An Irish girl on the autism spectrum has given the world a gift with her version of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Kayleigh Rodgers, a 10-year-old, who gave this knockout performance at Killard House School, a special needs school, in Donaghadee, Northern Ireland. Leonard Cohen died in November.…

The Art of Autism is taking nominations for most informative blogs. Here are our nominations so far for best all around blog – magazine style, To vote click on who you want to vote for and hit the vote button at the bottom. (function(d, s, id){ var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagNa…

“My autism inspires me to see Beauty and gives me the will to Dream,” Anthony LaRocca By Debra Muzikar Anthony LaRocca, 29, started drawing dinosaurs when he was only 4 years old. Anthony still loves dinosaurs and art has become one of his lifelong passions. He paints every day often working o…

Interviews with Michelle Garcia Winner and Pamela Crooke of Social Thinking® for the upcoming film, A Sound Paradigm By Keri Bowers “Based on how we process the world ~ is how we relate to the world,”  Michelle Garcia Winner Last May during our Art of Autism Hearts & Arts journey up the C…

How the Ask Amy doll changed Betty’s life By Helen Nichols For a parent, an autistic child can be its own universe with a set of laws and rules that we need to learn­­­. Nearly every action turns into a search for an alternative. Choosing a toy is no exception. Though it may seem all children …

The Art of Autism looks back at 2016 and prepares for challenges in the future. By Debra Muzikar with Keri Bowers 2016 has shown itself to be a major year for transformation. Within the autism world it has been no different. The Art of Autism has attempted to keep up with the changing dynamics. We p…

In his December 13, 2016 Forbes blog post Michael Bernick, former California labor department director gives a good overview of the employment situation for those on the autism spectrum. At Autistry we have been working on employment for our students for many years and know how difficult it is to fi…

Update 12/12/2016 I’m collecting favorite quotes about autism from some of my favorite people. Please share your own in the comments and if I like it, I may add it to the list. 1. “If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism,” Dr. Stephen Sho…

By Tina Fletcher The hallmarks of the holiday season — holiday twinkle lights, carolers, the aroma of a large home-cooked meal — can be an overwhelming experience for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. As families with children on the autism spectrum plan their holidays, here are so…

“As he was telling me how cold and hungry he was, I watched as he was unable to control his hands. It was like he was playing an invisible piano…He kept staring off and would occasionally look in my direction but never at me…” My Broken Heart: The Story of The Bare-Handed Ma…

Update 12/10/2016 I’m collecting favorite quotes about autism from some of my favorite people. Please share your own in the comments and if I like it, I may add it to the list. 1. “If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism,” Dr. Stephen Sho…

Matt Asner speaks to the Art of Autism about his move from Autism Speaks to Autism Society of America, his family and his vision for the future. By Debra Muzikar You are immersed in autism. How many children do you have and what ages are the ones on the autism spectrum? I have six kids. We are a bl…

By The Silent Wave When searching for traits, characteristics, or symptoms of Asperger’s (and the rest of the autism spectrum, to an extent) online, the first–and the majority of–information you’ll probably find focuses on the negative aspects, at least as perceived by the “official sources” and “ex…

Disability Rights are Human Rights The United Nations has proclaimed December 3 as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Today there are over 7 billion people on the planet. 15 percent of those people have a disability which makes over 1 billion people with disabilities. According to t…