Teen with Autism Didn't Think He Could be a Barista; Then He Started Dancing
[Video available to view at the link below.] Sam thought he'd never be able to get a job as a barista. The Toronto teen has autism wiht a movement disorder, and feared he wouldn't be able to work behind a coffee counter because of the sudden movements he sometimes makes. But the manager at a local Starbucks believed in him and gave him a chance. Sam is now thriving at his new job thanks to an unexpected medium: dance. In a viral video posted on YouTube this week by Carly Flei
Finding Peace, After Autism
For the first two months of his life, all my son did was cry. He cried in the morning, while I made breakfast for my three-year-old daughter, who covered her ears in annoyance. He cried from his perch in the tiny bouncy seat on the bathroom floor, as I stood in the shower and rested my aching head on the tile wall. He cried all night long, as I paced the room with his tiny body in my arms. Is he hungry? Is he wet? Is he in pain? I never knew. I never could tell! Nothing I tri
Halloween is Hard for my Son with Autism, but We Still Celebrate It
Our son loves the idea of Halloween. He loves the decorations and all the gross Halloween bugs on the store shelves. He likes the idea of trick-or-treating and the idea of dressing up. But it's hard for him. Due to his autism and sensory issues, we realized early on that costumes made him unhappy and uncomfortable. From a lion to the Hulk, nothing ever seemed to work for him. I started choosing costumes that only needed a hat and lightweight outfits that felt just like clothe
The 2 Places You Go When Your Child Receives an Autism Diagnosis
Autism Speaks recently shared one of my blog posts, “What My Kid With Autism Wants You to Know About Him.” Well, actually, it was more like my son Ryan’s blog post since it was his voice and his words. There were a lot of lovely comments from parents who “got it.” They understood autism doesn’t define their children and so much more lies beneath that label. There was one comment, though, that pierced my heart: “My son was diagnosed today. I needed to read this.” As I read thi
America's Most Admired Lawbreaker: Chapter 13, "Hardball"
A 'Hired Bazooka' Question: Mrs. Pledger, I think you told our jurors that during the time that you're taking Mr. Pledger to doctors while he was on Risperdal, none of his doctors ever diagnosed gynecomastia? Benita Pledger: I never heard of gynecomastia. And, no, they did not. Question: At some point … you saw a commercial on TV for a Plaintiff’s law firm about Risperdal and lawsuits running?
… And it had a phone number 1-800, call if you have taken Risperdal? Pledger: It ha
America's Most Admired Lawbreaker: Chapter 7, "A Multi-Front War"
Heavy Up Top Since he had begun taking Risperdal, Austin Pledger was having fewer tantrums. The reports Benita Pledger read from her son's school reflected what she was seeing at home: "His frustration behavior has greatly," his special education teacher wrote in April 2004. But it was far from a complete turnaround. Austin would still erupt in volatile behavior, biting himself or suddenly dropping to the floor and pounding his head. Benita and Phillip continued to dote on hi
Why I'm Nervous About the First Day of School for my Sons with Autism
The first day of school for my sons, Justin and Tyler, is getting close. This is going to be the first time in more than six years that I've only had one kid to take care of for most of the day (their baby brother). The first time I'm going to have a little free time in I don't know how long. I'm not going to be a complete ball of nerves most of the day, trying to take care and manage three very different personalities who all want my attention and never in the same way. To s
Man with Autism Creates App for Emergency Communication
Winner of the HuffPost What's Working Honor Roll A Belgian man with autism has created an "Emergency Chat" app for communicating in situations where speech is not an option. Jeroen De Busser, a student in computer science at the University of Antwerp, came up with the idea after experiencing an anxiety attack during which he found himself unable to communicate verbally with friends. The app allows users who are unable to speak because of a medical or psychiatric condition to
On Community, Self Acceptance, and Having a Village
At one point in my life, being accepted was everything. In the 80's, I permed my hair, wore flourescent orange sweaters and pink Reeboks, blue eyeshadow, and a crappy attitude because that's what was celebrated and included. None of those things made me especially popular, but I lived the norm and nobody in my high school called me weird. In college and after, they didn't, either. At least, to my face. When I was younger, I wanted to fit in. I still do. It wouldn't be authent
Boy Designs Dragon T-Shirts to Raise Autism Awareness, Unleashes his Inner Knight
In fairytales, dragons are usually the villains. But for one boy in the real world, they're the heroes. Santino Stagliano is a 10-year-old with autism who designs dragon T-shirts to raise awareness and money for the Center for Autism in Philadelphia, Today.com reported. The hand-drawn designs have helped the 10-year-old come out of his shell, and he now shares his dragons through his own nonprofit. "I think it's really helping to spread awareness and the message that children