When I got my diagnosis of autism, it was like there was suddenly and explosive light that emerged in the darkness of all my mistakes. I am not broken. I am not just a bitch. I am autistic. By Jessica Penot I have administered the Autism Diagnostic Interview the Revised Addition (ADI-R) 132 tim…

By Danyale Sturdivant When my son Joshua was born, I cannot begin to tell you how happy I was! I had watched video’s and read books and was so “prepared”! I had everything down and was excited to take on this new venture. As life would have it, he was diagnosed with Autism at 2 ½ and that is when o…

I will never stop listening. By Marisa Leon After 20 years of serving autistic children, teenagers, and adults, I know one thing for sure: Autism is a mystery that requires us to change. My journey into the world of autism began as a speech therapist. The expectations I had when I embarked on thi…

By Mari-Anne Kehler What do you get when you fall in love? As Dionne Warwick sang: “You only get lies and pain and sorrow. So far at least, until tomorrow, I’ll never fall in love again.”* Another school year ends, and I’m reminded of the endless cycle of heartbreak. “Why is mom wiping her eyes?! Wh…

New Jersey program serves autistic teens and adults by Colleen Hordichuk, Art Therapist Nine years ago, I joined the staff of my local high school as a paraprofessional in a brand new Autism program. I was chosen to be part of this new team because of my background in art therapy. It didn’t ta…