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Posts Tagged ‘community’

Life in the Time of COVID-19: An Autistic Perspective

Like many autistics, I have been drawn to science fiction as far back as I can remember. The idea of an epidemic infecting the human race has always been a common theme in science fiction and is probably as old as the genre itself. As such, I have seen and read more stories about pandemics than I...

Supporting Young Women with ASD Through Transition Services, Employment and Volunteer Opportunities

Over the next decade, approximately half a million young people on the autism spectrum will transition to adulthood (Demer, 2018). When they turn 21, they must leave behind the programming and funding that has supported them throughout their lives, with many families not knowing what to do next....

Dating and Relationships: A Perennial Challenge for Many Autistics

This is one area about which, like so many on the autism spectrum, I can hardly be considered an expert. Nevertheless, because of its importance to so many in the autistic community, I feel the need to share what little I have learned on the basis of meeting and talking to others who have faced...

How to Navigate The Topic Of Driving with Autism

How you ever thought of your loved one with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) having the ability to drive? Are you worried about how one can drive, despite being on the autism spectrum? I am writing as someone with ASD who has had their license for over a year, and I want to light a path for...

Neurodiversity: An Idea Whose Time Has Come and A Call for Unity

When I hear the word “neurodiversity,” I immediately become concerned that it will be dismissed as simply another form of “political correctness,” and not seen as encompassing a wide variety of serious issues that affect virtually everyone in the Asperger Syndrome / autism spectrum...

NY Nonprofit Dog Treat Company Expands Their Mission of Employment for the Disabled Community

Good Reasons® Dog Treats, a non-profit dog treat company that provides employment for people with autism and other developmental disabilities is growing its mission. Since launching in 2014 Good Reasons has shown significant growth, now offering 6 delicious flavors of their all natural, human...

Community Engagement Through Integrated Community Living Options for Adults with Autism

With the increasing prevalence of autism documented in children over the past two decades, there is growing alarm about what will be needed for these children as they grow into adulthood (Anderson & Butt, 2018). Indeed, there are adults living with autism right now with unmet needs due to...

A Community of Caring Agencies Unites to Support Families in Camden County, NJ

First Children Services and the Rowan Integrated Special Needs (RISN) Center are organizations that specialize in providing clinical services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in New Jersey. Many of the youth who these agencies serve are eligible for or already...

Supportive and Community Housing – Find Your Forever Home

It’s that time of the year where parents are shipping their kids off to school. From toddlers who have finally reached school age to young adults taking that next step into adulthood, this season is filled with many new adventures. Many young adults will be leaving home this fall for college and...

Social Activities and Communities for Individuals with Autism: Meeting a Basic Human Need

Social activities, as engagement with a community to which one belongs, are an essential part of life for most people. Unfortunately, for autistics, there are often barriers that prevent them from participating in such. Before I address these issues, however, I need to emphasize that the commonly...