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Autism’s Growing Problem
As kids with autism become teenagers and adults, fewer and fewer services are available to help them and their families In March 2020, my wife and I dropped our teenage son off at a residential school for kids with autism in Boston. It was the day after Purim - just before the world seemed to...
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S:US’ Community Fridge Project: Cultivating Social Justice and Health Equity in Our Community
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for social justice to address racial discrimination, health inequity, food insecurity and homelessness became starkly apparent as time went on and the effects of the pandemic became more visible. These experiences were at the forefront of our minds...
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Supporting Caregivers During the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed the lives of many. Beginning in March 2020, many became immediately isolated, experiencing increased stress and anxiety. Parents caring for children of all ages were impacted by these variables the most. It is already known that parenting is a stressful...
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Special Education Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges and obstacles for many individuals and families, including those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related developmental disabilities (Eshraghi et al., 2020; Eshraghi et al., 2022). Children with ASD often depend on a combination of...
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Developing Confidence and Standing Up for Myself
After I lost my mom to dementia, I had very little confidence in myself. I had no voice. People would express their opinions and I would never tell others my perspective because I had no confidence. I could not stand up for myself. If I tried, I would wind up crying instead. I let myself get...
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How Physical Distancing Brought Us Even Closer Together
Five years have passed since I last wrote about our social recreation group CASY Sparks, previously known as Project CASY (Community Autism Socials at Yale) in the Spring 2016 Issue of Autism Spectrum News. CASY began to flourish in 2016 with the establishment of the Daniel Jordan Fiddle...
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An Interview with the New York State OASAS, OMH, and OPWDD Commissioners to Address Critical Healthcare Issues
In a rare opportunity, Mental Health News Education, publisher of Autism Spectrum News and Behavioral Health News, has brought together the Commissioners of the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH), The NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), and The NYS Office for People with...
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CDC Launches COVID-19 Resources for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Care Providers
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique challenges for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). To address them, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) created a COVID-19 toolkit with communication resources explaining in plain language how people with IDD...
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The Pandemic Has Devastated the Autism Community. It’s Also Been an Important Learning Opportunity
The world has been living through a global emergency since the coronavirus pandemic took hold early last year, and autism families have been hit particularly hard. People with autism thrive on routine and predictability, which are precisely what was lost amid COVID-19. While I know autism families...
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Community Living in the Era of COVID-19
As we cope with the disruption of this pandemic, many of us are wondering what our new normal will look like on the other side. Before COVID-19, many people with disabilities went to day programs or had individualized 1:1 staff supporting them at work or in activities in the community. Now, because...
