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A First in American History: What the Education Freedom Tax Credit Could Unlock for Autism Families
Meet Ryan. He and his family had a waitlist letter for an evaluation for augmentative communication, with an opening that didn't come for seven months. When that moment finally came, the communication device he needed cost over $750, and insurance covered none of it, claiming it wasn't...
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Designing for the Gap, Not the Child: What Changes When Assistive Technology Asks the Adult to Learn
My younger cousin was six when I understood the problem I would spend the next two years working on. He was upset about something that had happened in the next room, and the adults who loved him most — his parents and me — stood around him running a checklist. Was he hungry. Was he tired. Was...
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When AI Functions as an Autism Support
When I was a child, I spent hours with action figures. I was especially obsessed with Dragon Ball Z. I did not simply reenact episodes. The characters developed relationships, conflicts, histories, and entire stories in my head. Scenes continued long after I put the toys away. For years,...
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The Work Before the Work: Lessons From Co-Designing Assistive Technology With Nonspeaking Autistic People
"I still struggle to put into words what it felt like to finally communicate in a personal, voluntary, and unscripted way. I've described it before as a prison door opening, but it was even more profound than that – more freeing, more life-changing." – Lisa, nonspeaking co-author For...
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Equipping Communities for an Aging I/DD Population: Challenges, Solutions and Advocacy
As life expectancy increases, a growing number of individuals with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are entering older adulthood. This demographic shift brings new challenges—and opportunities—for service providers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and...
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Emergency Preparedness for Autistic Individuals: What First Responders, Medical Professionals and Families Need to Know
The rise in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder will mean a rise in first responders and medical professionals interacting with autistic individuals during emergency situations. This makes it essential for communities and healthcare facilities to prepare and train their personnel in how to...
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Aging with Autism: Innovations for Independent Living to Address the Housing Crisis
At the beginning of the COVID pandemic, a friend came down with a particularly bad case of the virus which required emergency transport to the hospital. Laying on the gurney in the back of the ambulance she panicked as they placed the oxygen mask over her face. The EMS workers were frustrated with...
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Enhancing Communication and Accessibility: Assistive Technology for Individuals with Autism
What do a wheelchair, closed captioning on a television screen, and a visual schedule all have in common? They are part of an extensive list of products or services that enable those with disabilities to access activities of daily living. Like a wheelchair, assistive technology can provide...
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A Clinician’s Perspective on Robot-Assisted Instruction for Autistic Children
I’ve been licensed in California as a Marriage and Family Therapist for over 18 years and my career passion and good fortune has allowed me to treat children with developmental disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), as well as high functioning adults. Therapy is a profound...
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A Technology Safety Guide for Parents of Children With Autism
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly one in 59 children in the United States have been identified as having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Caregivers of these unique children face a host of challenges, and tech safety is one of those challenges. Technology can...
