I’m an adult with sensory sensitivities and diagnoses of both Aspergers and selective mutism. I remember what it was like to be a child with those challenges. Low-lifes took advantage of me. Adults who knew better laughed at me. Peers waved their hand in front of my face: “Yoo hoo! Is anybody …

By Debra Muzikar Yesterday I had the opportunity to ask Dr. Stephen Shore some questions about his recent appointment to the Board of Directors of Autism Speaks. I hope others will find his answers illuminating. With the appointment of two board members on the autism spectrum, will this change the d…

Picking up a paint brush does not mean I’m super human. I’m not an alien hybrid nor am I a gift from God. I’m not special and I’m not a saint. I am a person. We are all people and no one can speak for everyone. By April Dawn Griffin There are 200 million Autistics alive today…

I look down at my hands and they look like fragile crepe paper. There are lines all around my eyes and silver streaks of hair on my head that contrast to the dark brown that once was dominant. I am tired much of the time. I am weaker than I was before. I feel my limited time for life and I am okay w…

So stop wondering what you did wrong and how you can fix him. He’s not broken. He’s a gift from God. You just don’t see it yet. Open your eyes and see the good that you have passed on to him and focus on passing on to him the other good things that you have learned in life.  By Jen Dubois Dear rattl…

By Angela Weddle To my 19 year old self after quitting college, I want you to know that you are not a failure. You don’t know it yet, and won’t until you’re 29, but you have Asperger’s Syndrome, Non-Verbal Learning Disability, Fibromyalgia, Congenital Brain Damage, and oh ye…

Dear Younger Me, Are you lost and overwhelmed with all of the medical mumbo-jumbo, and exceptionally long diagnosis essentially saying, “Your child has autism.” I know that you are feeling numb—paralyzed with uncertainty, fear, and grief about the unknown. But I’m here to tell you that your life wou…

To my 25-year old self on the day I receive my diagnosis, I know you have a lot emotions going through your head right now. 1) Relieved- because you finally find out why you struggled in clinical internship. 2) Depressed- because you realize you actually have a disability AND you have a strike aga…

Written on Kevin’s 21st birthday. By Debra Muzikar Dear Younger Me, It’s 1997. As you sit in the neurologist’s office watching 3-year old Kevin lining up toy trains, the doctor will inform you Kevin’s not interacting like “normal” children. You will hear the “A” word and you will feel sad. You wil…

There will be triumphs and challenges along the way. You will gain and lose friends. You will question yourself constantly about who you are. It will take awhile to get acclimated with your autism, and it will not be easy. Change is good, and that’s what life is. By Leanne Libas Author’s Message: He…

There will be triumphs and challenges along the way. You will gain and lose friends. You will question yourself constantly about who you are. It will take awhile to get acclimated with your autism, and it will not be easy. Change is good, and that’s what life is. By Leanne Libas Author’s Message: He…

By Debra Muzikar The holiday season can be stressful time. Routines are broken and expectations are high. While for some people, the homemade smell of a cooking Turkey and stuffing can be inviting, for others with sensitivities to smells the aroma can be nauseating! I don’t want to recreate th…

I was bullied by other kids, teachers and faculty, my own family at times and bosses and yet I couldn’t communicate what was happening until I was well out of my teens. By Christina MacNeal As someone who was an autistic teen and is now an autistic adult I want to share the problems of bullying that…

The rescue mentality, the resistance to innovation, and the self-serving “we know what’s best” is ultimately preventing people with disabilities from more individualized supports that could lead to more inclusive lives in our communities. By Dale DiLeo If you are unfamiliar with the term “ableism”,…