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Prioritizing Autistic-Centered Self-Care for Mental Health and Well-Being
I could never relate to most social media posts with self-care ideas, especially the ones showing nails getting done or drinking wine in a bathtub. The thought of going to a beauty salon has always given me anxiety, and baths were never my thing. I couldn’t really find self-care tips or ideas...
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The Neuro-Strength-Based Support Framework: A Collaborative, Strength-Focused Approach to Autism Interventions
Autism remains an enigma to some despite decades of research and a plethora of interventions aimed at addressing its myriad facets. Historically, interventions have been crafted to mitigate perceived developmental, sensory, and behavioral deficits without a solid foundation in the bio-neurological...
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The Silent Roadblock: Understanding the Ripple Effects of Feeding Difficulties on the Spectrum
While it’s widely documented that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects social interaction, communication, and behavior, there is a less spotlighted, yet pivotal, piece to these neurodivergent children: feeding difficulties. It’s estimated that up to 80% of autistic children have some form of...
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Navigating Autistic Burnout as an Autistic Parent
Being an autistic parent is hard. When your kids are also neurodivergent, this can make life even more challenging when trying to navigate everyone’s complex, often diametrically opposed needs. When we need space, a lot of the time our children need connection and closeness, and we can become...
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How to Overcome Dental Health Challenges for Children with Autism
Dental visits can be difficult, if not impossible, for children and teens with autism and developmental disabilities. These challenges can preclude important preventative care that impacts underlying health issues. In these situations, dental care also becomes a quality-of-life issue - not only...
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Self-Care is Not Selfish: The Important Role Self-Care Plays in Promoting Good Outcomes in Autistic Individuals
Self-care is one of those buzzword phrases that often goes in one ear and promptly out the other. Well-meaning clinicians, and even the latest podcast gurus, talk about prioritizing self-care in a world that is constantly demanding more and more of your time and energy as a family member. We are in...
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Virtual Reality: A Tool for Making Healthcare More Accessible to Patients with Autism
For patients with autism, getting healthcare is often a struggle. My views in healthcare were heavily influenced by watching my brother, who was non-verbal and autistic, and my mother navigate the healthcare system with much difficulty. He, like many patients with autism, struggled with doctor...
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A Call to Action: The Need for Advocacy in Healthcare Access in Autism
Although specific estimates vary substantially, autistic children and adults have a higher prevalence of comorbid medical conditions than those reported in non-autistic individuals. Among the most commonly reported comorbid medical conditions are neurological disorders, including epilepsy,...
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Adaptive Sports Promote Physical, Social, and Emotional Health for People with Disabilities
As COVID hit in March 2020 I was let go from my job at an adaptive sports organization for people with physical disabilities. Instead of bemoaning the fact that, along with many others, I now had no income, I started talking to some friends and colleagues about starting an adaptive sports...
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My Child with Autism Needs Anesthesia, What Should I Know?
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have an increased rate of hospital contact and are likely to require sedation and anesthesia for surgeries, procedures, and imaging tests. Lee et al. has demonstrated that children with autism were about two to three times more likely to experience an...
