Visual Accommodations and Blessings of My Autism
The visual sensory aspects of the way autism plays out for me most of the time means that I get too much information delivered – things are too big, too bright, too bold – typically too much to endure all day. Practically, this means I need to accommodate my sensory system in a variety of ways. Let’s take but one example from my life where visual overload is a pretty constant problem. Here are some things I have found helpful: Environmental Accommodations for Overhead Lights Most of the time I simply do what I need unless it
Autism and Changing Classroom Strategies
The field of autism is very new – not even 100 years old yet! This means we are constantly learning new things. We now know that what works for most children to learn does not always work for autistic children. In fact, it can be detrimental to their learning. Those of us in the field of autism will likely need to change the way we deliver help to those who seek it and change the way we teach our students.
Now you know . You cannot unknow .
I told Professor Wurzburg's class in March and April about my life and advocacy for inclusion, communication and civil rights. The class asked me questions and I answered. On April 8 I talked to the class on Skype. "This is good. Princeton thank you for this class. Learning about disability experience and discrimination from people who are disabled is the only real way. I share my experience to change my reality and the reality for my neurodivergent brothers and sisters. No person should experience the abuse. All people deserve respect, inclusion and communication. Now you know . You cannot unknow
Person First Attitude Trumps Language
Am I a person with autism or autistic? Does it matter? And why?
We Are Not In Our Own World
We need to be careful about how we think about and talk about people with disabilities. One example is the reference that those who are autistic or deaf or blind or have some sort of movement differences are “in their own world.”
Ariane Zurcher: Non-Speaking Autistic Woman Writes Book
Barb Rentenbach's funny, poignant and beautiful must-read book, I Might Be You: An Exploration of Autism and Connection, is now available as an audiobook.
Hi @KatieCouric I am #autistic & would like to talk to you about #inclusion, #communication & #civilrights #KatieAutismChat
Katie Couric will have a Twitter Chat with Autism Speaks on Wednesday May 29th at 1pm EST . Autistic people should be in the chat. hashtag #KatieAutismChat. This is my message. Hi @katiecouric I am #autistic & would like to talk to you about #inclusion, #communication & #civilrights #KatieAutismChat .
Autistic Hoya: Ordinary Lives
When I demand equal access, equal opportunity, equal rights, I'm not insisting on my superiority, innate or acquired. I don't want special treatment. I want to see the removal of cultural paradigms about what types of bodies and minds should be valued and what types of bodies and minds should be deigned for marginalization. I don't want a world that advantages me over you. I want a world where oppressive systems that ultimately hurt everyone have been overcome, dismantled.
Autistic Teen Uses Tech to Break Silence
A brilliant 16-year-old boy who has autism is breaking through his silence and making people realize what autistic kids can do. Ido Kedar has difficulty controlling his body, and he cannot talk.
Neurodiversity in the Classroom: Strength-Based Strategies t – Apr 29,2013
A new concept on human diversity has emerged over the past 10 years that promises to revolutionize the way educators provide services to students with special needs: neurodiversity. Just as we celebrate diversity in nature
What Reading Self-Advocate Blogs Does
You can have hope.
Medical Myth Busting – Journal of Medical Toxicology Debunks Autism Treatment
“Despite the absence of data, and in the face of such concerns about absorption and dose..
Man with Autism, Caregiver Shot by Off-Duty Officer
A man with autism and his caregiver were shot by an off-duty Camden police officer, who thought his home was being burglarized, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office. NBC10's Katy Zachry talked with investigators who say the 21-year-old man had just been dropped off at his home on the 2800 block of Arthur Avenue by his special needs school in Cherry Hill and was met at his house by his caretaker. Investigators say instead of going to his front door, the 21-year-old with autism went across the street and started banging very loudly on a neighbor's door. Investigators tell
What Are Autism Archetypes?
An archetype is a symbol, a single representative of a category. If we think of the word chair, for instance, we often call up an image in our mind. That image, usually a specific type of chair, stands for all chairs in all their different forms. Autism
Bright Not Broken Gifted Kids ADHD and Autism – Feb 14,2013
Chef Dean Neff, Executive Chef at Hugh Acheson's "Five & Ten" highly rated restaurant in Georgia, visits with Olivia Wilder to talk about his culinary career. Bobby Seale co-founder ofThe Black Panther Party was an African-American revolutionary socialis
Grieving Newtown Couple Raise Money for Autism
Josephine Gay's mother could not be with her in her final, harrowing minutes inside Sandy Hook Elementary School. She struggles with it every day, but she has taken comfort from learning that Josephine's aide wrapped her arms and body around her and othe
Asperger’s entry removal from manual decried
With orders now being taken by the American Psychiatric Association for its first updated volume on diagnostics in nearly 20 years -- and no hope for changes in the text -- Long Islanders are dismayed that an Asperger's syndrome entry no longer exists.Ed
Person-First Language – ‘autistic’ vs. ‘with autism’
There is some debate about using the term ‘autistic child’ vs. ‘child with autism’, the latter being an example of what is typically referred to as ‘person-first language’. As you may have noticed, I typically use ‘autistic’. There are plenty of strong o
Center for Autism and Related Disorders Partners with Paper Clouds…
The Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), the world’s largest provider of effective, early-intensive behavioral intervention for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), is proud to announce its new product line with Paper Clouds Appar
Disneyland and autism
I’m stepping outside of my typical green business posts today for another autism-related article. This time, the topic is Disneyland and autism. On December 26, 2012 my husband and I surprised the kids at 5:00 am when we loaded them in the car for a surp
Expert: Asperger’s not linked to violence
Published: Dec. 22, 2012 at 10:07 PM PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- To suggest a tie between Asperger's syndrome and violent, sociopathic tendencies is to undermine the research on autism spectrum disorder, a U.S. expert says. Michelle Rowe, executive di
Autism device hidden in designer vest
With files from the CBC's Chad Pawson A Vancouver entrepreneur's start-up company is hoping to put "the squeeze" on autism. Lisa Fraser, a recent graduate from Vancouver's Emily Carr University, has designed a special medical vest that helps children cop
A mother’s anger: Stop linking autism to violence
Sarah Darer Littman and her son shared their story at a StoryCorps booth in 2006. STORY HIGHLIGHTS Mother of son with Asperger's upset about misinformation spread recently Writer implores journalists to be responsible when reporting on the syndrome "Your
Sensory/Movement Differences and Diversity
For a lot of people, the most anticipated books each year are about vampires or girls with great archery skills, but the release I waited for was this book by friends, Martha Leary and Anne Donnellan. I am not exaggerating when I share that their first book, Movement Differences and Diversity in Autism, completely changed how I thought about disability, behavior, and autism. This new volume did not disappoint, and I am now recommending it to everyone in my circle (and now, to all of you)! To me, no other researchers/scholars in autism are doing more than these two women
Which Congressman Is Blocking Bill That Would Protect Kids with Autism?
Legislation aimed at protecting children with autism and other disabilities from being injured in school has stalled in the House of Representatives at the hands of a single member who objects to federal intervention. Minnesota Republican Rep. John Kline
Emily Willingham “Autism Bingo: The Congressional Hearing Version”
Our science editor Emily Willingham live-tweeted Thursday's Congressional autism hearing from the perspective of a scientist, autism parent, critical thinker, and human. She Storified and annotated the experience, turning offensive keywords and laughable
ASAN Statement on Upcoming House Autism Hearing
“We’re profoundly concerned by the decision by the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform to convene a hearing on autism next week without the inclusion of any Autistic witnesses or representatives from organizations run by Autistic people. Jus
Conversations Between Autistic Self-Advocates and Autism Parents – Part 2
Self-Advocate Elizabeth (Ibby) Grace's blog Tiny Grace Notes is subtitled "Ask an Autistic," and that is exactly what people do -- solicit Autistic insights from her. We asked if we could republish a recent conversation Ibby had with Tina, an autism pare
Low Eye Contact Is Not Just An Autism Thing
A news story about a Society for Neuroscience conference report on the discovery of “eye cell” neurons that register eye contact says: This new type of neuron was discovered in a Rhesus macaque. If humans have these neurons too, it may be that they are i
Feedback Loop: Autistic Student, Or Student With Autism?
Dean McIntosh criticized our describing Frost as a “student with autism.” The entire adult autistic community has been saying in one loud voice that “…with autism” is not acceptable. Myself and Lydia Brown are just two examples of autistic adults who wri
Teen’s death shows gap in autism care, say advocates
Advocates for those with autism say the death of an Edmonton teen this week reveals a serious gap in the province’s mental health system. Jarrett Bortscher, 18, was found dead Wednesday after going missing from his family’s home Sunday. “This kid was an
Almost Half of U.S. Kids With Autism Have Been Bullied
MONDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly half of U.S. children with an autism spectrum disorder are victims of bullying, a new study finds. "The rate of bullying victimization among adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder is alarmingly high, indic
Cognition and behavior: Words bias impressions in autism
Positive response: People with autism are more likely than controls to see as a friend a man making a disgusted expression and saying “You are friendly.” Individuals with autism rely more on words than on facial expressions when interpreting social cues,
Mom seeks heart transplant for autistic son
A Pennsylvania woman whose autistic adult son was not recommended for a heart transplant because of his illness and the complexity of the process, among other factors, said she wants to bring more attention to the decision-making process so that those wi
My autistic son’s step into the wider world — through Facebook
Susan Senator , a writer in Massachusetts, is the author of “The Autism Mom’s Survival Guide” and “Making Peace With Autism.” She blogs at susansenator.com/blog . When my autistic son, Nat, was about 8, we learned that he loved looking at family photos o
Insights for autism from tuberous sclerosis complex
Genetic risk: Mustafa Sahin studies tuberous sclerosis, a rare genetic disorder that leads to autism in about half of the cases. Whole-genome sequencing studies published in the past few years suggest that there are somewhere between 100 and 1,000 rare g
Community Conversation: Autism and Public Discourse
I agree with you 100%. Is raising my son easy? In no way it is...maybe harder than others, maybe the same, I don't know, I don't raise other's kids. But the constant complaints of parents about how difficult the children are, and I believe mostly so that
Autism, Siblings, and Fairness
Shannon Des Roches Rosa www.Squidalicious.com www.ThinkingAutismGuide.com Thirteen-year-old Iz is a wonderful big sister to Leo, who is just 21 months her junior. This photo is of the two of them at a family reunion earlier this month; she's letting Leo
The physics of autism
People sometimes say that children with autism “march to a different drummer” or “vibrate at a different frequency.” New research analyzing electrical activity in the brain—via electroencephalography, or EEGs—makes it tempting to speculate that these cli
Autism and the Feel-Good Story
When Yvonne Freaney killed her 11-year-old autistic son, she defended herself by saying that he must have wanted to be murdered because "he won't be autistic in heaven." There are some who regard heaven as their ultimate reward even if they have a reason
Saliva and pupil size differences in autism show system in overdrive
ScienceDaily (July 12, 2012) University of Kansas researchers have found larger resting pupil size and lower levels of a salivary enzyme associated with the neurotransmitter norepinephrine in children with autism spectrum disorder. However, even though
Amy Sequenzia: “Just Me”
Amy Sequenzia writes about rejecting society's many labels. Perceptions such as “super spectacular” autistic and “low-functioning” are equally harmful .
Supporting Adults With Autism
By Melanie Grayce West Over the last decade, there's been a general increase in awareness of the need to provide tailored services, support and education to children with autism and other developmental disabilities. But there's been less talk about the n
Children With Autism Are Often Targeted By Bullies
Lots of kids get bullied. But kids with autism are especially vulnerable. A new survey by the Interactive Autism Network found that nearly two-thirds of children with autism spectrum disorders have been bullied at some point. And it found that these kids
The school with more teachers than students
18 April 2012 Last updated at 19:16 ET With autism diagnoses rising more and more parents are plunged into a battle to understand the condition and find their child the right treatment, writes Louis Theroux. Joey Morales-Ward is a 13-year-old kid who liv
RETHINKING AUTISM – Dana Commandatore
All too often in the world of autism, celebrity and sex appeal are used to promote pseudo-science and personal agenda. Rethinking Autism wants to change minds, change the current media conversation and help give autistic people a more prominent voice in
Seahawks GM John Schneider knows: Autism is a family diagnosis
RENTON — Ten-year-old Ben Schneider is a fun kid. He has a great laugh, loves Legos and playing video games. You can hear the pride in his parents' voices when they tell you how smart he is. When Ben was 16 months old, he could arrange the letters of the
3 genes linked to autism spectrum disorders
Mutations in three new genes have been linked to autism, according to new studies including one with investigators at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. All three studies include lead investigators of the Autism Sequencing Consortium (ASC). The findings, in
Adults with autism must be a focus
Grim news regarding the prevalence of autism continues to make big headlines ["Keep effort going to unravel autism," Editorial, April 2]. It is jarring and heartbreaking.However, we must remember that autism is not specifically a childhood disorder. My 1
Hundreds of genes involved in autism, sequencing studies say
New network: Nearly 40 percent of the mutated genes identified in one exome sequencing study of autism are part of an interconnected network of interacting proteins. The largest set of exome sequencing studies, which analyze the protein coding region of
The Upside of Autism
When it comes to disorders of the mind, our society has a tendency to seek out the safety of clear-cut categories. We want there to be a bright line separating normal from abnormal, health from sickness. Alas, the human brain is a category buster, an org
Two-Thirds of Kids With Autism Have Been Bullied: Study
FRIDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly two-thirds of American children with autism have been bullied at some point in their lives, and these kids are bullied three times more often than their siblings without autism, a new survey finds. Bullying occ
Outsourcing to the Autistic Rather Than to India
Part of the reason autism has captivated Hollywood movie makers more than other development disabilities is that, for all the difficulties it brings those who have it, it also gives some of them the ability to perform uncanny feats of brainpower: effortl
People with autism possess greater ability to process information
ScienceDaily (Mar. 22, 2012) People with autism have a greater than normal capacity for processing information even from rapid presentations and are better able to detect information defined as 'critical', according to a study published March 22 in the
Responding to People with Autism during Emergencies
Author Geoff Crist is the proud parent of a beautiful, energetic, curious, daughter, Sydney (aka Beanie), 11, who was diagnosed with moderate/severe autism when she was 18 months old. He is a career firefighter and nationally registered paramedic, has wo
Police need training on autism
The arrest of an autistic teenager who could face four years in a Michigan prison shows the need to train police on dealing with autistic people, advocates say. In Maxson's case, Dungan said, he only became violent Feb. 9 when officers tried to handcuff him, and he was then stunned with a Taser and pepper-sprayed.
Reading Club | ‘Navigating Love and Autism’
On Dec. 26, 2011, the front page of The New York Times featured an extraordinary article. Part of a series by Amy Harmon chronicling the coming of age of a generation of autistic youths, the article, “Navigating Love and Autism,” told the story of Jack R
Police assaulted boy with autism
Metropolitan Police (Met) officers assaulted a 16-year-old boy with severe autism by forcing him into handcuffs and leg restraints during a school trip, the High Court has ruled. The judge said the boy, now 19, also had his human rights breached. The boy, who also has epilepsy, was subjected to disability discrimination and false imprisonment, it was ruled.
Study may help understanding multiple sensory stimuli processing in autism
“Statistically optimal combination of multiple sensory stimuli has been well documented in humans, but many have been skeptical about this behavior occurring in other species,” said neuroscientist Anne Churchland, who led the study appearing in the March 14 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. “Our work is the first demonstration of its occurrence in rodents.” People with autism are often unable to choose which sensory stimuli to pay attention to and which to ignore. “By observing this behavior in rodents, we have a chance to explore its neural basis – something that is not feasible to do in people,” Churchland explained.
Help for Families with ASD
Researchers at the University of Utah have created a program that helps children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) focus on building their skills and utilizing an aptitude for visual-spatial thinking, computers and other electronic media. Cheryl Wrigh
Research on Rare Bone Disorder Reveals New Insights into Autism
“There is growing evidence that many autistic people have related genetic defects, or defects that are exacerbated by this one,” said Yu Yamaguchi, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Sanford Children’s Health Research Center at Sanford-Burnham. Children with
Language and autism
More and more researchers, it seems to me, are trying to peek into the minds of children with autism by analyzing how they put together a sentence. Language impairments are one of the most common features of autism. But linguists have long debated the pr
Clinical research: Gut bacteria prevalent in autism
Common colonizer: Sutterella wadsworthensis is present in the intestines of children with autism, where it might displace other beneficial bacteria. A certain type of bacteria is prevalent in the intestines of children who have both autism and gastrointe
The Flutie Family Tackles Autism, National Autism Awareness Month
Doug Flutie Sr., 49, reaches his goals on the field and off. "For whatever reason, people have the feeling I can get things done," the Heisman Trophy winner says. Maybe they remember the former quarterback's famous heart-stopping, last-second Hail Mary p
Cognition and behavior: Study probes speech processing
Hidden meaning: Children with autism are less able than controls are to detect the shifts in pitch that can transform a neutral statement into a question. Children with autism activate more brain regions than controls do when listening to tonal inflectio
Motor Skills and ASD
Children with autism often have problems developing motor skills, such as running, throwing a ball, or even learning how to write. Scientists didn't know whether those difficulties ran in families or were linked to autism. New research at Washington Univ
Bullying and ASD
The Interactive Autism Network (IAN) Project has launched a national survey to study the impact of bullying on children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Bullying, a pervasive problem among youth, has attracted the national spotlight over the past ye
Top Ten Autism Research Achievements of 2011
The young but burgeoning field of autism research continued its exponential rate of discovery in 2011-fueled in no small part by the joint commitment by government health agencies and private organizations to support this vital work. Our Top Ten Autism R
Navigating Love and Autism – NYTimes.com
Only since the mid-1990s have a group of socially impaired young people with otherwise normal intelligence and language development been recognized as the neurological cousins of nonverbal autistic children. Because they have a hard time grasping what another is feeling via Navigating Love and Autism - NYTimes.com.
Autism Society
The Autism Society, the nation’s leading grassroots autism organization, exists to improve the lives of all affected by autism. They do this by increasing public awareness about the day-to-day issues faced by people on the spectrum, advocating for appropriate services for individuals across the lifespan, and providing the latest information regarding treatment, education, research and advocacy.
The Making of Sensitive
From The Miracle Project..the making of "Sensitive", a song about bullies. Wyatt Isaacs sings with Jack Black. Stephen Stills produces it a la sex pistols, with his signature guitar! Learn more about The Miracle Project at www.themiracleproject.org , you will love it as much as we do!
Autism Society of America
The Autism Society, the nation’s leading grassroots autism organization, exists to improve the lives of all affected by autism. They do this by increasing public awareness about the day-to-day issues faced by people on the spectrum, advocating for appropriate services for individuals across the lifespan, and providing the latest information regarding treatment, education, research and advocacy.
Autism: The Musical
AUTISM: THE MUSICAL counters todays bleak statistics with one womans optimistic pledge to lead a group of autistic children in defying diagnosed expectations by writing, rehearsing and performing their own full-length musical.
