“When a family focuses on ability instead of disability, all things are possible…Love and acceptance is key. We need to interact with those with autism by taking an interest in their interests,” Amanda Rae Ross By Ron Sandison Amanda Ross is twenty-two—studying occupational therapy for h…

The sad truth is that women, particularly undiagnosed, on the spectrum are at risk for various comorbidities like major depressive disorder, eating disorders, sexual assault, among others. By Amber Sayer I’ve been diagnosed and labeled with all sorts of things in my life, spanning the full gamut of…

“Meeting a muppet like me was something I never imagined would happen…”, Brent Anderson Dear Sesame Street, I found myself watching your show again after a 20-year break. In fact, I programmed it into my DVR so I wouldn’t miss it. I was excited to meet Julia, the new muppet who mad…

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 Sesame Street introduced their first autistic character – a puppet named Julia. Julia is the first new Muppet since Abby Cadabby appeared in 2006. The puppeteer who plays Julia is a mom of a child on the autism spectrum. To find out more about Julia click here. Source: The Art of Au…

The Art of Autism congratulates Temple Grandin who received her Star this week in the National Cowgirls Hall of Fame. Located in Fort Worth Texas, the National Cowgirls Museum and Hall of Fame is dedicated to honoring women of the American West who have displayed extraordinary courage and pioneering…

“Young adults with autism need to get their butts out of the house and get a job! Work experience can start small walking dogs in the neighborhood or mowing lawns,” Temple Grandin By Ron Sandison Temple Grandin was standing in the back corner next to the stage as I entered the ballroom of Detroit Ma…

The Art of Autism congratulates John Donvan and Caren Zucker for being Pulitzer Prize finalists for In A Different Key: The Story of Autism. In A Different Key chronicles the history of autism from Donald Triplett through the civil rights movement and covers controversies that are heated within our …

Statistically, siblings share the longest lasting relationships one will experience in a lifetime. Several decades of research on siblings has provided important information about the effects of being a brother or sister of an individual with a disability. Generally, sibs across the lifespan regard …

Earlier this year, the Art of Autism asked readers to participate in online voting for blogs and internet resources they like. Through the voting and our own analysis The Art of Autism developed the following list of blogs, vlogs, communities and resources which we have given the designation “…

Update 04/01/2017 – Happy Autism Acceptance Month! I’m collecting favorite quotes about autism from some of my favorite people. Please share your own in the comments and if I like it, I may add it to the list. 1. “If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one per…

By Ron Sandison As a young child autism made me feel different and like an endangered species. At age seven my speech was so delayed my brother Chuck would boast to his friends, “Meet my brother Ronnie. I think he’s from Norway since he speaks Norwegian.” Academically I was so delayed the scho…

“People with autism are asking for two reasonable things – acceptance of their difference and respect for their difference,” Prof. Simon Baron-Cohen, March 31, 2017 There are an estimated 70 million people on the planet who are on the autism spectrum. Last Friday the United Nations…

The United Nations has declared April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day. We love this image by contributing artist Steve Selpal. While some including the White House are lighting it up blue, others are lighting it up gold or sharing rainbow-infused images. We at the Art of Autism believe Autism Awaren…