We Are All on the Same Side: Unite the Spectrum

• By: Robert Naseef, PhD Clinical Psychologist, Author, and Parent of an Adult Autistic Son Stephen M. Shore, EdD Clinical Associate Professor of Special Education, Author, and Autistic Individual Adelphi University
• April 12th, 2024
• acceptance, access to services, action, actually autistic, advocacy, appreciation, awareness, division, empowerment, human rights, labels, language, neurodiversity, personalized services, Spring 2024 Issue, unity
• 553    1

We are writing to explain why we do not need more labels to describe autism. We, the authors, became acquainted with each other in 1996 through a common mentor, Stanley Klein, the editor of Exceptional Parent Magazine, when we each published our first books: Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences...

Don’t Divide the Autism Spectrum: Unite the Whole Community

• By: Robert Naseef, PhD Clinical Psychologist, Author, and Parent of an Adult Autistic Son
• August 21st, 2023
• access to services, autism acceptance, labels, language, neurodiversity, opinion, profound autism, severe autism
• 894    0

Despite clear alternatives, some prominent voices in the autism world, whom I wrote about in November, are continuing to push for a new category which they are calling “Profound Autism.” They are completely ignoring Autistic voices. The Autism Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), “has continually...

Navigating Legal Challenges in Autism Healthcare: Ensuring Access to Services and Insurance Coverage

• By: Eileen M. Mendes Cathy Booth, CCC-SLP, BCBA, LABA Autism Care Partners Ashley Williams, PhD, LABA, BCBA-D Learn Behavioral
• July 5th, 2023
• access to services, Affordable Care Act, early intervention, federally mandated services, healthcare, IEPs, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, insurance coverage, legal protections for access to care, parity, state mandates, Summer 2023 Issue
• 1041    1

Prevalence rates of autism are at an all-time high, and we know that early and intensive treatment produces the optimal outcomes for autistic individuals. According to the CDC, “most children (85%) identified with ASD had concerns about their development noted in the records by 3 years of age.”...