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7 Positive Ways Self-Advocates, Parents and Educators are Spreading Autism Awareness

When April is over, autism awareness must continue! In fact, it should never end, even when the public becomes more accepting and inclusive of autistic individuals. As people evolve in their understanding, what we talk about in terms of awareness will change. It’s important that we keep the conversations going so we can demystify autism. No, our work as a community is not done. In fact, we are just beginning. Here are some interesting ways that self-advocates, parents and edu

Understanding my Son on the Autism Spectrum when He Doesn't Use Words to Communicate

My son and his classmates made their way from the doors of the school to the playground where parents gather to pick them up. My son let out a little groan and whine, which is almost always a prelude to tears. "What's wrong? What happened?" My questions were met with silence. My son then got distracted by the busyness surrounding him. He watched eagerly as kids went up and down on the see-saw, and he pulled my arm as he rushed to see his classmates board their school bus. Alt

'This is Autism' Photo Series Celebrates Simple but Major Milestones

[Follow the link below to view the photo series.] "For kids with autism, every milestone matters and should be celebrated." For roughly one in 68 kids in the U.S. with autism spectrum disorder, completing seemingly simple tasks can be huge milestones. In honor of Autism Awareness Month, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Marcus Autism Center created “This Is Autism,” a beautiful photo series highlighting a group of children who frequently visit the center. "The photos capture

When my Son on the Autism Spectrum Points Out the Details I Miss in Our Day

April is Autism Awareness Month. It's also National Poetry Month. This could be random coincidence. But the coincidence is nicely poetic, because as literal as my son on the autism spectrum tends to be — working to understand symbols or inference — his heightened sense of awareness of the world around him reveals the stuff of poets and artists. Stuff other people might filter out as unimportant. Take patterns, for example. I may not notice patterns, but my son does. Everywher

My Son is a Strong-Willed Child, and It's Exhaustingly Beautiful

It’s hard to explain the struggle I have with my oldest child. Even speaking the word “struggle” makes me feel guilty because he’s everything I hoped for in a son. I know I’m lucky to be his mama. He’s this fabulous, uncontainable ball of energy, buzzing around our house, filling our lives with laughter and noise and the occasional broken lamp. But the truth is, sometimes the wild of his heart makes me tired -- really tired, bone-tired. I spend all day clashing with his stron

My Son has Friends - Finally!

"It's really nice to finally have friends, Momma," said my son. "I bet that feels great, Buddy." His heartwarming smile said it all. Individuals with ADHD often struggle with social skills and personal relationships. The symptoms of ADHD — hyperactivity, lack of focus, immaturity — get in the way of a quality give-and-take relationship. Add to that, the negative perception of being different from your peers, and it’s a wonder our kids with ADHD have any positive social intera

Why I Stopped Apologizing for my Son's Autism

In the beginning of my son’s autism diagnosis I felt the need to apologize all of the time. I apologized for my son’s behaviors and the way they impacted other people. I apologized for the nosiness of our life. The chaos that follows us everywhere we go. I apologized for the abrupt way we exited events and social gatherings. I apologized for the adult conversations that I could not focus on. For the time I no longer had for the important relationships in my life. I apologize

9 Comics that Sum Up Easter for Parents

Easter is fast approaching, and families are preparing for egg hunts, photos with a creepy bunny, and a serious sugar overload. Although Easter is a religious holiday meant to commemorate a crucial event in Christian theology, the celebration tends to get a little out of hand when young kids are involved. Here are nine comics that sum up Easter for parents. 1. 364 Days of the Year Parent: What are you doing!?!? We do not eat things we find on the ground! Easter Parent: C'mon

What Inclusion Really Means

I can count on one hand the amount of people with disabilities I knew as a kid -- a few from our church and a couple from the neighborhood. I did not know anyone with a disability from my Catholic school, my soccer team or acting class. I don't think anyone with a disability played tag with us or rode bikes with us to the pool. Even though I later worked at a summer camp with kids with disabilities, I still had very few relationships with people with disabilities. I originall

When People Assume my Son Doesn't have Feelings because He Can't Talk

My son is autistic. He is also nonverbal. He is without speech... He lacks social skills, But he does not lack emotions. There is a difference. When someone cannot talk, it's easy to assume that he has no feelings either. Not being able to express is not the same as not being able to sense. My son has very often been a victim of this assumption. - - - - - - - - - - - To finish reading the full story, visit the Autism Speaks website: http://bit.ly/2nxYoC9.

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The third-party articles that appear on this site are posted for informational and conversational purposes only, to present the latest news within the field and encourage the spreading of ideas. Any views or opinions expressed in the articles are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Bay Coast Behavioral accepts no liability for the content and ideas presented in these articles, or any actions taken on the information provided.

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