I’m very proud of William & Mary’s neurodiversity initiative.  I’m even prouder to see other schools following our lead.  Making college campuses more accepting of the neurodiverse is an important step toward making a more ND-friendly world.  It’s time for neurodiverse faculty to …

You’ve read about the high school program we have in the Robison Service car complex in Springfield.  Our unique school has been profiled in news stories and on New England Public Radio. If you are a certified Massachusetts vocational teacher, or prepared to get certified, this is your chance t…

People with autism are more than twice as likely as their peers in the general population to die prematurely1. The finding, published 5 November in the British Journal of Psychiatry, adds to evidence suggesting that gaps in preventive care can cause serious health problems in people with autism. Pre…

The post Outgrowing autism; scrutinizing cells; editing history appeared first on Spectrum. Source: Spectrum News

I remember just standing there asking why it had to be me. Joanna was the only person outside of my home I had ever really been friends with, and now I would not be able to be in her class or see Jessica at recess. I can still see her face even now, with her blue eyes and dark hair in a ponytail, a…

Differently-abled heroes now have a place in comic book stores next to classic heroes such as Superman, Iron Man, Batman and Wonder Woman.Source: The Autism Site

Demolition Derby.  It’s the closest you can get to blood sport in the politically correct northeast, and it’s it right here at home.  Kill-crazed drivers swarm the field in battered wrecks, bent on annihilation of their fellows. The last car rolling wins.  Local farmers and merchants …

This weekend I had the honor of being the convocation speaker at the opening of Clarkson University's 2015-16 academic year.  I drove there on Saturday.  If you plan a similar trip I advise bringing a powerful car, extra fuel, survival gear and defensive weaponry.The road to Potsdam runs t…

Steve Silberman’s book Neurotribes is a must-read that raises some interesting questions about the history of the autism diagnosis.  Part of what he writes will be familiar if you’ve read the original Asperger and Kanner papers, but even then he’s found some striking new twists that were b…

This later Jamestown church sits about 100 feet from the original wood pole structureWas one of the founders of the Church of England’s first permanent settlement in Virginia a secret Catholic?  Earlier today archaeologists from Jamestown and the Smithsonian announced the discovery of four grav…

Dear Amy, I know you’re feeling pretty bad right now. The other kids make fun of you a lot, and you don’t know why. You’re trying really hard to be friends with them–doing all of the things you think they want you to do, and it’s just not working. But there is one thing…

“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…

While a fireplace or woodstove can be peaceful, an out of control fire in the home is one of the most frightening things anyone can imagine.  I had a candle set the wall screen on fire in my bedroom 35 years ago, and almost got burnt up. That left me with a lifelong concern and vigilance about …

The James River shoreline, near Williamsburg, VA (c) John Elder RobisonAutism is a neurological difference that’s associated with some gifts and a great many disabilities.  For a person to be diagnosed on the autism spectrum, they must have significant impairments as a result of autism.  W…