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Siblings: Common Concerns and Effective Support Strategies
Like parents of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), siblings experience unique concerns and opportunities. The sibling relationship can easily exceed six decades, and siblings face these issues for even longer than parents. Historically, siblings have had few opportunities to receive...
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Neurodiversity and Sibling Relationships
Having a child with an autism spectrum disorder has a transformative effect on the entire family. Typically, when a child is diagnosed with autism, parents embark on a mission to find effective treatments and support systems. However, during treatment planning neurotypical siblings are often...
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Siblings Realize They’re Not Alone: AHRC NYC Sibshops Unveil Common Challenges
Lori Jacobs recalled a conversation with her younger son Seth, whose brother Ian has high-functioning autism and mood disorders. “Seth said, ‘Promise me I won’t have to take care of him when I grow up. And please, promise me you have a plan for him,’” Lori said. This wasn’t the type...
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Physical Fitness Activities and Nutrition Support for Autism Families
It’s hard enough to find support and respite when you have a child with autism, but add a pandemic to the mix, and you’ve really got your hands full. While it’s easy to give in to your child’s requests for sugar and stimulating games (they’re adorable and you want them to be happy, after...
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COVID-19: Helping Families With Special Needs During a Public Health Crisis
As a mother of a daughter with autism and intellectual disabilities, as well as a professional in the human services field, I am all too familiar with the unique challenges facing families of individuals with special needs. The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic brings additional worry. In these...
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A Small Village Becomes an Autism Supportive Community
Like many professionals who work with people on the autism spectrum, consultants from Anderson Center Consulting, a division of Anderson Center for Autism (ACA), focus on building skills that will help people be successful when engaging in their communities. Community engagement, after all, is...
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Preparing for a Successful Holiday Season
Parties! Gift giving! Twinkling lights! The holiday season can be a source of joy and excitement for some but for individuals with ASD the holidays present unique challenges. With communication, planning, and patience, individuals with ASD and their families can successfully navigate and enjoy the...
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Providing a Safe Haven for Special Siblings
We know that, in most families, the longest lasting relationship one has is with his or her sibling. When one of those siblings has a special need, the dynamic of this lifetime relationship can be significantly impacted. For some, a brother or sister learns to quickly adapt to new routines of...
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The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Launches Endowed Fund to Focus on Lifelong Family Support
The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation, for nearly two decades, has focused its all-volunteer organization’s mission on every aspect of adult life from employment to the arts to health and wellness to residential and recreational endeavors. An integral aspect of the Foundation’s mission has always...
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Essential Information: Respite Care for Families
Many individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) require significant levels of support in home, school, and community settings. Due to deficits in social communication and interaction, compounded by restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, many will not be able to keep themselves safe and...
