Teachers on all grade levels have asked for tips about welcoming a student diagnosed with autism into a “regular education” classroom. The overall topic of helping a youngster with autism function well in school could fill several books. Today we will just look at one tiny issue that can make a world of difference from [...]
Some of my friends with autism and their families are sitting in the dark and cold this week because of a treacherous blizzard that damaged power lines and brought their region to a halt. Weather forecasts allowed advance planning in this case. But situations sometimes arise unexpectedly, making it imperative to keep emergency supplies at [...]
Let us take another glimpse into the daily lives of ten-year-old twins Jenny and Jeffry, both of whom are diagnosed with autism. The marked differences in, among other things, their communication, personal interaction, sensory issues, flexibility, and self-sufficiency illustrate the breadth of the spectrum of autism.
Listen Now:
Jenny and Jeffry are ten-year-old twins. They are precious youngsters, loved by their family, teachers, and friends at school. The twins, of course, were born of the same parents, have grown up in the same home, and have had the same medical care, educational opportunities, and therapy over the years. But the twins, both diagnosed [...]
What exactly do we mean when we tell a youngster we expect them to be good? What does a teacher mean when she reports a student was good in class? How can a person with autism who interprets words and phrases quite literally respond to a stern instruction from an adult to “be good” in [...]
Should teens and young adults participate in group activities with younger kids? For example, at what point do our friends with autism outgrow the need for participating in soccer, swimming, t-ball, and other adaptive recreational activities designed specifically for individuals with special needs?
Listen Now:
This podcast comes with a warning. Except in a few cases, it is impossible to completely eradicate obsessive murmuring. In fact, our calling attention to the irritating habit can, indeed, escalate the problem. Part 1 of this series describes the issue on continual words, nonsense syllables, scripts, or conversations. Today we will look at some [...]
Welcome to a unique Saturday edition of FAQautism.com – a brief post reminding you of our VODcasts – short video segments posted on our website http://FAQautism.com. Click here to listen to valentine songs and learn to cut paper valentines. Click here for creative, fun, and inexpensive ways to say “I love you” to your friends [...]
Several families and teachers have posed questions about kids and adults with autism who constantly flush toilets. This obsession not only wastes water, but it also distracts our friend with autism from interacting with other people and disrupts the classroom or family routine.
Listen Now:
What options do we have when a student with autism screams loudly and scratches his arms when unexpected announcements are made over the loudspeaker in the classroom? Or when a youngster sneaks into the kitchen at night and eats whole jars of peanut butter? How can we help a person who inadvertently distracts her fellow [...]
The realities of autism can bring on a flood of challenges, a situation that causes parents, teachers, therapists, and other to scramble in efforts to change behaviors, teach new skills, deal with issues, and otherwise shape our friends with autism. Over time, we realize we cannot fix everything. When establishing priorities about issues that are [...]
Last year we posted a podcast on FAQautism.com – Mom vs. Dad – that continues to be popular. Because of the pervasive nature of conflict in families and between husbands and wives, we are looking at the issue again. Unfortunately, disagreements are part of human nature, and, in many families, conflict over child-rearing practices is [...]
Everyone join me in singing, “Happy 700th anniversary to you…..!” We are posting our 700th FAQautism.com podcast today, and we haven’t even scratched the surface of the myriad of issues that arise in the daily lives of individuals with autism. The challenges keep coming for all of us, but, fortunately, the supportive autism community – [...]
We are all aware of the value of interacting casually with our friends with autism, but we also know of many issues that stand in the way of making personal connections. Our time and energy are limited. Some individuals with autism actually resist social interaction, seem to ignore our friendly conversation, or even appear oblivious [...]
Autism is complex, touching many facets of a person’s life. Where do we begin? Among the myriad of issues related to autism that demand our attention, what is the top priority? Where do we focus our attention and energy as friends, teachers, therapists, family members, medical professionals, and others?
Listen Now:
The term “picky eater” can be quite an understatement when autism is involved. Part 1 of this conversation about inflexible or restrictive eating habits includes examples of the types of food issues common in autism. The podcast Food-Part 2 overviews the process involved in pinpointing the specific problem encountered by an individual with autism and [...]
What factors contribute to various food-related problems common in autism? How can we effectively address these challenging situations? Obviously, we cannot answer those questions in a brief podcast, so let us just consider one specific, real-life situation, that of a youngster who insists on eating just one food for breakfast, lunch, and supper.
Listen Now:
For a variety of reasons, some individuals with autism have issues with food. To begin this discussion about food and autism, we will look at some of the challenges that arise in the lives of individuals who have difficulty with their eating habits.
Listen Now:
Among other things, sudden loud noises or constant murmuring can be attempts by youngsters with autism to communicate, to get attention, to avoid chores, to protest changes in routine, or to irritate other people. But sometimes repetitive noise-making seems to be more of a habit or a “stimming” activity.
Listen Now:
For a variety of reasons, some individuals with autism occasionally make loud, startling sounds that do not seem to be attempts to communicate. Others talk out loud, absent-mindedly mumbling repetitive nonsense phrases or bits and pieces of conversations or movie scripts. The sudden outbursts or constant chatter can disrupt others at home, school, work, and [...]
