“What people forget is that autism is a developmental disability. It’s not a learning disability. We’re not all nerdy guys who are good at math like Sheldon on the ‘Big Bang Theory.’ We come in all shapes and sizes. I want to create a paradigm shift to view students with autism as the bright…

By Jasmine Dyoco Going back to school can be exciting and fun for some kids, but for others, it can cause anxiety and stress. It’s normal to be nervous about the unknown. New teachers, classmates, schedules, classrooms, and subjects can cause the jitters in just about anyone. But for children and te…

In honor of #TakeTheMaskOff week The Art of Autism is posting this incredible essay from a 10th grade student recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder about passing as a neurotypical By Maya Radhakrishnan In 2000 the rate of autism diagnoses was about 1 in 150 people. By 2017 this rate was 1…

By Ron Sandison The worst years of my life were attending middle school. I experienced severe bullying and had few friends due to my sensory issues. During my college years I was able to make friends and also excel academically. I will share eight tips that will help individuals with autism have a p…

Maya Radhakrishnan, who is 10th grade, has asked that the Art of Autism readers help her with a research project she is doing for a Civil Rights class. She would like if those who are autistic answer a few questions. Passing for Neurotypical Interview Questions 1. How old are you? Are you in high-sc…

By Ron Sandison Last week at the Milestones 15th Annual Autism Conference in Cleveland, Ohio, my wife Kristen and I were on a panel with three other couples, discussing, “Love and Marriage on the Spectrum.” During this event, I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Fred Volkmar, Professor of Child Psychi…

“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…

By Henny Kupferstein, M.A. Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) for autistics is based on Pavlov’s operant conditioning for dogs. In this video, you can see the lone dog waiting for permission to have fun. Watching this clip, I can almost hear the ABA kid saying, “Miss Ashley–what am I working for? Aft…