In October returning from a suspension from kicking a teacher, John Benjamin told his mom, “I don’t want to go back to school—I don’t like working with my paraprofessional. He pinches me hard, driving his nails into me and treats me like I am a little kid.” A few weeks ago a news story about a 10-y…

The Art of Autism is collecting favorite quotes about autism from some of our favorite bloggers. Please share your own in the comments below. “If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.” – Dr. Stephen Shore. “What would happen if the…

I got it. You had to be tough to be black. There was no crying, no picky eating, none of this I can’t look you in the eye. Humor was a way of toughening yourself up, because the world was going to be tough for us, so if you don’t have a sense of humor now, you had better develop one. By …

How the Ask Amy doll changed Betty’s life By Helen Nichols For a parent, an autistic child can be its own universe with a set of laws and rules that we need to learn­­­. Nearly every action turns into a search for an alternative. Choosing a toy is no exception. Though it may seem all children …

Oscar Widegren, from Stockholm, who has been blind since he was 5, is an athlete. For him, and other blind runners, running is not really possible without another person running next to them who act as a guide. Recently, Oscar was the subject of a project called “The Impossible Run” whic…

A few universities in the midwest have started offering degrees to students with intellectual disabilities with focus on providing skills that encourage independent living, prepare students for employment and instill lifelong learning. Traditionally,  these students have not been able to meet a…

Kerry Fenster talks about music and his program Songs About Us Music is the ultimate entity in any context. It’s a universal language, like math, or love – understood, beloved, treasured, played, performed, and enjoyed across every piece of this world. People in love have “their song”, armies have…

“People with autism are asking for two reasonable things – acceptance of their difference and respect for their difference,” Prof. Simon Baron-Cohen, March 31, 2017 There are an estimated 70 million people on the planet who are on the autism spectrum. Last Friday the United Nations…

“The repetitiveness of baseball and the repetitiveness of autism go hand in hand.” Reggie Sanders, Kansas City Royals By Ron Sandison Nadia Khalil who was the parent of a two-year-old daughter, Sarene, knew her younger child Tarik’s milestones were delayed. Tarik unlike his sister…

The James River shoreline, near Williamsburg, VA (c) John Elder RobisonAutism is a neurological difference that’s associated with some gifts and a great many disabilities.  For a person to be diagnosed on the autism spectrum, they must have significant impairments as a result of autism.  W…

“I am a 10 year old boy trapped in a body that does not follow my instructions.  I am a boy with the same dreams and aspirations as any other boy.  I am not defective or flawed, I am ever evolving.  I am not an ordinary boy, I am autistic and apraxic and I am a fellow human…I am not a pr…

This is National Disability Voter Registration Week Updated 07/15/2018 with current Voting Guide The Art of Autism encourages those on the autism spectrum to vote. Many candidates have disability platforms. For many on the autism spectrum, disability funding is decided through the voting process. …

When the 13-year-old autistic boy from Texas visited Dirk Dhossche’s clinic in Jackson, Mississippi, it had been more than a year since his problems surfaced. The boy’s face had frozen into a grimace, and he had developed a series of unusual repetitive movements and washed his hands compulsively. Do…

By Hannah Croston The autism spectrum is wide and no two people with autism are alike. I always fear when someone asks me what autism is like, I’m going to create a certain “guideline” as to what it’s like to be autistic. Our challenges vary. So please don’t forget, I can only tell you about w…