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Managing Anxiety: Tools and Strategies for Emotional Balance
Key Points: With autism comes a high level of comorbid anxiety due to characteristics of ASD that contribute to anxiety such as sensory sensitivities and difficulty with unpredictability. The most successful way to help support anxiety in individuals with autism includes a multifaceted...
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Trauma-Informed Care in the Criminal Justice System: Supporting the Emotional and Physical Wellness of Autistic Individuals
Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face unique and complex challenges within the criminal justice system, largely due to environments and interactions that are often not suited to their sensory, communication, and emotional needs. A critical yet underexplored issue is the intersection...
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Navigating Health as an Autistic Picky Eater
Like most, if not virtually all autistics, I lived with a variety of sensory sensitivities my entire life. As a child, I was extremely averse to certain visual stimuli (particularly camera flashes), specific kinds of sounds, and the motion of an elevator. Luckily, these subsided as I got older. Two...
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Why Don’t Autistic Women Get Diagnosed, and Why Is It So Important?
I’ve diagnosed unrecognized autistic women for ten years and worked with them in therapy. These women are often successfully employed and married or with partners. They might have children and be involved in working with schools on their children’s behalf. Some might have struggled in jobs or...
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Beyond Picky Eating: Supporting Lifelong Health in Autistic Children
Picky eating in autism is more than just a childhood phase. Research shows that atypical eating behaviors—such as extreme food selectivity and hypersensitivity to textures—are common in autistic children. One study found that 70% of children with autism display atypical eating patterns,...
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Improving Health Care Communication for Autistic Teens
Effective communication is essential in health care for accurate diagnoses, quality patient care, and positive outcomes (Ratna, 2019). However, communication barriers can significantly impact the health care experience, particularly for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Saqr et al.,...
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The Complete Autistic Travel Guide
Travel, whether for necessity or pleasure, is an important part of human existence and opens the door to a variety of new experiences. For many, it also presents opportunities for excitement and adventure, as well as a welcome change from the boredom of daily life. To the autistic person, however,...
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Creating Autism-Friendly Workplaces: Strategies for Inclusivity and Success
Creating autism-friendly environments in workplaces involves implementing strategies that accommodate the unique needs of autistic individuals, fostering inclusivity, and improving overall workplace productivity. Research and expert opinions emphasize the importance of clear communication,...
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Empowering Eye Exams: Strategies for Supporting Autistic Patients
Eye exam. Two words that can cause a lot of anxiety in families of autistic patients. Questions may arise about how your child will tolerate the exam and what to do if they need glasses. If your child has communication limitations or sensory sensitivities, you might wonder if they’ll be able to...
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Designing a Sensory-Friendly Workplace for Autistic Adults
Autism is a lifelong condition, yet there is a noticeable lack of research on adults on the autism spectrum (Fairbank, 2023). Despite limited studies, challenges are emerging, one being a lack of sensory-friendly workplaces (Pryke-Hobbes et al., 2023). While the struggles of entering the workforce...
