2nd in the new monthly series of ‘Happy Sawyer’ By Nikki Mann I don’t think I’d realised how much Sawyer’s first 2 or 3 years had affected me emotionally until I started writing it all down, and I don’t think I’d realised until now how much my life has been changed by them. I have so many stories to…

“When we learn to shift our mindsets to accept, connect and engage in their world’s, it becomes refreshing and feels like a breath of fresh air.” Dr. Alisha Griffith By Ron Sandison I had the pleasure to meet and interview Dr. Alisha Griffith from New York in May at the Navigating…

“Boundaries with love and relationship are key for teachers working with autistic and special needs children.” By Ron Sandison My sister-in-law, a two-time teacher of the year winner for her county, has sixteen years of experience. Her first teaching assignment lasted only two weeks. She was hired a…

Billy was my favorite Power Ranger and I love that they chose him to be on the autism spectrum in this movie. By Brent Anderson Go, Go, Power Rangers! I saw the Power Rangers movie last weekend and I loved it. I have been a Power Rangers fan since it came out in 1993. Growing up, I watched the show …

“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 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…

White House to Light it Up Blue April 2, World Autism Awareness Day Those in the Autism community are all aware that April is an overwhelming time – full of events to bring awareness to autism. Today Sean Spicer said at his press conference that the White House will be lighting it up blue for …

“As he was telling me how cold and hungry he was, I watched as he was unable to control his hands. It was like he was playing an invisible piano…He kept staring off and would occasionally look in my direction but never at me…” My Broken Heart: The Story of The Bare-Handed Ma…

A Call for Constructive Conversations with Each Other and with Ourselves By Keri Bowers and Debra Muzikar, Co-founders, The Art of Autism A tipping point: “The moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point.” Together, we have a combined 48 years’ experience in our roles as “a…

By Jocelyn Eastman I am pleased to finally publish the second installment of our #AutismSweets series. I know it is not quite Netflix, but I certainly enjoyed being able to hear some of the different points of view and some of the surprising things that came in during this part. The fun thing about…

My hope is that this blog serves as a cautionary tale to other young helping professionals that come in to the autism field. I hope that others may avoid some of these early career inadequacies because they affect real people. By Jenny Palmiotto Everyone has had those moments where they look back …

By Jocelyn Eastman After seeing all of these delicious cakes (Inspired by the SugarArt4Autism Project) and hearing how many different collaborations took place for the cakes to be made, I thought to myself, ‘What could we learn from the cake artist experience? The cakes are beautiful, but how are pe…

“We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” –Franklin D. Roosevelt. By Lamar Hardwick Fear is a funny thing. It is not easily defined. Fear can present itself in different ways for different people. Fear is universal, but fear isn’t uniform. Perhaps that’s why it is so difficult to get a grasp on how…

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 …