Autistry Studios builds independent adults. Becoming independent is not a passive process. It takes courage and an inner fortitude to challenge oneself to learn a new skill, break an old habit, or create a dream.   Autistry is a therapeutic/educational Maker Space celebrating its 10th year prov…

If you’ve met one person who is a runner, you’ve met one person who is a runner. By Tracey Cohen Without a doubt, running, like autism, can be full of challenge, even painful at times. But the willingness to embrace difficulty is giving oneself the opportunity to flourish, to live a fulf…

By Tom Iland I received some questions this morning from a mother whose son with autism didn’t want to be called “high-functioning” and suggested she use another term. She asked me if I’ve ever felt this way – is it possible many kids feel this way and we don’t know it? and what other terms ca…

We are well into the new school semester and I still haven’t done a summer wrap-up newsletter. Let’s fix that! In June we launched our first Autistry Comprehensive Adult Program (ACAP) Summer Session. It was five days a week of exercise, vocational training, college prep, and fun. The pr…

“The Dove of Peace, more than anything that’s something this world needs, peace. He is flying through the city at night in front of a billboard that shows the earth holding a banner reading “Peace”. I love to draw. I think it’s because it calms me down. For whatever reason I a…

In 2017, the Social Stories Spectrum Project provided a structured opportunity for high-functioning verbal young adults (ages 18-25) with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to meet up with their peers and practice social skills, participate in organized trips to seven museums in Balboa Park, and work…

The authors conclude that if our children on the spectrum are not lovingly ‘pushed,’ particularly away from a reliance on internet technology, ‘the outcome is predictable: continued dependency, vulnerability to internet/gaming addiction, loneliness, and insecurity, and a vocational wasteland.&…

Robbie shares his passion for My Little Pony By Robbie Ierubino My name is Robbie Ierubino, and I am a 20-year-old artist with autism, who is studying Graphic Design at Staffordshire University in England. Earlier this year, the Art of Autism interviewed me about my art of “Shapism” . I have another…

By Ryan Smoluk My art exhibit (Reflections at Great West Life) came to an end June 6th. It was well received and I met some nice people. Thank God for the 2 strong women in my life, my Mom and my sister Lisa. They helped dismantle all my art, pack it up and lug it over to my studio. I love them dea…

A look at a classic film’s depiction of autism and that developmental disability’s subsequent treatment three decades later By Nils Skudra I first watched Rain Man, a 1988 cult classic film starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman, when I was much younger and in the early stages of finding out more a…

Summer is here! Before I tell you about the great summer program at Autistry I want to celebrate and congratulate our students who have successfully found employment. This is a tough job market where even entry level positions often require college degrees. Though Autistry does not formally provide …

**NATIONAL CASTING SEARCH** TV SHOW PILOT Searching for an actress who is 18+ and on the autism spectrum for a leading role in a new Freeform television pilot. If you or someone you know fits the following description and is interested in submitting a self-taped audition, follow the instructions be…

Ian’s Reading Circle April is Autism Acceptance Month. I’m not sure what that means as I can’t imagine not accepting autism as a way of being, a way of experiencing the world. But I also know that many individuals need help along the way. Please take some time this month (and every…

“I have always been fascinated by art and began creating my own a few years ago after visiting Barcelona and seeing the works of Antonio Gaudí. This love has led me to my current career path,” Robbie IeRubino An interview with artist Robbie IeRubino who shares some of his art. Q. How ol…