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Paul created the clever illustrations, and Bill composed and performed the music. Both are friends diagnosed with autism.
Sometimes our patience can be pushed to the limit, tempting us to give up on a strategy that doesn’t seem to be bearing any fruit. For example, a youngster functioning on the spectrum of autism may not seem to be noticing his peers or the words of his teachers or any of the activity swirling [...]
An elementary teacher commented that several youngsters diagnosed with autism in her classroom seemed to be very interested in music, especially the piano. “I would like to have an electronic piano in my classroom,” said the teacher. Now that electronic pianos are less expensive and more readily accessible, more people are interested in having keyboards [...]
Although we do not intend to be disrespectful, our words or actions occasionally step on the toes of other people. It would probably be a good idea for all of us to take a close look at our interactions with our friends with autism. Sometimes we need to make some adjustments in our conversations or [...]
Some parents, teachers, and therapists are very intense, spending a great deal of time and energy to help smooth the path for individuals with autism. Other parents and professionals appear to show very little concern for people with autism, letting many opportunities slip by with no apparent effort to help people maximize their potential. Most [...]
Sometimes we hear of incredible breakthroughs for people with autism Television often features individuals who have been “cured” of autism or who have excelled in music, art, sports, or academics. We might read of a non-verbal person who suddenly begins talking. Or an extremely withdrawn student in our child’s classroom may suddenly start interacting with [...]
A friend diagnosed with autism commented that her family is concerned about the fact that she likes to hang around the “special education” kids in her high school. Her thoughts give some perspective to the urgency for normalcy that we can feel for individuals with autism. Listen Now:
Some compulsive or repetitive behaviors displayed by individuals with autism are annoying or socially inappropriate. But some actions are dangerous. If a person chews on or swallows soap, dirt, coins, rocks, paper clips, or anything else that fits in their mouth, there is a potential for serious illness or injury. Because constant vigilance is difficult [...]
As a mom and I were talking in the grocery store, her 10-year-old son diagnosed with autism started rocking, putting cans of soup in and out of the grocery basket, and making repetitive sounds. His mom said, “Oh, this is so frustrating. I wish he could just learn to wait patiently.” Red flags were flying [...]
A middle school librarian asked for some ideas for appropriate reading material for individuals with autism. “I have a growing number of students with autism,” commented the librarian. “It seems to me that fiction is just confusing to some of the youngsters. It is as if they have some difficulty separating fact and fantasy.” Listen [...]
A dad commented that his 12-year-old son didn’t seem to pay attention when given a direction. “He just seems to tune us out at home, and he acts the same with teachers, his soccer coach, his speech therapist, and his sister. He seems to understand language ok, so we’re not sure if he just doesn’t [...]
“I can’t believe my son loudly blurted out a graphic description of a temporary pain using anatomically correct words while we were standing in line at the grocery store,” said a parent of a young adult with autism. “It seemed like everyone in the store froze and looked at him in horror. Because he looks [...]
You can jazz up snack time by encouraging individuals of all ages who are diagnosed with autism to mix up their own snack mixes at the beginning of the week. They can put their own hand-selected mix in small, snack-sized ziplock bags and keep them handy for road trips, school lunches, work breaks, or t.v.snacks. [...]
“Our son seems bored and listless when he has free time,” said parents of an older elementary youngster with autism. “We don’t want to just keep buying him new stuff, but he quickly looses interest in any items after just a few days.” A teacher and a residential care staff member expressed similar concerns about [...]
Vacations take an incredible amount of planning a preparation for any family. Several parents have commented that they finally feel confident enough to take their youngsters with autism on a road trip, and are looking for tips to help make the vacation experience as smooth and comfortable as possible for everyone concerned. Listen Now:
Sometimes we might feel as if we are taking one step forward and two steps back when helping our friends with autism learn new skills and enjoy life. Many individuals with autism have uneven abilities in a vast array of areas, including language and communication, social interaction, behavior, adaptive skills, personal care, academics, job skills, [...]
Casual conversation can be awkward with a person who is non-verbal. The grandfather of a youngster with autism said, “I sure like taking my grandson out for drives, but I don’t really know how to talk to him.” A teenager said of his sister, “All she does is repeat what I say, so it is [...]
“As long as he had three meals a day, my son would probably be happy just sitting on his bed, flapping his hands and rocking,” commented the dad of an eight-year-old youngster diagnosed with autism. “I’m concerned about his physical health and emotional health, so I’m looking for some ideas for getting him out and [...]
“Our son seems really smart,” commented parents of a four-year-old diagnosed with autism. “He can count to 100 and recite the alphabet and he knows the words of nearly every song he hears.” Some pre-school children diagnosed with autism display extraordinary memories and an intense interest in sequences. The trick is to help these young [...]
We can best meet daily challenges when we relax. But how many teachers and therapists and parents of individuals with challenges related to autism find time to relax? Is it unrealistic to strive toward an impossible goal of relaxation? Listen Now:
For a variety of reasons, some of our friends with autism just plop down on the floor and will not budge. Sitting on the floor in the middle of the kitchen or the classroom is annoying and frustrating. Plopping down in the middle of a parking lot or street is dangerous. What choices do we [...]
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