by Daniel Antonsson As long as I can remember, I have always liked sports and being active. In school, I got the highest grade in physical education and I was prepared to do my best in every single class. Running, basketball, gymnastics, track and field and so on, it was all fun. But it was not unti…

By Ron Sandison I felt a sense of nostalgia watching the video of Joey Hicks, a thirty-year-old, nonspeaking adult with autism, soothing to the music of the Grateful Dead at the Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington. In the TikTok video that went viral, Joey is rocking-back-and-forth absorbed in the mus…

Being part of the Austin Adult Neurodiversity Group has been an enlightening experience for me, providing the opportunity to make connections with other neurodiverse adults and listen to their perspectives on various aspects of neurodiversity. By Nils Skudra Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pa…

by Daniel Antonsson When I was a child, I cannot remember having much of a sleeping problem. I could relax and sleep through the night and woke up feeling well. When I became an adult, things changed for the worse and sleeping built up to a mountain of fear. Especially when there was a change in rou…

By Nils Skudra One of the most popular hospitality attractions in Greensboro is Chez Genese, a French restaurant located in Greensboro, North Carolina that features exquisite French cuisine for breakfast and lunch seven days a week. A distinguishing aspect of this restaurant is that just over fifty …

By Ron Sandison In March, my family was interviewed by Netflix for a new reality show Travel on the Spectrum. The show will feature three families who have a family member with autism as they travel to Myrtle Beach for week vacation. Netflix decided to produce the show when they learned that 80% of …

by Joel Ashton-Fogle Waiting Room 1 Arriving in a state. Heart racing. Bracing self and pacing, chasing, facing wait with weight Afraid of light. Afraid of sound. Each breath exploding, foreboding Eroding ground Concrete ejection seat Might hurl me into obsolete. Confiscation, condemnation, Where is…

Judy Heumann passed away on March 4, 2023, at the age of 75. Throughout the disability community, she has left an enduring legacy as a passionate advocate of disability rights who played an influential role in the development and passage of critical pieces of disability legislation. By Nils Skudra A…

Becoming a professional speaker takes hard work, confidence, and practice. By Ron Sandison In April for Autism Acceptance Month, I spoke to 3,500 students and staff. During the past 7 years, I have spoken to over 250,000 people and I have presented everywhere from Israel to Madagascar. I speak at ov…

By Dianne Loyet 3 poems about being autistic. 1. Please i keep the world’s chaos at bay by classifying and quantifying its minutia seven times i hear "cross street with caution vehicles may not stop" two steps i take across one square of sidewalk i am captain kirk keeping the sky in place …

by Daniel Antonsson In my teenage years, I was a cautious boy. Girls seemed like they came from another planet and I had no idea what to talk with them about whatsoever. I was interested in motorcycles and martial arts while girls liked stuff like fashion, horses and boys (at least as far as I knew)…

By Aaron Bouma When people think of autism, sometimes they think of the television series The Good Doctor or the robotic talking Rain Man. What people don’t realize is these misconceptions harm autistic people and are stigmatizing and ablest. How do you cope with these misconceptions? How do …

By S. Scott Sanderson Sometimes I feel A bubbling coming up Inside me It cannot be contained When I was younger, I used to give in I would dance, a happy dance Limbs flailing wildly Dancing back and forth And in circles Sometimes, I’d clap Into the air No reason needed Just an unbridled enthusiasm O…

Art of Autism announcement: Autistic Pride Day is June 18 – send your art, poetry and blog submissions to info@artautism.com. By Ron Sandison The Honey Badger Award: a Fierce Advocate: A Force to Be Reckoned With is given each April by Spectrum Inclusion to celebrate an entrepreneur and advoca…