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Anderson Family Partners: Extended Family, Redefined
For Colleen Contreni, Family Liaison at Anderson Center for Autism, the concept of ‘extended family’ has long inspired her work. “I have always been a very family-oriented person, and this role at Anderson is a reminder that by cultivating a spirit of kinship among parents, caregivers, and...
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From Parent to Advocate: My Mission to Help Other Families
When my son Oliver was about nine months old, I noticed some milestone delays. I also realized that he had a tic. He would get very excited - wailing - when he saw something that caught his attention. It was also around that time that I knew I had to quickly become his advocate. Naturally, I...
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Let’s NOT Divide the Autism Spectrum: My View From the Trenches on “Profound Autism”
Editor’s Note: Autism Spectrum News strives to be an inclusive voice for the Autism community by presenting articles that promote discussion and advancement. This article is a response to Alison Singer’s article It’s Time to Embrace ‘Profound Autism’, published by Spectrum on October...
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Making Meaningful Connections: Amy Kelly Discusses Value of Devereux’s Internal Family Support Group
At Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, we are always looking for ways to better support our talented and hard-working team members. Devereux National Director of Family Engagement Amy Kelly, MBA, MNM, leads a family support group for Devereux employees and their significant others who are parents,...
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Inappropriate Behaviors in Adult Autistics: We Mean No Harm
During my long involvement with the adult Asperger Syndrome / autism spectrum community, I often make the disclaimer, when criticizing inappropriate behaviors of other autistics, that I have probably been guilty of similar behaviors, at least to some degree, at some earlier time in my life. Also,...
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Uniquely Human Podcast #5 – The Harmful Myth of High-Functioning and Low-Functioning Autism; An Autism Fathers’ Group; Guest Dr. Robert Naseef
Episode 5 - The Harmful Myth of High-Functioning and Low-Functioning Autism; An Autism Fathers’ Group; Guest Dr. Robert Naseef Overview Re-thinking the commonly used language that has proven detrimental to understanding the autistic person. Barry and Dave examine the potentially...
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Maintaining Connection with Siblings with ASD in Young Adulthood
Sibling relationships are some of the longest that people will have in their lifetime, and these relationships can significantly influence sibling development (McHale, Updegraff, & Whiteman, 2012). While each sibling relationship is different, they are commonly characterized by shared...
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How to Best Support Siblings of Individuals with ASD
Typically developing siblings of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have a unique set of needs that often go overlooked and unnoticed. These needs are generally social and emotional in nature and can affect siblings at any age during their lifespan. When one family member has a...
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Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Home: How to Thrive as a Family Unit
Various research studies have shown that early intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is important for providing the tools and strategies needed for long term success in areas such as education, career, and life in general (McEachin, Smith, & Lovaas, 1993). It is...
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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...
