Fallbrook artist Joel Anderson, “The Artist of Smiles,” has his dog portraits on display at TERI Campus of Life in San Marcos through October 2026. By Debra Muzikar Last week I had the pleasure to assist Fallbrook artist Joel Anderson in hanging his dog series art outside Teri’s Co…

This list is meant as a springboard for discussion and more awareness into the female experience with autism. By Samantha Craft Females with Autism: An Unofficial List Section A: Deep Thinkers A deep thinker A prolific writer drawn to poetry *Highly intelligent Sees things at multiple levels, incl…

The Biology of Breaking By Jessica Penot An autistic meltdown is an involuntary loss of behavioral, emotional, and physiological regulation that occurs when an autistic person’s ability to cope with sensory, cognitive, emotional, or environmental demands is exceeded. Unlike a temper tantrum, a meltd…

Living in Full Color By Mimi Oh Let’s be brutally honest: Being a Black woman is already hard enough. As part of the overlap of intersectionality, I fully identified as a dark-skinned, cisgender, bi/demisexual, Catholic, Black-American woman of Nigerian descent, whose culture revolves around the Igb…

by Daniel Antonsson As long as I can remember I have always walked around in my own little world thinking about my special interests, but for a long time I did not have a word for it, I was not diagnosed until later in life when I was a full grown adult, I felt different and I remember that i questi…

By Joseph Gachau 1. Why are autistic guys so good at math? What probably is their ultimate destination after they’re done with school? The answer to the first question tends to appear simple and it’s what you might be guessing: Many guys with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) tend to pay attention to s…

By Nils Skudra Since its creation during the 1930s, the Superman saga has captivated the minds of generations of Americans, and the subsequent decades have witnessed the release of a wide variety of Superman films, each attuned to the political and social issues of their respective times. The 2013 f…

By Kadin McElwain When I was 11, I was introduced to caffeinated beverages, specifically Rockstar Energy Drinks and Redbulls. Whenever I had pocket money lying around, I would go out and get an abundance of these energy drinks. But recently, I noticed that consuming a lot of these beverages has caus…

By Raquel Abiahy Representation is not just an abstract concept; it is a powerful force that shapes how we perceive ourselves and others. For those who grow up without seeing themselves positively reflected in the media or public spaces, the message is clear: “You don’t belong.” This impact was prof…

By Ron Sandison After writing my fourth book Adulting on the Spectrum I felt like I had one thing I had not yet achieved which my brothers and friends had accomplished, own a house. Ron Sandison Autism has made life a challenge for me. Only 3% of people with autism are gainfully employed, 85% of …