By Sofia Mochon-Ciniglio Art education is a multifaceted and complicated endeavor. It involves the mastery of artistic and studio practice, yet also the maintenance of an integral mindset of patience, respect and (as I’ve come to realize in the course of my work with special needs children) boundari…

By Frank Sterle Jr As a boy with an undiagnosed Autism Spectrum disorder, my grade 2 teacher was the first and most formidably abusive authority figure with whom I was terrifyingly trapped. I cannot recall her abuse in its entirety, but I’ll nevertheless always remember how she had the immoral audac…

Through his parent’s love and support, Michael now is an author, has a third-degree black belt, a Master’s degree in Business Administration, and a career as a data processor. By Ron Sandison Michael Goodroe is an amazing young adult on the autism spectrum. He is the author of What Autism Gave Me: …

“To be successful in the workplace individuals with autism need to find ways to create a demand for their skills and develop a portfolio that shows their talents.” Ron Sandison interviews Nathaniel Reed Geyer, Phd       1.  At what age were you diagnosed with autism? &…

Founder of Otsimo credits his autistic brother Alper for company’s success. By Hasan Zafer Elcik My younger brother Alper was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 years old. When I bought my first smartphone in 2009, I noticed Alper had a special interest in smart devices. At that time, my br…

“I want my audience to look at the individual instead of being SO focused on the next big intervention or technique,” Dr. Karen Clark By Ron Sandison Q. What was your greatest challenge raising a son with autism? Funny that one of the greatest challenges in raising my son who has autism …

“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…

“I’ve got a cure for mental health… spank your children more,” Stephen Bannon Yesterday as I watched the Conservative Political Action Conference a key presidential advisor Stephen Bannon put forward his world view which included something he called the “Deconstruction of the Administrativ…

“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 …

Maybe Eleanor would have loved to join the book club? I think about the many, many times that Eleanor has had similar things happen to her. It must shut down her self-esteem and hope, and crash her dreams of what she might want to do later in life—crashing her hope of maybe succeeding to be a doctor…

Autism comic strip by autistic artist Carissa P. depicts “Baby Talk” by Debra Muzikar A couple weeks ago my Facebook friend Stefanie shared with me this audio clip she recorded on her I-phone. Stefanie just turned 49. In the audio clip you can hear her neighbor (who has known her since …

By Nils Skudra I have been interested in the American Civil War from approximately five years old, and at this time I began to draw a great many pictures of historical scenes, primarily detailing that particular conflict and era. I also developed an interest in the American Revolution, World War I, …

by Debra Muzikar In the last decade the world has changed dramatically. Today’s teens unlike prior generations have grown up with iphones, ear buds, tablets, and apps. Although many teens may be digitally savvy they may lack the personal skills needed to make new friends or land a job. Smile &…

By Ramy Mahmoud In my 10 years of teaching ninth grade, I, as have many of my colleagues, struggled with a certain category of students; the low performers. These are the boys and girls who walk into our classes on the first day of school EXPECTING to fail. They know nothing about us, but we represe…