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Practical Tips for a Sensory-Friendly Christmas for Autistic Children
Christmas is just around the corner. Unlike the white, snow-covered wonderland that many associate with Christmas, the festive season can be very lively and noisy and filled with appointments and various stimuli. There is a well-known quote that I think puts into words the way autistic...
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Planning a Summer Vacation: Travel Tips for Families of Children With Disabilities
Summer travel season is well underway. While traveling with children can be both fun and exhausting, if you are a parent or caregiver of a child with disabilities, even more planning may be required to have a safe and successful trip. This summer, I decided to take my daughter Annie on her first...
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Preparing School-Age Students for Post-Secondary Education
Preparing school-age students with autism for the transition into post-secondary education is perhaps as challenging for teachers as it is daunting for parents. According to a National Autism Indicators Report, “Young adults with autism have a difficult time following high school for almost any...
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Managing Back-to-School Jitters: Tips to Help Children With Special Needs Ensure a Smooth Transition
Remember how it felt as a child before your first day of school? Perhaps you experienced butterflies in your stomach or loss of sleep the night before. You were excited to see your friends, but also nervous about what the new school year would bring. That is exactly how I am feeling about sending...
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Mental Health News Education Welcomes David Minot, Publisher of Autism Spectrum News, as New Executive Director
The Board of Directors of Mental Health News Education (MHNE), the nonprofit organization that publishes Autism Spectrum News and Behavioral Health News, announces important changes in Executive leadership and launches a planning initiative with an eye toward future development. In a move designed...
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The Care and Keeping of Home: How Executive Function Skills Aid in Daily Living
Navigating independent living requires balancing responsibilities and monitoring oneself. All individuals must strike that balance that makes the most sense for them and their lifestyle regardless of neurodiversity. To execute daily living tasks, one must self-start and sustain motivation...
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Housing and Supports: Parents are Vital to Positive Post-Secondary Outcomes
Keeley is a 23-year-old college graduate who was diagnosed with autism at age 8. To all those acquainted with her, Keeley appears to navigate the community and manage her life independently. Despite her independence, Keeley experiences much of her day with communication breakdowns between herself...
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How Preparing Early Improves Independent Living in Adulthood
It is never too early to prepare for any skill, but especially skills needed to live independently. Many young adults feel that moving out on their own is a rite of passage, whether that be attending college to live in a dormitory, renting their own apartment, buying their first home, among many...
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Coping During COVID-19: Strategies to Reinforce Executive Functioning Skills During Times of Change
As the world enters a perpetual state of “new normal” due to the COVID-19 pandemic, previously developed routines and coping skills may not be readily accessible - or may not work at all. Along with the closing of many schools and workplaces, drastically changing societal norms,...
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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...
