There is a stigma associated with the lack of eye contact in communication. We are seen as rude and/or disinterested. I find it incredibly difficult to make eye contact for a few reasons. I’m hypersensitive to sight, sound, taste and touch which affects my communication greatly as I find it very dis…

Sundays are special at Autistry. The workshop combines older teenagers, generally juniors or seniors in high school, with some of our college age students (Friday guys). When not studying for their college classes, the older students help the others with their projects and often join in LARP (Live…

Diagnoses like autism, ADHD and dyslexia, to name a few, are examples of neurodiversity. The battle may be harder, but hope is not yet lost. By Carly Fulgham The last civil rights battle just got harder. You may think I mean the fight for equal pay for women, or equal protection under the law for no…

By Patrick Jasper Lee This film is a dedication to some of the great artists, writers, and composers and their contribution to to our understanding of life. Many of these artists if they were living today would have been given labels of autism, bipolar or schizophrenia. “Tomorrow We Won’…

As we move into the last months of 2016, I’d like to give you all an in-depth, inside look at the Autistry Core Workshops. In 2017, we will launch the Autistry Comprehensive Adult Program (ACAP) which will expand our services to include Education, Vocation, Life Skills, and Physical Fitness/Healthy…

By Colin Eldred-Cohen I must say, I was really surprised at the reactions to my piece on Satoshi Tajiri, the autistic creator of Pokemon. I figured it would peek some interest, but the amount of of gratitude and love blew me away and really touched me. Clearly, the impact of representation in the …

The Prolonged Developmental Phases of an Autistic Child *This is a paper I wrote in 2001 when my now adult son was nearing his seventh birthday. It was written for a graduate psychology class, Phases of Human Development. I found it in a box as I was going through old papers and realized that 15 yea…

“The word ‘army’ feels so fitting because fighting for your child, no matter how small it looks from the outside, feels like you are mounting a siege against anything with a pulse and an opinion about your situation. Even if their opinion vibes with you, it doesn’t matter, you are …

“I was existing, floating, drifting in my own bubble and couldn’t get out. Sometimes it felt like everybody else was in a bubble and I couldn’t get in. Those moments I ‘knew’ everybody knew what was going on . . . and I didn’t.”  By Eva Angvert Harren Throughout my life I have not been a…

What a great summer! New faces, cool excursions, and lots of great news. But before we look back, let’s look forward to this coming weekend. Steve Gatlin of Special Affects Films has organized a film festival “dedicated to showcasing the finest films being produced for, by and about the …

On January 9, 2016 at Autistry Studios, we met Michael, a friendly young man, who was working on a project, building a Lego MindStorm R3ptor, with an Autistry mentor. Michael’s hands were shaky and he was easily frustrated when pieces did not immediately fit together. “I can’t do this. Help me…

Ian always planned on moving out when he was 20. To Sausalito. To a houseboat. Or maybe a mobile home. Ian is always thinking about plans for the next step. The summer of 2014, after Ian left high school he started reminding us it was time for him to move out. Janet and I were both “yeah, yeah, yeah…

By Rebecca Burgess, translated in Spanish by Jennifer Del Valle. English version here. Source: The Art of Autism

Earlier posts: Ian goes to college – The plan for his education (November 17, 2014) Ian goes to college part 2 – His first day (August 26, 2014) Ian goes to college part 3 – Drama Class Results (February 6, 2015) We went in to this whole “Ian will take classes at the local junior college” with no id…