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Beyond the Card: When Visual Supports Stop Supporting
Everyone was arriving at once to begin the day. I was putting my things away when I heard someone across the classroom say, "No thank you, friend. We don't throw cards on the floor." I looked over and saw Zachary sitting at a table, dropping cards onto the floor one by one. I walked over and...
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“All Done Talkin’ ‘Bout It:” One Mom’s Journey to Communicating With Her Autistic Daughter
I vividly remember when Annie was diagnosed with autism on Jan. 8, 2004, the day before her second birthday. I had no idea what autism was, other than how it was depicted in the movie “Rain Man,” starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. I felt shocked, worried and alone. I didn't know any other...
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The Quietest People in the Room Often Have the Most to Say
Note: Names and identifying details have been changed to protect privacy. The phone rang on a weekend. On the other end was a young woman from one of our community-based programs. Just hours earlier, she had experienced every child's nightmare. She had witnessed her mother suffer a fatal...
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Autism Rights, Wrongs, and Acceptance: A Two-Way Street
Though I was diagnosed autistic as an infant, I was unaware I was different until second grade, when I was shuffled between special and regular education classes, when I decided, mostly on my own, that I would transition to mainstream school. While I was a great student throughout my scholastic...
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Autism and Speech Therapy: Evolving Perspectives
My training as a speech-language therapist tells me that my job is to treat communication deficits in autistic people. I tell them, “Point to the triangle and then the circle.” I verbally model the phrase “I want,” and wait for a response. I read them social stories, encourage them to...
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Breaking the Silence: A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for Autistic Children
Imagine your child has thoughts, feelings, and ideas but struggles to say them out loud. For many parents of children on the autism spectrum, this is a daily experience. This is where Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) can help. What is AAC? Augmentative and Alternative...
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Bridging the Gap: Improving Health Care Access for Autistic Patients
People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face significant health care disparities and stigma in accessing appropriate care, contributing to markedly reduced life expectancy. Research indicates that autistic individuals experience premature mortality at rates two to ten times higher than the...
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How Stigma Creates Invisible Barriers for Autistic Individuals in Healthcare
As more individuals are diagnosed with/identify as autistic, societal awareness continues to grow. With the neurodiversity perspective, which views neurological differences as natural variations rather than deficits, also gaining recognition (Pellicano & den Houting, 2022), the U.S. healthcare...
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Celebrating Our “Dadvocates” on Father’s Day
On Father’s Day, we honor fathers, as well as the many paternal figures and mentors who make a meaningful difference in our families and our communities. It also feels like an opportune time to discuss fatherhood engagement in our systems of care, which can often feel like a hurdle to navigate...
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Neurodiverse Couples: Making Meaningful Moments of Every Day – Having A Good Evening
Every night there are countless opportunities to create small connecting moments to enhance intimacy in a relationship. Especially after a long day, when partners are tired and out of gas, evenings can be a time when it’s easy to forget to acknowledge each other. Be intentional about having a...
