together.

Facing Autism in New Brunswick
Conor Goes For A Swim (and a Dive and a Slide) and Shows Terrific Progress In His Rhabdomyolysis Recovery

H L Doherty

24 May 2013 | 8:11 am

Conor home after a great swim adventure; making terrific progress on his recovery Conor's autism and profound developmental delay were supplemented by two grand mal seizures between November 2012 and April 2013. The second seizure occurred two days after he began treatment with the anti seizure medication Lamotrogine. During the second week of treatment when his dosage was increased from 1 to 2 25 mg tablets a day he began to sleep and medical advice was sought. The specialists were not available quickly but our family doctor saw us early the next day and advised us to cut…
DSM5 Autism Spectrum Disorder Has Arrived: Are Ari Ne'eman and John Elder Robison Still Autistic?

H L Doherty

19 May 2013 | 4:30 am

The DSM5 has been released and is now beginning to impact the world of autism. Most discussion of the DSM5's New Autism Spectrum Disorder has ignored the effect of the language of mandatory criterion A which will act to exclude from autism diagnosis those with severe intellectual disability. Most of the discussion has focused on the potential exclusionary impact on those who would meet DSM-IV Asperger's criteria. That being said the DSM5 autism team leaders have assured the high functioning end of the DSM-IV autism spectrum that those currently diagnosed with Asperger's or high…
Conor's Physiotherapy With CBC's Terry Seguin

H L Doherty

15 May 2013 | 2:57 am

Conor is still recovering from Rhabdomyolysis, an adverse reaction to anti-seizure medication, Lamotrogine and needs phsyiotherapy to rebuild his damaged muscles, balance and co-ordination. Just being home is a huge help for Conor, back home with Mom, Dad, his brother and his familiar routines. One of those routines has been to get out of bed every morning at 6 am. If he is awake at 5:30 he stays in bed until 6. That is his routine and Conor has a classic autism need for routine. When he gets up each morning his routine has also included turning on the television…
Unthinking Autism Guide Shannon Rosa Attacks Autism Parents .... AGAIN.

H L Doherty

12 May 2013 | 5:20 am

Shannon Rosa, with the Twitter help of Seth Mnookin and Dr. Jon Brock is at it again, misrepresenting autism disorders and the state of knowledge about autism causation and of course blaming autism parents fighting for their children for the latest report of a professional caregiver abusing an autistic child because they dare talk honestly about the negative aspects of autism DISORDERS : "At their worst, negative media-sown autism messages influence people like Greg Simard, who brutally beat a 12-year-old, non-speaking autistic boy in his care. Simard justified his…
Conor Is Home From the Hospital!

H L Doherty

11 May 2013 | 6:58 am

Above Conor, and Mom, in the bottom pic, on the way home. Conor's Mom stayed at the hospital with him 24/7, for 2 weeks Dad spelled her off at times and the nursing students also sat with Conor and gave Mom some breaks once he was moved from the Intensive Care Unit to a room in Pediatrics. In the grainy pic below (taken in dark lighting) Conor rests at home on one of our living room cozy couches. Conor is home! After 2 weeks in the hospital, including 6 days in intensive care, it feels great to have our buddy home with us. Yesterday I told Conor I would be back at 8 am this…

ASF Blog
How Can Immigrant Families Get Help For Their Autistic Child

autismsciencefoundation

24 May 2013 | 6:44 am

ByMarcela De Vivo, mother of a child with a severe disability and freelance writer who works with Oltarsh law firms. She writes on immigration law, health and special education law and inclusion. For any family, providing the best care and support for an autistic child presents numerous challenges. In a family of immigrants, dealing with autism can be overwhelming, from diagnosis to treatment. In particular, immigrants may lack access to a secure healthcare network, making solutions seem inaccessible. Here are some things to think about: Image Courtesy of Christian Briggs/Wikimedia…
Autism Science Foundation Announces 2013 Grant Recipients

autismsciencefoundation

15 Apr 2013 | 8:38 am

Today, the Autism Science Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to funding autism research, announced the recipients of its annual pre- and postdoctoral fellowships, as well as the first recipient of a new 3-year early career award, and the recipient of its first treatment grant. Three postdoctoral and four predoctoral grants will be awarded to student/mentor teams conducting research in autism interventions, etiology, treatment targets, early diagnosis, biomarkers and animal models. Dr. Jill Locke of the University of Pennsylvania was named the recipient of ASF’s first…
Identifying ASD in Community Settings

autismsciencefoundation

9 Apr 2013 | 9:35 am

By Matthew Maenner Early identification of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) continues to be an important public health objective. Research has shown that ASD can be reliably identified in children by around 2 years of age, and public health campaigns promote the detection of developmental “early warning signs” that may indicate ASD. Despite these efforts, there is a considerable gap between the age ASD is detected in clinical research, and the age at which children are identified as having ASD in typical community settings. Previous population-based studies have shown that the…
Taking Action in April: My Morning at the White House

autismsciencefoundation

2 Apr 2013 | 10:23 am

By Alison Singer, Co-Founder and President of ASF NIMH Director Dr. Tom Insel, Nobel Laureate Dr. Eric Kandel, & ASF President Alison Singer in the East Room of the White House It’s not about autism awareness anymore; it’s about action! And today the Obama Administration took action, unveiling a new, bold scientific effort to examine how the human brain works. Scientists and advocates joined President Obama in the East Room of the White House this morning for a discussion of the project and the official public announcement of the BRAIN Initiative (Brain Research through Advancing…
Study: No Link Between Autism and Receiving Multiple Vaccines

autismsciencefoundation

2 Apr 2013 | 9:31 am

by Theresa Waldron, author of http://www.healthsnark.com Anti-vaccine groups have been speaking out since the late 1980s against the many vaccines recommended for infants and children to prevent childhood infectious diseases. One-third of parents say they are concerned about the safety of vaccines, and one in 10 refuse or delay to vaccinate their children out of those concerns. One of the most vocal of their worries is that vaccines are linked to autism, and that the standard 28 vaccines recommended for children from birth to age six are excessive and harmful. In fact, some anti-vaccine…

AutMont
Event Summary for the Week of May 20, 2013

21 May 2013 | 8:28 am

Check out the AutMont Calendar to see all of the activities for this week, as well as those coming up! Wednesday, May 22: Social Behavior Mapping Up for Discussion on AutMont: Wandering ... is it a problem or concern of yours? Stay tuned or more information on how to protect your child and family. ***** Do you know of another event? Leave details in the comments!
Event Summary for the Week of May 13, 2013

13 May 2013 | 9:18 am

Check out the AutMont Calendar to see all of the activities for this week, as well as those coming up! Monday, May 13: Tuesday, May 14: Self Advocacy: An Adolescent Transition Lecture (outside Mont. Co) Occupational Therapy for Children on the Autism Spectrum Wednesday, May 15: M&L Special Needs Planning, LLC: Transition Times Thursday, May 16: Friday, May 17: Saturday, May 18: Germantown 5-Miler Sunday, May 19: Up for Discussion on AutMont: ***** Do you know of another event? Leave details in the comments!
Event Summary Week of May 6, 2013

5 May 2013 | 7:43 pm

Check out the AutMont Calendar to see all of the activities for this week, as well as those coming up! Monday, May 6: Bounce U Sensory Rebound Bounce Tuesday, May 7: Understanding SSI/Medicaid &SSDI/Medicare Wednesday, May 8: Social Thinking Conference Siblings: A unique perspective MC Trans Meeting w/Hans Riemer Our Dash in Time: Reflections on Dreams and Being: Jeni Stepanek Thursday, May 9: Social Thinking Conference Checkers with a Twist Saturday, May 11: Saturday Night Alive Sunday, May 12: James and The Giant Peach - Sensory Friendly Performance at Imagination Stage ***** Do you…
Autism Awareness Month

30 Apr 2013 | 6:59 pm

It is the last day of April, the month that marks Autism Awareness Month. I hope that everything we learned and did this month continues every day and month. Autism can be scary thing for a parent to hear. My autism is different from your autism and her autism. It is a neurogenetic condition that affects language development, speech, social interpretation and social interaction, limited play/repetitive behaviors, the processing of sensory information (auditory, tactile, proprioceptive) affecting touch, being touched, clothing on the body, sounds, light, and eating certain…
Event Summary for the week of April 29, 2013

30 Apr 2013 | 11:13 am

Check out the AutMont Calendar to see all of the activities for this week, as well as those coming up! Monday, April 29: Autism Lecture Series - GWU Tuesday, April 30 Navigating the Financial World of the Special Needs Family Thursday, May 2: Futures & Estate Planning for Families of Children with Developmental Disabilities The Germantown 5-Miler to benefit SportsPlus - May 18th, register now! The Germantown 5 miler and the Sports Plus 1K will be held on May 18th and is conducted by the Montgomery County Road Runners Club. The race, known for its rolling course…

Autism Blogs Directory
A Poem by Scott Lentine

K Wombles

20 May 2013 | 4:24 pm

Here is my most recent poem from an event I attended in Boston called All Aboard The Arc!, a charity event to help peoples with intellectual disabilities. ScottAll Aboard The Arc! AnthemBreaking down barriersOpening up doorsLetting every individual’s opportunities soarThis is what All Aboard The Arc stands forChanging norms that is the goalMaking sure society does not leave us out in the coldStruggling every day to gain equal rightsObtaining this vision through passion and mightI’m taking this journey with youI want to be a member of your crewI am pleased that my ideas have…
In Memorium: Mikaela Lynch

K Wombles

19 May 2013 | 8:55 am

Sunday Stillwell, over at Adventures in Extreme Parenting, has a blog-link for all those bloggers who are honoring Mikaela Lynch and offering empathy and support to her family, as they deal with the tragic loss of their daughter.Wandering is a terrifying experience for families of autistic children who know no fear and have an intense curiosity. Many of us, more than half, have children who do or did wander.It can happen in the blink of an eye, in the turn of a body, in the moment we run inside, or into another room, to grab something really fast. It can happen and does at schools where staff…
Guest Post: Alyssa from Yes, That Too

K Wombles

8 May 2013 | 2:13 pm

From Yes, That TooWhat Reading Self-Advocate Blogs DoesI probably wrote this way back in October, and I have had thoughts about the term self-advocatesince, but here's one of the things I wrote on Autism NOW. Not sure when the rest will be up.Trigger Warning: Mentions of abuse, tragedy/burden talkThere's plenty of autistic people blogging, mostly adults since it's mostly adults who blog. Most of the ones I've read, most of the autistic adults who are involved in advocacy that I've talked to, most of the parents who "get it" say how important it is to listen to autistic adults. Some people…
Book Review: Chicken Soup for the Soul: Parents Writing Inspirational Stories about Raising Kids on the Spectrum

K Wombles

30 Apr 2013 | 5:37 am

Chicken Soup books are popular and cover inspirational stories ranging from angels to chronic pain, from dogs and cats to Canada. If there's a topic you're interested in, they most likely have a book for you. Unless you're on the spectrum, so you might want to email them and tell them that the next book needs to be inspirational stories from autistic individuals because autism isn't just about parenting autistic children. Not every book can deliver every angle, so criticizing this book for not including autistic voices would be unfair and inaccurate: Jean Winegardner is both on the…
The Book Kathleen and I Wish We'd Had

K Wombles

21 Apr 2013 | 3:35 pm

Last month Kathleen and I were asked if we'd review Dr. James Coplan's book Making Sense of Autistic Spectrum Disorders. I love its subtitle: Create the Brightest Future for Your Child with the Best Treatment Options.If there's such a thing as an autism expert, Dr. Coplan is it and his book is the first book I'd hand new parents. New parents. Not just new parents to autism, but to all new parents. The first chapter alone is worth the price of the book. Far too often, despite what first time parents might read on the pregnancy and new baby websites and in traditional books, they are still…

Countering...
Blowing in the wind

K Wombles

22 May 2013 | 4:50 pm
Fear and Loathing...part 2 (wait, what was part 1 and why loathing?)

K Wombles

22 May 2013 | 10:06 am

Can't think of fear without the loathing part thanks to Hunter S. Thompson. I think that's in part because you tend to feel some level of self-loathing for feeling fear, and you certainly do to other people whose fear renders them less than noble, like Yossarian in Catch-22. He's not heroic in the traditional sense, although it occurs to me that Ayn Rand might consider him to be an incredible hero for putting self-preservation first.Fear, though, is about self-preservation. It's an adaptive emotion, most of the time. The problem is when fear is crippling, disabling, and leaves a person…
Mikaela, Owen, Drew

K Wombles

20 May 2013 | 9:36 am

I read a lot of bloggers; I feel it's important to keep connected to what other parents are dealing with, and to read a diversity of autistic bloggers, as well as blogs dealing with disability.One of the things that I can't help but focus on is how we are all involved in similar life experiences. All of us will deal with health issues, all of us will deal with the loss of loved ones, with financial struggles, with the big questions of why we are here and what our purpose is.On many blogs, where families are struggling with devastating tragedies, there is an outpouring of support, and it's…
Century Plant

K Wombles

18 May 2013 | 3:49 pm
"Don't Worry": When the Real Risk is Slim But Your Body Rejects the Logic

K Wombles

16 May 2013 | 7:52 am

"Approximately 1 in 10 women will be called back for further examination after a screening mammogram.Don’t worry—the fact that you require additional imaging does not mean you have cancer. Most abnormalities found during a mammogram are not breast cancer. In fact, 80% of women recalled for a diagnostic mammogram have benign (non-cancerous) conditions. These conditions range from cysts (collections of fluid in the breast) to benign tumors know as fibroadenomas." --Diagnostic Mammogram: What You Should Know Don't worry--and you know the song is playing in my…

Different Roads to Learning Blog
2013 GRASP Benefit: “A Time for Change”

Different Roads to Learning

24 May 2013 | 9:28 am

We were delighted to attend the 2013 Global Regional Asperger’s Syndrome Partnership (GRASP) Benefit last Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at the Downtown Community Television Center in New York to congratulate founder and former executive director Michael John Carley for his ten years of cultivating GRASP into the influential network of support groups it is today. Since its launch in 2003, GRASP has become a nation-wide organization that provides community outreach, support groups, advocacy, and education to adolescents and adults on the autism spectrum. The 2013 Benefit: “A Time for Change” also…
Pick of the Week: ConversaCards

Different Roads to Learning

21 May 2013 | 11:07 am

Many strategies to help individuals on the autism spectrum organize and prioritize their daily activities propose using visual supports, color coding, lists, and other teaching materials such as timers and sequence cards. Understanding the concept of time and honing critical thinking and expressive language skills early in development is especially vital to creating plans and making conversation independently later on in life. Our Pick of this Week this week features the ConversaCards, which were developed to encourage organization, critical thinking, and conversation skills in children.
Hope Springs Farm

Different Roads to Learning

15 May 2013 | 10:20 am

We relish the opportunity to share creative, inspired programs that support individuals with developmental disabilities with you. Today, we want to tell you about Hope Springs Farm, a scenic 17-acre farm located in the quiet countryside of Hershey, Pennsylvania. Started by Neil and Nina Rovner to support their daughter, they now run a day program for adults with developmental disabilities and autism.The farm features a large activity center and program building surrounded by quaint flower beds, a 6,000 square-foot fruit, vegetable and herb garden, a barn, a large chicken house, fenced grazing…
Pick of the Week: The VB-MAPP Set

Different Roads to Learning

14 May 2013 | 8:26 am

Assessment and data collection are critical for every student on the spectrum…and can get expensive. This week, we’re thrilled to give you a bit of a break by offering the VB-MAPP Set by Dr. Mark Sundberg as our Pick of the Week. This week only, SAVE 15% on the VB-MAPP Set, VB-MAPP Guide or VB-MAPP Protocol by entering in the promo code BLOGVBM9 at checkout. Dr. Mark Sundberg’s Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) is an assessment with a curriculum guide and skill-tracking system that assists educators, speech pathologists, psychologists, and…
Different Roads to Learning Celebrates National Teacher Appreciation Week

Different Roads to Learning

9 May 2013 | 11:12 am

This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week! Are you doing something special to honor the hard work a teacher has done for you or your child? The second week of May is set aside to pay tribute to those who help educate our children in the classroom, build leadership skills, and are passionate about molding future generations into successful individuals. We encourage you all to take the time this week to reach out to a teacher who has impacted you or your child and say “thank you.” Let the teachers in your community know that you appreciate the patience, dedication, and positivity…

Asperger's Diary
How Inclusion Benefits Businesses

Lynne Soraya

19 May 2013 | 4:25 pm

Can inclusion have a bottom-line impact for business? It's a question I think about a lot. I'm an advocate, but I also work in the business world. Can those two worlds meet? Can the business world create value for the community, in a way that also benefits the company? I've always hoped so, and thus I’m always alert for concrete examples in my daily life.read more
What Acceptance Means to Me

Lynne Soraya

20 Apr 2013 | 3:56 pm

Since the 1970s, April has been known as Autism Awareness Month. Some groups are now saying that awareness isn't enough…that it needs to go further. That is why they are pushing for April to become known as Autism Acceptance Month.read more
New Research on Autism and Suicide

Lynne Soraya

17 Mar 2013 | 3:14 pm

More than two years ago, when I wrote my post on Asperger's and suicide, I googled the terms "autism and suicide" and "Asperger's and suicide." I was appalled to find how few resources there were out there. They were sparse to the point of nonexistent. Now, that appears to be changing.read more
Visiting Sensory Shangri-La

Lynne Soraya

11 Mar 2013 | 9:01 pm

In the autism community, we hear a lot about sensory aversions, and the overload that they can cause. In my last two posts, I talked about the way these experiences can have unexpected consequences, both in the classroom, and in the wider adult world. What we don’t often hear about is the flip side of this – when sensory experiences attract, rather than repel. read more
Sensory Sensitivity and Problem Behavior

Lynne Soraya

10 Feb 2013 | 6:51 pm

In many circles, there's a strong bias toward eliminating problem behaviors. Is there a problem with this approach? read more

Prosper with Aspergers: Autism Spectrum Facts and Solutions
Social Thinking Introduction for Adults With Aspergers

Stephen Borgman

22 May 2013 | 8:40 am

This audio blog is excerpted in large part from Michelle Garcia Winner and Pamela Crooke’s book, Socially Curious and Curiously Social: A Social Thinking Guidebook for Bright Teens and Young Adults. listen to ‘Social Skills for Adults With Aspergers’ on Audioboo The post Social Thinking Introduction for Adults With Aspergers appeared first on Prosper with Aspergers: Autism Spectrum Facts and Solutions.
Aspergers Adults Symptoms and Signs Explained

Stephen Borgman

21 May 2013 | 4:50 am

A covered pot of rice and water, if left unattended, will boil over. You can imagine the surprise and stress in the room when the rice and water are boiling over the edges of the pan. Aspergers adults symptoms and signs are like that pot of water and rice on the flame. The same thing happens to adults with Aspergers. What looks like a full-blown rage or tantrum episode, may actually be the accumulation of a lot of little stressors and anxieties bubbling up as reactions to different events. It’s important to realize, as well, that meltdowns are often panic attacks disguised as…
Education For Children With Autism: Exceptionally Good Friends

Stephen Borgman

13 May 2013 | 4:58 pm

Building Relationships with Autism The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority. ~Ralph W. Sockman Data Droids Discover Empaths Imagine an alien planet with various races. The data droid race happens to be a majority race. And the empaths are a minority. The data droid race requires all empaths to take classes in database management, quantum theory analysis, and basic addition and subtraction. Empaths wonder, however, why the data droids don’t have to learn anything about feels, emotional intelligence, and…
Social Skills Lessons for Adults With Autism

Stephen Borgman

6 May 2013 | 3:51 pm

Set Your Social Skills Goals Today Imagine trying to play soccer when you don’t even know the rules of the game. If I wandered on the field, picked up the ball, and started passing it to other players, they would both insult me and yell at me. Yet often, adults with autism have tried to “play the game” of social relationships without ever understanding the rules. And unlike soccer and other sports, the nuances of communication and relationships are often unwritten. So there aren’t a lot of obvious rules to refer to! I’ve compiled a list of social skills lessons sites and…
Diagnosing Autism and Aspergers in Adults

Stephen Borgman

10 Apr 2013 | 4:45 am

Have you been diagnosed? Autism is not a puzzle, nor a disease. Autism is a challenge but certainly not a devastating one.Autism is about having a pure heart and being very sensitive… It is about finding a way to survive in an overwhelming, confusing world… It is about developing differently, in a different pace and with different leaps. Autistic beings develop and bloom if their spirits, talents and self-esteem are not destroyed by bullies, prejudice, ‘doggie-training’, and being forced to be ‘normal’. Trisha Van Berkel, Odd One Out Blog Diagnosing Autism In Adults: How Does…

autisable's Autisable
Duck, Bear, Frog

24 May 2013 | 1:00 pm

As anybody that follows regularly knows, the potty is Bianca's muse. Yet again while sitting on the potty, she surprised me. More Here...
When It Rains

24 May 2013 | 11:00 am

Today was a very long day. After water therapy I had a drs appointment. Liam could have stayed with his uncle but he chose to come because the ladies always let him swim. More Here...
Growing Pains: Starvation

24 May 2013 | 11:00 am

More Here...
Autism Light: Fred and Aly Harmon

24 May 2013 | 9:00 am

Thousands of thrift stores dot the landscape of both rural and urban cities across the world. They are a treasure for hearts that can find a second life for someone else's discarded goods, and they are a retail lifeline to those who are struggling to get by on a tight budget. Today's Autism Lights have started a thrift store that is all that and a business that can be a treasure and lifeline to those facing autism. More Here...
Butterflies, Daffodils and Unicorns

24 May 2013 | 7:00 am

Spring has sprung. The air is warmer. The grass is green again. The birds are chirping. You can hear the crickets and the frogs at night. You can smell the fresh flowers and the trees as they bloom. The ancient Greeks celebrated spring as the return of Persephone to the world of her mother Demeter. For as Persephone lived for six months out of every year in the underworld with Hades, Demeter in her despair left the Earth fallow and without any growth, warmth or nurture. Spring is the time for renewal and a burst of energy. It is the time to open the windows and let in the sunshine. It is a…

From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism Blog
From the Archives: A Southern Gal In Need of Sensory Input

Devon Alley

18 May 2013 | 3:23 am

In these snippets from the archives, my daughter accuses me of being echolalic, and she desperately needs some increased sensory input after I pull her out of her regular routine. September 1, 2006: As A. and I were walking up the stairs to our apartment...(read more)
I Take The Conversations When I Get Them

Devon Alley

17 May 2013 | 9:21 am

To be fair, my daughter's overall reclusive nature and tendency to avoid conversations with her parental figures has, I believe, more to do now with the fact she's quickly approaching 14 years of age than it does with the fact she's autistic, but that...(read more)
From the Archives: Happy Mother’s Day! … in August.

Devon Alley

11 May 2013 | 5:42 pm

In this entry from the archives, my daughter becomes obsessed with the idea of creating a perfect Mother's Day for me... in the middle of August. August 30, 2006: Tonight, my daughter became suddenly obsessed with the concept of Mother’s Day. She told...(read more)
Lessons in Driving

Devon Alley

5 May 2013 | 2:56 pm

My daughter teaches me so many important lessons, especially when I take a moment to pause, and listen. This weekend, my daughter taught me a few important lessons in driving. It's amusing, because I'd had a dream Friday night that I was trying to teach...(read more)
Stim and Let Stim

Devon Alley

29 Apr 2013 | 7:01 pm

A. wanders through the house, talking loudly to herself, performing skits in her head, sometimes even yelling and shouting the parts, using strange squeaky voices for the different characters in whatever playlet she is enacting. If you ask her what she's...(read more)

The Autism News
Business sees Value in Autism

The Autism News

24 May 2013 | 8:28 am

Temple Grandin, The Autistic Brain: Thinking across the Spectrum, joins Thom Hartmann. Many people see Autism as a debilitating disorder – but now some businesses are starting to treat it as a competitive advantage. Author: TheBigPictureRT (YouTube)
Autism Community Reels: Three Drowning Deaths in One Week

The Autism News

24 May 2013 | 8:26 am

The autism community is reeling with the news that three autistic children have drowned in just over a week. These tragic deaths highlight the need for more and better research into the issue of autistic wandering, more properly termed “elopement.” Mikaela Lynch, 9, went missing on Mother’s Day. Her body was found three days later in a creek near her family’s Lake County, California, vacation home. Owen Black, 8, went missing in Perdido, Florida on Friday, May 17. His body was found two days later, in the Gulf of Mexico, a half-mile from where he went missing. On Saturday, May 18,…
UCLA awarded $10M grant to study autism in African-Americans

The Autism News

24 May 2013 | 8:26 am

The National Institutes of Health awarded UCLA a grant to study the genetic causes of autism in African American children. Areva Martin of the Special Needs Network says “there’s a void” of qualified health care officials to make the diagnosis in communities like South LA. Author: Dr. Bruce Hensel | The Grio
Study: Minority Students Less Like to Be Identified With Autism

The Autism News

24 May 2013 | 8:25 am

The rates of autism for students of all races is on the increase, but students who are black, Hispanic, or American Indian are less likely to be identified with the disability compared to white and Asian students, according to a study published this month in The Journal of Special Education. The study, “A Multiyear National Profile of Racial Disparity in Autism Identification,” compiled information collected by the federal government from 1998 to 2006 on the race and disability category of students in special education. Using that information, the researchers were able to…
State’s Autism Supervisor eliminated, Parents speak out

The Autism News

24 May 2013 | 8:23 am

Four year old Courtney loves everything about the playground…From the slide…To the swing. And Courtney’s mother loves the progress her Autistic daughter is making. “She’s forming her own sentences and, I can’t tell you how huge that is for a mother. And I just can’t imagine other parents not getting that opportunity. And I think if we lose these people they are trying to lay-off, they’re going to miss out,” said Courtney’s mother Lacey Bourque. She’s concerned about her daughter’s progression without an Autistic…

Autism from a Father's Point of View
Minecraft and Autism – Putting the two together in video

Stuart Duncan

22 May 2013 | 5:34 am

My children love Minecraft. It’s a “sandbox” kind of game, meaning that what you do in it is entirely up to you. You can build, adventure, fight… what ever! As I always do, to better relate and help my boys, I started playing it myself. I do this with all games that they play. I feel it’s important. Lately, I started recording myself playing Minecraft as I was requested to show what I was working on and to create tutorials on how to make some things. So I decided that I am going to make an effort to combine Minecraft with what I do in the autism community and…
Until it happens to you – Honoring Mikaela Lynch

Stuart Duncan

20 May 2013 | 7:03 am

Do you remember when you first heard about autism? I don’t. I’m fairly certain it was long before I ever became a parent, but I don’t remember exactly. I find the same to be true of most parents that I talk to. We just don’t bother learning about it because it doesn’t pertain to us, therefore, it doesn’t interest us. Until we have a child with autism. Then we have no choice. But what if we had learned about it before the fact? I think, and it may be just me, that it would have helped me immensely to know more about autism before I had to. Now, as recent…
I will not judge you

Stuart Duncan

7 May 2013 | 8:48 pm

We are a judgmental species. We judge others the moment we meet them. How a person looks, how they behave, what they wear, how they speak, the words they use, their posture and then, if we ever get that far, their decisions and opinions. We can’t help it. We form our own opinions, not just of those traits but of those people themselves, without even knowing them. If you feel that you are judged by everyone, everywhere you go, I want you to know that I will not judge you. If you find parenting hard, I will not judge you. If you feel that you are struggling, I will not judge you. If you…
The Great Bike Giveaway – Have a special child that needs a special bike? This is for you!

Stuart Duncan

6 May 2013 | 8:59 am

My son, Cameron, is going to turn 8 this summer and still can’t handle a bicycle very well. He can ride up and down the sidewalk with training wheels but is still struggling with it. He has autism, which most people think of as being a purely mental disorder but the truth is that in some cases, it can render a person’s muscles very unwieldy. He looks very awkward when he runs, he has a hard time with games of coordination and has not yet mastered the art of playing catch. All of these things, by the way, his 5 year old younger brother can do quite well. The Friendship Circle is…
Autism from a Father’s Point of View celebrates 1000 Ausome Things #AutismPositivity2013

Stuart Duncan

30 Apr 2013 | 6:39 am

As part of the Autism Positivity flash blog event, we bloggers are encouraged to list 1000 positive aspects about autism to combat the waves and waves of negativity through out the media and such… but instead of just 1000, I thought it would be better to aim higher. How about 1,000,000? 10,000,000? How about 140,000,000? Because if the latest estimates are to be believed from the CDC, which puts autism near 1 in 50 school children, then out of 7,000,000,000 on the planet, we have a lot to be positive about. Every single child is priceless. There is no limit to a chlid’s value and…

autisable's Autisable
Duck, Bear, Frog

24 May 2013 | 1:00 pm

As anybody that follows regularly knows, the potty is Bianca's muse. Yet again while sitting on the potty, she surprised me. More Here...
When It Rains

24 May 2013 | 11:00 am

Today was a very long day. After water therapy I had a drs appointment. Liam could have stayed with his uncle but he chose to come because the ladies always let him swim. More Here...
Growing Pains: Starvation

24 May 2013 | 11:00 am

More Here...
Autism Light: Fred and Aly Harmon

24 May 2013 | 9:00 am

Thousands of thrift stores dot the landscape of both rural and urban cities across the world. They are a treasure for hearts that can find a second life for someone else's discarded goods, and they are a retail lifeline to those who are struggling to get by on a tight budget. Today's Autism Lights have started a thrift store that is all that and a business that can be a treasure and lifeline to those facing autism. More Here...
Butterflies, Daffodils and Unicorns

24 May 2013 | 7:00 am

Spring has sprung. The air is warmer. The grass is green again. The birds are chirping. You can hear the crickets and the frogs at night. You can smell the fresh flowers and the trees as they bloom. The ancient Greeks celebrated spring as the return of Persephone to the world of her mother Demeter. For as Persephone lived for six months out of every year in the underworld with Hades, Demeter in her despair left the Earth fallow and without any growth, warmth or nurture. Spring is the time for renewal and a burst of energy. It is the time to open the windows and let in the sunshine. It is a…

Adventures in Extreme Parenthood
Honoring #MikaelaLynch

Sunday

19 May 2013 | 5:54 am

Tomorrow over 300 autism and special needs bloggers are coming together to honor the life of nine year-old Mikaela Lynch who wandered from her family's vacation home in Clearlake, California on... Click here to keep reading!
It could be my child on that poster

Sunday

14 May 2013 | 1:54 pm

**Update** On Wednesday, May 15th the body of Mikaela Lynch was found in the Cache Creek near her parents' vacation home. My heart is heavy and I feel devastated by this loss. I know... Click here to keep reading!
Rock bottom is relative

Sunday

6 May 2013 | 9:57 am

Words cannot describe how scared I was after hitting "publish" on last week's blog post. I wrote it just before leaving for work and when I checked in four hours later the dozens of comments, tweets,... Click here to keep reading!
Coming clean.

Sunday

1 May 2013 | 7:26 am

I had my last drunk on February 3, 2013. I had started drinking that morning at 9 am which was common for me on the weekends. I remember waking up that day the same way I did most mornings...... Click here to keep reading!
Big Grips are iPad insurance!

Sunday

14 Apr 2013 | 9:00 pm

As you well know iPads do not come with insurance. This is because they break so easily when dropped. When my sons first got theirs I was scared to death that one of them would see if it... Click here to keep reading!

Living With Autism: A Parents Perspective
When Miles Got Mad US/Can Ends May 28

Carl Bainbridge

14 May 2013 | 4:54 pm

The Mother Company has offered me an opportunity to review their new book When Miles Got Mad and to offer a copy to one of my readers. Personally the book was an interesting read and I felt it could be useful in helping our autistic son learn some tips for when he got upset. Because [...]
Angry Birds Star Wars At At Attack Giveaway US ONLY 05/17

Carl Bainbridge

2 May 2013 | 7:01 pm

I was provided with a copy of Angry Birds Star Wars At At Attack Battle Game by Hasbro for the purposes of this review. All opinions are solely those of myself and my family. My three year old daughter saw the Angry Birds Star Wars: At At Attack Battle Game once on the TV and decided that [...]
Divisions In Autism Community Makes Progress In Difficult Cases Even Harder

Carl Bainbridge

2 May 2013 | 12:41 pm

On Tuesday a family in Ottawa, Ontario in Canada took their son to the local Social Development office and handed him over to the government because they were no longer able to care for him. Their son is autistic, is a huge flight risk, needing almost constant surveillance and functions on the level of a [...]
Ruby’s Studio DVD Giveaway US/Can Ends 05/14

Carl Bainbridge

30 Apr 2013 | 3:22 pm

Ruby’s Studio: The Friendship Show The Mother Company recently sent me a copy of Ruby’s Studio: The Friendship Show. It was an interesting children’s show that spent it’s time looking at different ways to approach situations children would deal with in their normal life. Things like bullying, exclusion, conflict resolution and empathy. It also included an [...]
End Autism Awareness Month With A Roundtable Twitter Chat Apr 30

Carl Bainbridge

29 Apr 2013 | 1:51 pm

Contact: Liza Coppola 415-505-3456 The Mother Company Hosts Round Up of Autism Awareness Month with Anne Kennedy, Karen Simmons, Chantal Sicile-Kira, Lisa Goring, and Lawrence Korchnak. Los Angeles—April 29, 2013— The Mother Company, a multi-media company devoted to “Helping Parents Raise Good People” is thrilled to host a twitter chat with key influencers [...]

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