“There is this myth that children with autism don’t have empathy. I’ve found the exact opposite to be true: children with autism are instead the most highly sensitive individuals I have ever had the privilege to know,” Elaine Hall When traditional therapies didn’t help my son Neal, who …

Spring is rushing into summer, schools are letting out, and vacations are being planned. But before we hit the beaches let’s celebrate some awesome achievements. Academic Milestones: Ross J. and Steven W. will graduate from Sonoma State University this month – both with degrees in Applied Math…

By Claudia Casser Context I’m not a joiner. People exhaust me. One on one, I enjoy short interactions, but then I need to get away into a book. So I don’t voluntarily join groups unless they are my only way to a goal. On the other hand, I have a compulsion to “help out” when someone brings a problem…

We dream of travelling through the universe – but is not the universe within ourselves? (Novalis, from ‘Miscellaneous Observations’, 1798)  By Marie Faverio I am an Aussie advocate for Asperger’s Syndrome, and an aspie myself. I know I am different, but I am happy to be different because I wan…

“At the end of the day this film is not about autism; it’s about love. Being more caring to the person next to you; being compassionate. This is a movie about love through a different lens; through the eyes of autism.” Carolina Groppa By Debra Muzikar (This is an excerpt from an i…

By Claudia Casser These tips are from five years’ personal experience as an Associate in a big Wall Street law firm, thirteen years as one of four hundred attorneys in one of the biggest corporations in the world, and five years as one of fewer than ten attorneys in the headquarters of a mid-size (a…

What’s most important is that you begin a dialog of understanding and acceptance of your child’s differences early. If you don’t lay the foundation for your child’s positive awareness of his or her differences, you leave room for others to fill the gap with undesirable and potentially damaging imag…

By Debra Muzikar Happy Autism Acceptance Month. Yesterday, World Autism Awareness Day, cake decorators from 21 countries revealed cakes that were inspired by autistic themes. They came together using their talent to shatter misconceptions and bring awareness to Autism. Some of the cakes were inspire…

How Autistic people experience the world is still not well understood by many mental health clinicians. As many Autistic adults – and particularly women – are undiagnosed, mental health clinicians may assume they communicate and behave like a non-Autistic person would in the same situati…

“We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” –Franklin D. Roosevelt. By Lamar Hardwick Fear is a funny thing. It is not easily defined. Fear can present itself in different ways for different people. Fear is universal, but fear isn’t uniform. Perhaps that’s why it is so difficult to get a grasp on how…

Bryant and Michael So many new things happening at Autistry. We welcome two new mentors to our Autistry staff, Bryant Luong and Matt Glenwright. Bryant has a degree in psychology from California State University, Fullerton and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in occupational therapy at Domini…

Downs Design® and NBZ Jeans® with  no buttons and zipperless jeans addresses dressing challenges for people with special needs. By Keri Bowers I recently ran across an amazingly altruistic clothing company and fell madly in love with both their clothing line and their central mission. As the mother …

Autistic people, diagnosed or not, are not here to prove themselves to you, me or anyone else by virtue of “how autistic they are.” By Jocelyn Eastman CN: A Teensy Bit of Vulgarity and Bad Language for effect I’m truly a lucky woman. I don’t have any diagnosed children who would have compelled…

Acknowledging Mastery at Autistry: Certification. We teach skills as an integral part of working with students at Autistry. If a student wants to make a pillow, they learn to sew. If a student wants a bookshelf, they learn woodworking. A model tank, they learn model building, painting, decaling, wea…