Autism is a spectrum disorder (ASD) that affects each individual in distinctive ways. Perhaps in ways as unique as handprints and snowflakes. Though there is a wide variation of obstacles a child with ASD may experience (such as language deficits, sensory hyper/hypo sensitivities, and interfering behaviors), social isolation is perhaps the most painful hurdle for these families and children. Planning an play date for classmates with autism is as valuable for neurotypical children as it is for those in the neurodiverse community. * I … [Read more...]
Three Lessons All of Us Can Learn from Temple Grandin
I had my first telephone conversation with Dr. Temple Grandin two years ago. In exploring names for keynote speakers for a local autism event, and she was my obvious first choice. She has been lecturing to autism parents for decades, providing lessons that parents might find valuable, and this parent had heard her speak in the 1990s. Many know Temple from the HBO movie that depicts her remarkable life. To those of us personally touched by autism, she literally wrote the book; diagnosed with "infant schizophrenia" in the 1940s, today she is a … [Read more...]
LEGOLAND Florida Kicks Off Autism Awareness Month
I made my first trip to LEGOLAND Florida Resort last March, and I can't tell you how impressed I was; this clean, colorful, kid-centric haven was so much more than I expected. From its very manageable size, to its adorably-themed Lands (DUPLO Valley for small fries and LEGO NINJAGO World for those ninjas-in-training, for example), to the onsite, "5-Gazillion Star" LEGOLAND Hotel, this resort truly feels like it was "built for kids." ALL kids. Every shape, size, age, and ability. If you have followed by blog, you might know I have a deep … [Read more...]
Meet One Person with Autism
** UPDATED April 6, 2018 As the saying appropriately goes, "if you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism." Meet my son Devin. If you read my blog you know him well. He is the reason this blog exists. Born in 1993, he is a child of the pre-Autism Speaks age. Before we were fluent in internet searches for resources, research and direction, families like mine were on our own. Pediatricians who discounted boys as "slow" and persnickety learners were aplenty. Early intervention programs were scarce and … [Read more...]
Why I Team Up! with Autism Speaks
** Updated February 25th, 2015 for the 10th anniversary of Autism Speaks Running with my boy in tow. It's personal. With the recent, (and to most of us not unexpected), announcement by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention that in 2008 one child in 88 received an autism spectrum diagnosis (in 2015, that number has increased to 1 in 66), it confirms that few Americans have been left untouched by this prevalent disorder. If you are among the now millions of parents in this country with a child on the spectrum, … [Read more...]