“I have always been fascinated by art and began creating my own a few years ago after visiting Barcelona and seeing the works of Antonio Gaudí. This love has led me to my current career path,” Robbie IeRubino An interview with artist Robbie IeRubino who shares some of his art. Q. How ol…

The study examined over 12,000 twin pairs to arrive at its conclusions.Source: The Autism Site

The ReliquaryIt’s been several years since the discovery of a reliquary in a 1609 grave in the chancel of the first church in Jamestown Virginia.  The grave was that of Gabriel Archer, one of the founders of the Jamestown colony.  I’ve been surprised how little discussion this has stirred …

It’s been a few years since I first heard the phrase, “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun.”  I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I just accepted those words without question, for quite a long time.  Today I see them differently.Growing up on a farm …

This year, I have seen the continuation of some troubling trends from autism advocacy groups.  One major group booked me to speak at their conference (for which they will pay me) even as they assembled sessions with autistic panelists who are not getting paid.Another organization – involved in …

One of the greatest divisions in the autism community is between seekers of a cure, and opponents.  Someone new to the autism community could easily be forgiven for asking how this might be.  Autism is, after all, a disability.  Why would anyone be opposed to curing it?Autism is not a…

In this episode, host Jacob Brogan talks to autism researchers and families with children on the spectrum in France and Ethiopia. However different the two countries may be, advocates in both places are working to overturn outdated beliefs about autism that blame parents and block access to evidence…

The U.S. government still lacks an approved budget for fiscal year 2018, a draft of which began circulating 1 October. The temporary budget, called a continuing resolution, that Congress passed in October expired on 19 January. Because of this, by law, many government offices and functions shut down…

Aidan loves washing machines. Miranda shares why it’s important to follow your child’s lead. Follow the Leader By Miranda Steffen When children show a knack or interest in a particular activity, parents tend to go above and beyond to help them thrive. If a child takes a liking to a socc…

Recently I suggested that people who are actually autistic need to have a strong voice in guiding autism research.  I made the point that anyone who is not autistic is simply guessing when it comes to interpreting our behaviors.  Only an autistic person can truly know autistic life.  …

I am pleased to see that our government’s understanding of autism is changing.  For the first time, the IACC’s Strategic Plan recognizes that the needs of people living with autism today are paramount.  This portion of the introduction to the 2016-17 Update speaks for itself:The IACC has m…

This morning I arrived work to a disturbing piece of news.  “A pedestrian got killed by a car last night in . . . .”  Our complex is home to a fleet of emergency ambulances and we hear lots of things, but deaths still stand out.“She used to live at the State School,” and “I remember seeing…

I’ve been asked to discuss some of the questions I see swirling round the discovery of the reliquary in Jamestown.  I wrote about the remarkable find last week on this same blog.The later Anglican church at Jamestown (as reconstructed at the turn of the 20th century)It’s always hard to put ours…

By Becca Eisenberg, MS, CCC-SLP As a speech language pathologist for over 18 years, I have worked closely with autistic children and adults on their complex communication needs. I have worked in a variety of contexts including schools, day care centers, homes, sensory gyms, group homes and day habil…