An Irish girl on the autism spectrum has given the world a gift with her version of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Kayleigh Rodgers, a 10-year-old, who gave this knockout performance at Killard House School, a special needs school, in Donaghadee, Northern Ireland. Leonard Cohen died in November.…

The Art of Autism is taking nominations for most informative blogs. Here are our nominations so far for best all around blog – magazine style, To vote click on who you want to vote for and hit the vote button at the bottom. (function(d, s, id){ var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagNa…

“My autism inspires me to see Beauty and gives me the will to Dream,” Anthony LaRocca By Debra Muzikar Anthony LaRocca, 29, started drawing dinosaurs when he was only 4 years old. Anthony still loves dinosaurs and art has become one of his lifelong passions. He paints every day often working o…

How the Ask Amy doll changed Betty’s life By Helen Nichols For a parent, an autistic child can be its own universe with a set of laws and rules that we need to learn­­­. Nearly every action turns into a search for an alternative. Choosing a toy is no exception. Though it may seem all children …

The Art of Autism looks back at 2016 and prepares for challenges in the future. By Debra Muzikar with Keri Bowers 2016 has shown itself to be a major year for transformation. Within the autism world it has been no different. The Art of Autism has attempted to keep up with the changing dynamics. We p…

By Tina Fletcher The hallmarks of the holiday season — holiday twinkle lights, carolers, the aroma of a large home-cooked meal — can be an overwhelming experience for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. As families with children on the autism spectrum plan their holidays, here are so…

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…

A Christmas Tale about the gift of music by Lori Jagow From my small apartment, the tune of “Good King Wenceslas” blared from my son’s shiny brass trumpet. My eight year old son, Jimmy, practiced for his first Christmas concert in the school orchestra. Jimmy is autistic and his music teacher recomme…

By Debra Muzikar I write this blog on the eve of my son Kevin’s 22nd birthday. For typical children there are certain ages that are milestones – age 5 – first day of Kindergarten – age 16 – driver’s license – age 18 – graduation from high school. This is no different for childre…

By Tom Clements As a teen, when most of my schoolmates were out exploring the world of dating and relationships, I remained the inveterate oddball, choosing instead to indulge my special interest in maps and to engage in the sort of activities that had as little to do with physical intimacy as possi…

By Debra Muzikar As I write this blog, there is a video that has gone viral with a hashtag #StoptheBullying showing images of a ten-year old child (who happens to be Donald Trump’s child Barron) making a case that the child is autistic. This last week Rosie O’Donnell added to the specula…

It’s a myth people with autism don’t have a sense of humor. Matt Kaiser proves the stereotype wrong. By Matt Kaiser My name is Matt Kaiser. I am 42 years old and am on the autism spectrum. For the last 10 years, I’ve been a performing stand-up, improvisation, prop routines, clowning and …

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…

The Art of Autism encourages those on the autism spectrum to vote. For many on the autism spectrum, disability funding is in essence decided through the voting process. Many candidates have disability platforms. Below is an excerpt from an article about disabilities and voting called Election Day Eq…