By Jasmine Dyoco ASD kids need to run and play just like their non-spectrum siblings and peers. But it can be tough to ensure your child gets enough physical activity, especially outdoors, when the world around him is teaming with loud noises and unfamiliar experiences around every corner. You can i…

What started as a casual conversation among a few women is now a reality – a reality that is meant to provide a calm space for autistic individuals. The Autism Nature Trail or “ANT” is a mile long trail situated within Letchwood State Park in Castile, NY. The trail is the brainchild of Lore…

Getting key features like book reading, speech to text, browsing, email, calendar etc. on smartphones may be taken for granted by a big set of the smartphone user base but then there may be another group of users who may find navigating and using those features overwhelming. Elderly people who …

“As he was telling me how cold and hungry he was, I watched as he was unable to control his hands. It was like he was playing an invisible piano…He kept staring off and would occasionally look in my direction but never at me…” My Broken Heart: The Story of The Bare-Handed Ma…

Can wheelchairs climb stairs? Well, not today, but it is definitely a possibility in the future! Scewo, a prototype wheelchair still in active development, has the ability to not only go over curbs and other smaller obstacles, but also climb up stairs. In addition to big wheels to take care of obsta…

By Kimberly Gerry Tucker Someone once told me, “I don’t understand your poetry! What is the meaning?!” I had to contemplate that before I answered. Finally, I said, “Read it slowly and see the images it evokes. Ask yourself, what does Kim’s poetry mean to me?” The sidewalk I’m on is pitted, crumblin…

In honor of International Peace Day, the Art of Autism is posting a series of blog posts in September with the theme of peace. by Kimberly Gerry-Tucker When tasked with writing a peace essay, I sat here staring at the blank computer page for more time than I care to admit. So… here goes. I was in th…

So stop wondering what you did wrong and how you can fix him. He’s not broken. He’s a gift from God. You just don’t see it yet. Open your eyes and see the good that you have passed on to him and focus on passing on to him the other good things that you have learned in life.  By Jen Dubois Dear rattl…

How can we make museums more welcoming to those on the autism spectrum? By Debra Muzikar This month I had the opportunity to discuss autism accessibility with Beth Redmond-Jones, senior director of public programs at the San Diego Natural History Museum (theNAT). She is directing a new project at th…

April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. The Art of Autism believes Acceptance is different than Awareness. In honor of Autism Acceptance, when people open their Apple App store today, they will see a curated selection of Apps for Autism Acceptance. Here is what it looks like in Today’s Section.…

When we first met Rafi, then a 9-year-old boy, at our clinic a decade ago, he and his family faced multiple daunting challenges. Rafi had been diagnosed with autism at age 2 but had received no behavioral therapies. Rafi was nonverbal, not toilet-trained and needed help eating, dressing and bathing.…

We dream of travelling through the universe – but is not the universe within ourselves? (Novalis, from ‘Miscellaneous Observations’, 1798)  By Marie Faverio I am an Aussie advocate for Asperger’s Syndrome, and an aspie myself. I know I am different, but I am happy to be different because I wan…

“My drawing skill developed from a desire to reach a common ground of understanding with people. Watching people speak with the ease of just a few words combined with innuendo and body language has always been a mystery to me,” Steve Selpal (1950 – 2017) By Debra Muzikar and Keri B…

An Autistic woman reviews a movie about an Autistic woman by Helen Wallace-Iles Please Stand By is the story of one autistic woman’s journey towards independence and follows her on an adventure with the sort of highs and lows we can all relate to. Played by the brilliant Dakota Fanning, our heroine …