Judy Heumann passed away on March 4, 2023, at the age of 75. Throughout the disability community, she has left an enduring legacy as a passionate advocate of disability rights who played an influential role in the development and passage of critical pieces of disability legislation. By Nils Skudra A…

By Aaron Bouma When people think of autism, sometimes they think of the television series The Good Doctor or the robotic talking Rain Man. What people don’t realize is these misconceptions harm autistic people and are stigmatizing and ablest. How do you cope with these misconceptions? How do …

Even if the change seems small, it will still need to be processed and preferably before you go to bed! By Catherine Londero Consider anything that is unexpected I have always been aware that struggling with change is a trait of being autistic and I definitely identified with that with the bigger ch…

“The buzz from the show opened doors for me to expand my reach, which is extraordinarily gratifying!” Kaelynn Partlow By Ron Sandison I enjoyed watching the Netflix series, Love On the Spectrum and hearing each participants’ story and the challenges they experienced with dating. The show beautif…

Art as a Language for Autism: Building Effective Therapeutic Relationships with Children and Adolescents (2023) Jane Ferris Richardson By Connie Gretsch MA Art Therapy, M Ed Art Integration, SLBP Special Education, Expressive Art and Special Educator Jane Ferris Richardson is an art therapist, play…

By Ron Sandison I enjoyed reading Carolyn Stern’s insightful book . Autism causes me to experience difficulty expressing my emotions and Carolyn’s book has taught me to use emotions for my advantage as a leader. In leadership positions I often felt anxiety in small group settings. Learning to expre…

By Ron Sandison I learned to develop healthy habits by reading Coach Dave Martin’s book Make That, Break That. Most New Year’s resolutions fail within the first month; not from a lack of motivation but a failure to make the resolutions into a habit. We are creatures of habits and good habits can dev…

By Gloria Jackson-Nefertiti In 2019, six months before turning 63; it was confirmed that I’m autistic. I was different from everyone else, without knowing why. In grade school, high school, and college, classmates would frequently ask me: “Why do you act the way you do?” “Why do you act so weird?” “…

The Art of Autism is accepting contributions of art, poems, and prose for Black History Month. Email info@artautism.com By Dr. Angel Durr, Art of Autism Board member As Black History Month approaches, it’s important to recognize how many African Americans are affected by autism. While autism …

This is a Casting Call for autistic actors The Art of Autism received this week. “I’m working on the second season of Love On The Spectrum US, an Emmy-Award winning documentary series on Netflix about dating and relationships featuring people on the autism spectrum. Our aim with the se…

By Ron Sandison December 7th, my wife Kristen and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. One of the challenges I experienced with autism was relationships. While dating, I had difficulty filtering my comments and unusual behavior: a lack of eye contact, monotone speech, and I often nervously tap…

“Many churches attempt to make accommodations for individuals with disabilities that does not necessarily mean that people with disabilities are included in the life and community of the church and leadership.” Krysia Waldock By Ron Sandison I was excited to interview Krysia Waldock, a P…

Sixty-year old Tommy Onorato doesn’t let his age or autism diagnosis inhibit him from pursuing his passion of being a jazz singer with a Big Band. By Nils Skudra Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to watch Tommy! The Dreams I Keep Inside Me, an intriguing documentary about Tommy Onorato,…

By Olivia Nguyen I am 27 years old, and I am from Fairfax Virginia. I am actor, playwright and educator, and I am currently a Instructional Assistant for a pre school autism. I went to school at Catholic university and majored in Drama and I went to nova community college and earned my Early chil…