I am pleased to announce the first-ever change in the style of this blog.  I hope you find it more accessible and usable. Circus at The Big E, West Springfield, MAJohn Rando's Long Wheelbase Shadow restoration takes 1st at the RROC National MeetFlowers in the GardenOn the big stage, Big EVolcan…

80% of people on the Autism spectrum are unemployed or underemployed. Microsoft took a huge initiative a few years ago to start hiring people on the spectrum for technical jobs. To encourage other organizations to do the same, Microsoft, in collaboration with the University of Washington Information…

In 2017, the Social Stories Spectrum Project provided a structured opportunity for high-functioning verbal young adults (ages 18-25) with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to meet up with their peers and practice social skills, participate in organized trips to seven museums in Balboa Park, and work…

Here’s a round up of some wonderful autistic authors…the books they’ve written and the stories they’ve told! If you didn’t catch their interviews the first time around, make sure you take a few minutes to click and read. You’ll leave inspired…plus I’m …

Actor Orlando Jones and the Universal FanCon have joined the #Activate4Autism movement calling people to: Speak out against bullying Speak up when something happens Speak out for inclusion Orlando’s on screen charisma, integrity and wit are the perfect combination for delivering a message that pe…

Joshua Margolis is a clay sculptor who loves to make monsters and robots out of clay. And recently he’s become a children’s book author featuring “Melvin” his sad(ish) robot. He wanted to think more deeply about one of his creations and what he was trying to convey with his work. That was when he st…

Art of Autism board member Tom Iland will test his knowledge on Wheel of Fortune this Tuesday. Tom has been hooked on the show for 30 years since he was a toddler. “It was quite a shock when Tom put down his Legos, stood in front of the TV and solved the Wheel of Fortune bonus round puzzle, &#…

This week, Different Roads is proud to share some tips from Nancy Hammill and Understood on the dos and don’ts of fidgets, both in the classroom and at home! Fidgets, like squeeze balls and key chains, are self-regulation tools that promote movement and tactile input. They can be great for ki…

I have studied autism for almost 50 years now. My focus on the condition was not planned. Rather, it was a product of being in the presence of extraordinary researchers, clinicians and trainees who challenged me to keep evolving as our understanding of autism evolved. The most important factor in my…

Assessment is the cornerstone of creating appropriate and effective interventions. Two common assessments used for youngsters with autism are the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills-Revised (ABLLS-R) and the Verbal Behavior – Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP). You’ve…

Do you want work-life balance? Good luck. It's a mythical beast based on one hugely erroneous assumption - that you have control over the world.  The reality (and you probably don't need me to tell you this) is that you DON'T have control over the world. You don't even have real control over your li…

Autism is significantly more common in boys than in girls. This skewed sex ratio has been recognized since the first cases of autism were described in the 1940s. The exact reasons for the ratio remain unclear. It could be rooted in biological differences between the sexes. Or, some experts say, it m…

Engineers at De Montfort University have found an ingenious and inexpensive way of creating prosthetics. These engineers ground regular plastic bottles down and created polyester yarns from them. They then proceeded to create sockets that join prosthetic limbs to the body. Through this project, t…

High intelligence, as measured by intelligence quotient (IQ), typically predicts good scores on tests of memory, facial recognition and other cognitive functions. This trend does not apply to children with autism, suggests a new study1. The study, published 7 October in PLoS One, shows that children…