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Exploring Autism Traits Among Jeopardy Contestants
The popular television quiz show Jeopardy requires contestants to have broad trivia knowledge. As rote memorization is a common strength among individuals with High-Functioning Autism (HFA), it is of interest as to whether Jeopardy contestants have higher symptomology of HFA than the general...
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The Regulating Benefit of Rituals
The ball boy hands him the tennis ball. He drops it to the ground twice, his torso bent over and neck extended, looking at his opponent. He swipes his face swiftly, touching his right cheek, nose, left cheek, and back to nose. He moves his water bottle just outside the boundary line. Wipes the...
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Establishing Sensory Inclusive Theater Experiences
Many sensory inclusive theaters and performing arts venues have incorporated sensory-friendly (SF) or relaxed performances (RP) to increase access to the arts for all patrons. Often, these events are geared towards children or younger audiences and for individuals who experience hypersensitivity....
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Sensory-Friendly Tools and Resources for Autism Caregivers
As registered and licensed occupational therapists (OTR/L) in pediatric school-based settings, many of the students we support are diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Therefore, we have extensive experience with various developmental, motor, social, and sensory conditions, and the...
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Supporting Sensory Diversity: Building Inclusive Classrooms
Traditional classrooms were initially designed in the early 1900s, and some school districts have retained a similar structure. These settings typically involve large groups of children seated, remaining stationary, and primarily learning through listening and reading. Traditional classrooms...
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All Are Welcome: Creating an Inclusive Festival
Almost 11 years ago, I founded an organization, Autism Personal Coach, that provides coaching to autistic adults and teens to improve the quality of our lives. Within the first year of our existence, I realized that the lack of community was a glaring and alarming need for many of our clients. That...
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An Autistic’s Vision for Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapy
As a neurodiversity community self-advocate, I have come across far too many stories of emotional distress and trauma in connection with neurodivergent individuals' lived behavioral therapy experiences. I understand where they're coming from and I empathize. As a late-identified autistic, I, like...
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Teamwork: Building A Successful Neurodivergent-Neurotypical Marriage
As I sit down to write this, my husband and I just celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary. We met through a mutual friend - an ex-boyfriend of mine. Joseph and I had gone our separate ways a few months before I received a phone call from “Caper” (his chosen “call sign”). I was surprised by...
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A How-To Guide to Emotional Support for Neurodiverse Couples
In my neurodiverse couples therapy practice in New York City, many central themes are addressed including communication, intimacy, sex, and parenting. However, one of the most consistent themes brought up by neurotypical partners is feeling a lack of emotional support in their relationship. Their...
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(Autistic) Girls on Film? An Analysis of Autistic Female Characters in Media and Fan Interpretations
Contrary to popular belief, autistic characters in TV and film are nothing new. The first instance of an autistic person being portrayed o-screen is popularly believed to be Amanda from the 1969 crime drama Change of Habit, starring Elvis Presley and Tyler Moore. Initially, the little girl is...
