By Debra Muzikar Happy Autism Acceptance Month. Yesterday, World Autism Awareness Day, cake decorators from 21 countries revealed cakes that were inspired by autistic themes. They came together using their talent to shatter misconceptions and bring awareness to Autism. Some of the cakes were inspire…

The latest estimate of autism prevalence in the U.S., released last week, suggests the condition is even more common than previously thought. But the apparent rise in autism coincides with a decline in other developmental disorders, highlighting the complexity folded into this seemingly simple stati…

Founder of Otsimo credits his autistic brother Alper for company’s success. By Hasan Zafer Elcik My younger brother Alper was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 years old. When I bought my first smartphone in 2009, I noticed Alper had a special interest in smart devices. At that time, my br…

“My autism inspires me to see Beauty and gives me the will to Dream,” Anthony LaRocca By Debra Muzikar Anthony LaRocca, 29, started drawing dinosaurs when he was only 4 years old. Anthony still loves dinosaurs and art has become one of his lifelong passions. He paints every day often working o…

by Debra Muzikar In the last decade the world has changed dramatically. Today’s teens unlike prior generations have grown up with iphones, ear buds, tablets, and apps. Although many teens may be digitally savvy they may lack the personal skills needed to make new friends or land a job. Smile &…

Interviews with Michelle Garcia Winner and Pamela Crooke of Social Thinking® for the upcoming film, A Sound Paradigm By Keri Bowers “Based on how we process the world ~ is how we relate to the world,”  Michelle Garcia Winner Last May during our Art of Autism Hearts & Arts journey up the C…

By Erica Francis Kids on the autism spectrum are kids first; they like to play like most kids do. The difference is in the way they sometimes play. Because the diagnosis of autism covers a full spectrum, no two kids will behave exactly the same but there are often some characteristics many of them h…

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease characterized by multiple areas of damage and scarring(sclerosis) to the nerve fibers of the brain and spinal cord. Although research has brought us closer to understanding the disease process, its cause is not yet fully known, nor is there a cure. W…

A powerful form of microscopy maps connections between neurons and could help researchers better understand communication between the cells. Each neuron connects to hundreds or even thousands of others through tiny junctions called synapses. Under a light microscope, synapses may blur together. Elec…

Update 6/27/2018 I’m collecting favorite quotes about autism from some of my favorite people. Please share your own in the comments and if I like it, I may add it to the list. 1. “If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism,” Dr. Stephen Shor…

Women with unusually high or low levels of certain pregnancy hormones increase their risk of having a child with autism by about 20 percent, suggests an analysis of blood from more than 600,000 women. The study, published 14 September in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, is the larg…

Joshua Perry has been inspired by his brother Jahred who is on the autism spectrum. After six concussions Joshua Perry, the Seahawks linebacker, at age 24 has decided to leave football. On the Today show this morning he talked about his career in football and his brother with Aspergers. Jahred Perr…

Weighted blankets have been used for quite a while in the world of special needs and anxiety disorders. However, they are starting to become popular outside of those realms and more in a day-to-day stress and sleep aid.  When looking for solutions to normal stress and struggle sleeping, more people …

The doctors informed Holly and Rodney that R.J would never say, “I love you” or participate in sports. By Ron Sandison On March 2nd I met Holly Robinson Peete at the 78th Annual Michigan Council of Exceptional Children Conference (MCEC) in Grand Rapids. I presented a breakout secession on Practical …