I believe much of my misery was rooted in my perceived inability to make thoughtful, empowered and meaningful choices in my life—choices about my thoughts, my attitude, my perspective, and my behavior. By Emily Grey Berman The Vision I always wanted to be a mother. I had this vision of raisin…

Downs Design® and NBZ Jeans® with  no buttons and zipperless jeans addresses dressing challenges for people with special needs. By Keri Bowers I recently ran across an amazingly altruistic clothing company and fell madly in love with both their clothing line and their central mission. As the mother …

Autistic people, diagnosed or not, are not here to prove themselves to you, me or anyone else by virtue of “how autistic they are.” By Jocelyn Eastman CN: A Teensy Bit of Vulgarity and Bad Language for effect I’m truly a lucky woman. I don’t have any diagnosed children who would have compelled…

By Michelle Damiata Autism is not just a disability; Autism is something that requires understanding and empathy. Autism is a mental disability that affects a child’s social skills and learning skills as well. It can also affect the way a child’s thinking and it can make it difficult to comprehend …

When disability is cool and collectible, it may seem like recognition, but there is too much room for marginalization. By Angela Weddle After reading The Art of Autism’s facebook post on the Creative Growth Studios, I was left with some realizations and questions both about the art world, in genera…

If all we do is try to shape the child’s behavior “from the outside”, utilizing techniques such as verbal commands, token reinforcements, intellectual validations and extinctions (“do you “understand me?”) and fail to “see” how and where in the psyche and physical body they experience stimuli and ex…

Leah has an incredible talent to remember faces and names. “Her teacher once told me that Leah could be walking by a classroom, glance inside for a moment, and tell her who was absent,” Lori says. By Debra Muzikar Many autistic children have trouble making friends. Leah DeMonia when she was in 3rd g…

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 &…

“What does it mean to be autistic?” Amy Goodman “It means you have special talents and skills inside you,” Owen Suskind “What are those talents?” Amy Goodman “Being a good artist, and a piano player, and a good writer, author, and a storyteller, and a possib…

by Debra Muzikar Editor’s Note: The official trailer for Normal People Scare Me Too was released yesterday. James Jagow’s created the musical score for the trailer. It’s 2002. Keri Bowers is raising her 14-year old autistic son, Taylor, in Thousand Oaks, a suburban community in …

Living Loud on Land and Sea By James Jagow I was born with high-functioning autism which impairs social functioning. Communication for me was a grueling effort, but it was through music that I eventually was able to be heard. I was finally coming through loud and clear! Public school was difficult h…

Acknowledging Mastery at Autistry: Certification. We teach skills as an integral part of working with students at Autistry. If a student wants to make a pillow, they learn to sew. If a student wants a bookshelf, they learn woodworking. A model tank, they learn model building, painting, decaling, wea…

“At the end of the day this film is not about autism; it’s about love. Being more caring to the person next to you; being compassionate. This is a movie about love through a different lens; through the eyes of autism.” Carolina Groppa By Debra Muzikar (This is an excerpt from an i…

Humor has developmental milestones. By Debra Muzikar Driving with Kevin we spot this sign. “Slow children at play,” I say. “Kevin how would you interpret that sign – does it mean the children are slow or are we to slow the car down?” I ask. Kevin laughs. He understands…