Gretchen McIntire kicked off her “Being Brave 2020” by speaking at TEDxNatick. Leaning In to Braver Choices By Gretchen McIntire I’m finding more and more that establishing a healthier routine is much harder than I had realized. This is going to be a bit of an uphill climb but, …

Autistic Emotions and the Sensory System By Jess, Holistic Autistic Emotional regulation is the ability to respond to stimuli with emotions that are acceptable to the situation and to manage emotionally driven behaviors. This is something both inherent, and learned and developed over time. A p…

We first interviewed autistic author Elizabeth Jade (her pseudonym) in May 2018 when her first book, Akea, The Power of Destiny, was published. She told us that she was the child that struggled to fit in, and no one knew why: “[I was] the child who could tell you everything that had been going on ar…

By Gretchen McIntire For years I have struggled with my weight being mixed with my self-confidence. I’ve had quite a few health issues that also contributed to my weight and water retention as well. I’ve gained weight. I’ve lost it. It finds me every time I swear. I’ve been a size two and I’ve been …

By Chloe Rothschild My involvement with health care professionals increased in August 2015. I was hurting and exhibiting behaviors as a result of pain in my bladder. All I could communicate was “tummy hurt,” because I did not recognize the difference between stomach and bladder pain. My parents too…

A Letter from Our Guest Editor By Lydia Wayman Like many aspects of daily life, illness is especially challenging for autistic people. We often have trouble understanding what we are feeling and communicating it to others. We struggle with changes in our daily routines. Being poked and prodded at ap…

Autistic Health Care Advocacy By Ann Oldendorf, MD I am a retired urologist and a mom who will never retire. My two children are now young adults, but they continue to seek my guidance as they learn their new roles in society. My son, who is the eldest, was diagnosed with autism at age 3 in 1999. So…

By Delaine Swearman The year was 1987. I was seven years old and had just returned home from school. Earlier in the day I had taken a spelling pre-test which would determine whether I needed to study that week’s “regular” words, or whether I could study the “challenge” words for the final test late…

By Campbell Teague Autism is a neurological condition that affects 1 out of 59 people. Most people are diagnosed when they are children. Eventually those children grow up. When an autistic person becomes an adult, all the changes can make it an especially challenging time for them and their familie…

Issue 17’s Big Question What is the most important thing for doctors to know about treating #ActuallyAutistic patients? Our editorial team asked this question to the #ActuallyAutistic Community on Twitter and Facebook. Here’s a snapshot of what many of them had to say: “Like any other patient, cons…

By Conner Cummings So much has happened in 2019. This issue of Zoom is all about health. How appropriate for the new year. Each year for their New Year’s resolutions, most people hope for good health, to be in shape and to live healthier lives. Autistic people are no different. This issue will hopef…

By Daniel Derrico Hello! My name is Daniel Derrico. I am 23 years old and live in the Greater Washington D.C./Northern Virginia area. My biggest passion in life is music. I love the process of creating, writing, and producing different original songs — some about my own experiences and going t…

By Megan Amodeo Going to the doctor for routine visits, vaccinations and sick visits is something most people experience. Even if you aren’t prone to getting sick, you still visit doctors for injuries and check-ups. Since I am a mom of three, I have been to numerous medical facilities for everything…

Kit Falbo writes science fiction and fantasy, and when you open the pages of his books, he wants you to be brought into the story. He loves the craft of writing and squeezes it in while “keeping one on my kids as they run rampant at the local library.” In addition to his 3 novels, so far, Kit enjoys…