A child’s autism often first comes to light because of his or her atypical language development and social communication skills — differences that researchers have found often later carry over to a younger (‘high-risk’) sibling. Women are exquisitely tuned in to their babies’ vocal patterns, and stu…

Naadia Kidy, Damilola Idowu (Dami) and Anette Wilms are quite the creative team. Naadia trained as a fashion and lifestyle journalist at the University of the Arts London. Dami is a young talent with Autism Spectrum Disorder who creates whimsical drawings that come from his joyful heart. Anette Wilm…

This week, in continuing the spirit of Autism Awareness, we’re excited to feature a two-part expert article on a social problem-solving intervention method by Steven Gordon, PhD, ABPP, and Michael Selbst, PhD, BCBA-D, who are the founder and directors of Behavior Therapy Associates, P.A.  Here…

By Claudia Casser Context I’m not a joiner. People exhaust me. One on one, I enjoy short interactions, but then I need to get away into a book. So I don’t voluntarily join groups unless they are my only way to a goal. On the other hand, I have a compulsion to “help out” when someone brings a problem…

“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say in any other way–things I had no words for,” Georgia O’Keeffe By Maryan Myres Shumway One of the greatest things about moving to Qatar as expats was that my son’s art teacher took an interest in…

Holidays can be challenging for everyone in the family. Your to-do lists get longer, your routines are switched around, and all the little stresses can be especially difficult for your child with autism. Here are a few tips to ease the difficulties related to Halloween. For Preschool & Elementar…

Interview by Jenny BristolIllustration by Rebecca Burgess You didn’t think you could get out of here without learning a bit about me, too, did you? Jenny Bristol (that’s me!) is a freelance writer and author, homeschooling parent of two teenagers, and classic nerd. She’s pub…

By: Caitlin Reilly Lostan, PsyD, BCBA, NCSP (Breakthrough Learning Group) and Marcia Questel, MSEd, BCBA (Association for Science in Autism Treatment) The following is an excerpt from Lostan, C., & Questel, M.’s “How can I structure playdates for success?” featured in …

The office of clinical psychologist Somer Bishop at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) isn’t your typical stodgy academic hideaway. In addition to the requisite framed diplomas and awards, it is adorned with mementoes from her clients. One photo depicts adults who were part of a soci…

Jenny Bristol is a married, work-at-home mother of two teenagers, a girl and a boy, whom she homeschools, and one is also going to college. She was only diagnosed as autistic at age 45, and it’s like her whole life finally became clear. “Everything finally made sense. I’ve been spending …

"He's my world and I want to give him the best life."Source: The Autism Site

Megan explores her feelings about her three teenage daughters and how soon they will be adults. By Megan Amodeo I just realized that I will soon have three teenage daughters. Wow! When did life start moving so fast? In less than two years all of my children will be in high school. In less than six y…

Children with autism tend to gain weight rapidly in infancy and to have high levels of the fat hormone leptin, according to a new study1. Other studies have tied rapid weight gain in infancy to autism. And a 2008 study reported unusually high levels of leptin in 70 children with autism2. The new stu…

If I were to ask you right now, what types of activities does your learner like to do, and what types of activities is your learner resistant to, you’d probably be able to respond pretty quickly to both questions. For instance, you might say, my son loves to practice addition facts, but he is resist…