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#DisabilityStillTooWhite: A White Autist Examines Representation in the Disability Movement
I identify as White, non-binary, neuro-queer, autistic, and disabled. I believe it is crucial to be transparent as soon as possible about (my) positionality when discussing intricate and delicate concepts (and always starting with my Whiteness to highlight how my White privilege directly and...
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4 Ways to Mitigate Insurance Costs in a COVID-19 Environment
Many nonprofit and social service organizations are struggling with drastically altered operations and decreases in revenue brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some organizations have been forced to make tough decisions to decrease payrolls, temporarily shutter secondary service locations, or...
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Balancing Dignity of Risk and Embracing Opportunity During COVID-19
The United States and much of the world is currently dealing with a nightmarish pandemic. This has presented many challenges for people with developmental disabilities and those who support us to live our best lives. As we live together through this difficult time, we need to keep our eye on the...
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Call Me Autistic: A Soft Correction for Those Still Using Person-First Language
I want to tell you about the woman I am named after, my Great Aunt Betty. I never met Betty, but I got to hear about her whenever I asked where my name came from. Betty was apparently a sassy lady who, like me, despised her full name and went by her nickname, Betty. The “big” family secret...
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Special Education Due Process 101 – The Nuts and Bolts
A number of disputes and disagreements can arise between parents and school districts regarding a child’s special education programming. Some of these areas of disagreement may include identification, declassification, appropriateness of program, appropriateness of placement or services,...
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Supporting Children with Intellectual Disabilities/Autism in a Residential Treatment Facility
It is important for children with autism and intellectual disabilities to remain living at home, or in the least restrictive environment with appropriate supports, whenever possible. However, at times, a child’s challenging behaviors can pose such a significant threat to themselves or others, it...
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Maintaining and Improving Skills During COVID-19 with Robot-Assisted Instruction
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many children are falling behind due to compromises in therapy and education services. Children with disabilities who previously had stable access to regular in-person therapy are losing that access, leading to regression (Jones, 2020). While tele-care and remote video...
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Function-Based Interventions for Escape-Maintained Problem Behavior
Functional‐analysis research demonstrates that negative reinforcement is the most common variable maintaining problem behavior (Hanley, et al., 2003). That is, individuals engage in problem behavior to end or escape non-preferred tasks or activities. When this occurs, they miss out on numerous...
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A Highly Effective Toilet Training Program Based on Applied Behavior Analysis Principles
Learning to use the bathroom independently is a critical life skill for any child, but especially for children with autism spectrum disorder. It boosts their self-confidence, enhances their quality of life, and enables a deeper integration into educational environments, social gatherings, and...
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What I Hope People Will Get Out of My Autism Memoir
I tried to “write” my first book (or more accurately, dictate a story to parents who wrote it down on the bottom third of blank sheets of paper, leaving room for me to add illustrations later) when I was four years old. I started discussing what would become I Overcame My Autism and All I Got...
