Fragile X syndrome, tuberous sclerosis (TSC) and Williams syndrome are rare conditions with clear genetic causes: Each springs from a mutation in a single gene — and with unusual frequency seems to simultaneously produce a more common condition: autism1. But is the ‘autism’ in a child with Williams …

Face it. You're going to experience stress. It's just a part of life. And while there's nothing you can do to avoid stress entirely, there's a lot you can do to change your experience of it.  There are two kinds of stress. Stress that pushes you, helps you grow, and possibly even energizes you, and …

Disability Rights are Human Rights The United Nations has proclaimed December 3 as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Today there are over 7 billion people on the planet. 15 percent of those people have a disability which makes over 1 billion people with disabilities. According to t…

Sounds, smells and social encounters are just a few of the challenges that Leironica Hawkins, an artist on the spectrum, faces every day. Here, Hawkins uses comics to illuminate what she calls her “invisible disability.” Andrea wants to relax, but her roommate has sprayed the apartment with a disinf…

Bella, a 9 year old from Zionsville, Indiana, has Cerebral Palsy. The right side of her body is weak, and she wears a brace on her right leg. These physical challenges affect her ability to ride traditional bicycles generally available to everyone in the market. But just like any other 9 year old, s…

Do you want to change the world? Want to live an energizing life? Then you just might be a Ripple Revolutionary! Come join me at the Ripple Revolution blog. The Ripple RevolutionTM is a movement to change the way we think about making a difference. It is founded on two simple ideas: You have the ab…

By Morgan GiosaNow It was a Monday night after 10 PM, and I was waiting in the corner of the Hungry Tiger, a small Connecticut bar which hosts my favorite open jam blues night. I was awkwardly tuning up my guitar and listening to the house band – a trio of musical virtuosos – tearing through incredi…

New show for the ABC Network Casting Call Laura Rosenthal Casting is seeking talent to portray a neurodiverse character or character on the autism spectrum for a TV show Men and Women, 18 – 25, any ethnicity. Time Commitment 3/11 – 4/1 and may be needed for a longer time period. Will nee…

Catrina Thompson doesn’t worry about the safety of her 16-year-old autistic son Christopher when they’re in their hometown of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. There, Thompson is chief of police, and most people on the force know Christopher, she says. The officers also all get two training sessions on…

“At the end of the day this film is not about autism; it’s about love. Being more caring to the person next to you; being compassionate. This is a movie about love through a different lens; through the eyes of autism.” Carolina Groppa By Debra Muzikar (This is an excerpt from an i…

The main challenge I faced as parent of an adult on the spectrum faces was how to direct Colin’s remarkable talents and passions into a fulfilled, meaningful and impactful life. By Donald Cohen My son, Colin, blows me away every day. He is 28 years old and was diagnosed with Asperger’s at a young …

By Ron Sandison Last week at the Milestones 15th Annual Autism Conference in Cleveland, Ohio, my wife Kristen and I were on a panel with three other couples, discussing, “Love and Marriage on the Spectrum.” During this event, I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Fred Volkmar, Professor of Child Psychi…

Bryan Dunn interviews CEO and founder of uneepi, a dating service for autistics By Bryan Dunn with Keri Bowers I’m Bryan Dunn, a 38 year-old autistic with very little experience in the dating scene. In fact, I’ve had only one girlfriend. I would like to pursue a different kind of life w…

By Mahlia Amatina Every city is different from a neurodiverse point of view. And this can vary day-by-day, mood by mood, street by street. In this blog post, I’ll run over my observations on how I’m finding New York as a city to live in. From a sensory perspective, NYC, surprise surprise, is a very …