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…

“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…

If you have not heard of Bruce Hall, it's time to look him up!Bruce Hall, who is legally blind, has only 5% sight. Born with various eye conditions, Bruce stumbled into a world full of possibilities when as a child, he had the opportunity to peep through a telescope to look at a star. Glimpse of the…

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…

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 &…

By Debra Muzikar How does it feel when all of your senses are heightened? And how does it feel when your heightened senses collide? Imagine walking down the hallway of your school having to close your eyes because the flourescent lights are too bright, the school bell rings piercing your ears, you w…

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…

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…

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 …

Asperger’s Are Us is the first comedy troupe composed of all autistic people By Ron Sandison  On August 3rd at a comedy event in Detroit, I had the pleasure of meeting Ethan, Jack, New Michael, and Noah the cast of Asperger’s Are Us, the first comedy troupe composed of autistic people.&nb…

Implications of the Conjunctive Behavioral © Model on Our Society Today by Kurt Muzikar I always thought inspiration descended on one from some unknown source in the sky. When I walked, I would look up to the heavens, and ask for guidance. It never occurred to me that I should be looking down to the…

This article first appeared on Vive health’s blog. Bed sores are, unfortunately, one of the most common ailments resulting from mobility issues. It’s important to begin bed sore treatment at the first sign of any symptoms.  Pressure ulcers are much easier to deal with when they’re …

I would like to rephrase Dr. Stephen Shore’s statement “If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism,” to become “if you’ve met one person with a label, you’ve simply seen the label and not the person.” By Kurt Muzikar The definition of  neologism is “a relativ…

People with hearing impairment often have trouble communicating with loved ones who do not understand sign language. A majority of them are indeed lip readers but only 30 to 40 percent of English can be understood by reading lips. Also, several sounds look identical, thus adding to the complexity of…