Most people avert their eyes when they see me out with my kids. I have a way of standing out in a crowd. I’m over six feet tall, and I typically wear my little one in a backpack carrier while I hold my older child’s hand. My older child laughs to himself, asks the same [...]
Temple Grandin gives a 20 minute presentation on how someone with autism thinks at the Ted Convention last February. She gives fascinating insight into the way her mind works and how she was able to succeed in many areas where other people could not. (video via Friendship Circle International’s Tumbr Blog. TED is a small [...]
Five Years ago on February 15th, 2006 Jason McElwain was a little known teenager. At an early age Jason was diagnosed with autism. As he grew up his brother Josh introduced him to basketball and eventually he ended up as the manager of his high school basketball team, Greece Athena High School near Rochester, New [...]
Augmentative and Alternative Communication Augmentative communication (AAC for short) is an alternative way to help students and adults with language disorders use expressive language or receptive language. Augmentative communication can be accomplished through assistive technology devices such as computers or hand held devices. Twenty years ago if your child was non-verbal your resources where very limited. [...]
As parents we’re always running our kids to one appointment or another. Between school, therapy appointments and programs, there doesn’t seem to be many activities we can co-experience on an even playing field. Many kids on the autism spectrum don’t seem to get enough time for recreational activities in general. Here are five things to [...]
Sleep disturbances are very common for children with autism. When children have problems falling asleep and sleeping through the night it impacts the entire family. There is a correlation between sleep deprivation and behavior problems, cognitive functioning and attention and hyperactivity issues. Often people turn to medications, supplements or dietary changes to help children with [...]
Most little girls like dressing up, picking out pretty clothes, brightly colored beads and wearing dress up shoes. In fact I have pictures of some of my daughters in my dresses wearing my clothes and high heeled shoes. Sensory issues are not uncommon in children with Autism. I actually believe most people have some sensitivity [...]
I gave my children and family the gift of doing nothing this winter break. Don’t panic or feel sorry for my kids or me even. I didn’t say we did nothing or that I gave them nothing, but we did nothing by our typical standards. My parents have a time share condominium and offered it [...]
Have you ever been told by a stranger how to discipline your child with autism, what to feed him and of course how to cure him? You try to explain to him or her how autism works but no explanation is good enough because their cousin or favorites celebrity’s child was “cured from autism” with some miraculous [...]
Every Friday (starting today!) we publish a roundup of whats happening in the news, feature some blog posts we like and spotlight a Special Needs organization doing some good. For daily updates you can always follow us on Twitter @FCMichigan. Here we go… In The News Two Autism Studies: Highways and Lack of Visual Skills [...]
