Helping a Child with Autism Thrive
As a parent with an autistic child, there is a lot you can do to help them overcome their challenges. However, you need to be emotionally and physically strong …
Autism Awareness Month
The Autism Society of America started Autism Awareness Month in April 1970. The growing awareness of the many problems that autism poses for individuals and …
All Parents Have a Right to Their Dreams
Everyone needs breaks, either spontaneous or planned, from routines, from even the most fascinating work, and from outlooking and scheduling the day, week, …
Fathers of Children with Autism
My son Tariq stopped talking and started flapping in the spring of 1981. I have been living and learning about autism ever since. The lessons he taught me …
How Autism Teaches Us About Being Human
In the spring of 1981 my son, Tariq, stopped speaking and started pacing, spinning, and flapping. We now call these some of the “Red Flags” of autism. He …
Should Parents of a Child with Autism Have a Second Child?
Once a couple has a child with autism, they often agonize over whether to have a second child. After the diagnosis and then getting services, and experiencing …
Autism, Behind the Scenes: The Unacknowledged Parties
Have I ever told you how much I love April? A whole 30 days dedicated to the Autism Spectrum Disorder does not get any better than that! While each year …
Special Needs Children Benefit from Nature, Animals, and the Arts
In this day and age, there are very few of us who don’t have personal knowledge of children with special needs. You may be a parent, a sibling, other …
Parents of Children with Autism, It’s OK to Cry
Sometimes life is as bad as you think it is. No matter how many articles point out the bright side, the challenge, the “unique opportunity”, of having a …
Special Needs Parents: Build Bridges for Your Child’s Success
When I was teaching special needs students, I kept a small paper on the wall above the phone in my classroom in the event there was a call from a parent who …