Going Gluten Free: Is it necessary?

Thank you for joining us for another day of Autism A to Z! This one had me stumped for a bit (though not quite as much as the letter Q will, I’m sure… already trying to think of something for that day) until I looked inward. Going gluten free has been one of those things that I’ve been debating for quite some time for Sweet B’s sake. And I’ve always had my doubts and hesitations about doing so. Partially because of the cost and partially because I didn’t know where to start. It’s still something that I’m considering so that leads me to wonder: is going gluten free necessary for autism? The other reason this question came up is after a brief discussion with Kyle….

Autism A to Z: E is for Education

As we begin a new week, and with Sweet B on vacation this week, so begins another day of the Autism A to Z series. Today’s letter is E and for us, that means: E is for Education. Now, I could mean educating the public and/or the uninformed about autism but I’m going to talk about special education and homeschooling. We already do an autism and afterschooling series here and I have talked about special education before as well. Both our own experience and a basic beginner’s guide. Autism and Educational Services When it comes to education, yes, an individual with autism is more than capable of participating. This can either be in a public or private school setting or you may want to pursue…

What is a developmental disability?

Welcome to another day of Autism A to Z. Today I want to talk about developmental disabilities because that’s what autism is. So what is a developmental disability? We’ll talk about the general definition as well as talk about a few developmental disabilities in addition to autism. When it comes to autism specifically, usually the terminology is lifelong developmental disability. That is also the case with other developmental disabilities. As defined by NIMH, a developmental disability is: Developmental disabilities are severe, long-term problems. They may be physical, such as blindness. They may affect mental ability, such as learning disorders. Or the problem can be both physical and mental, such as Down syndrome. The problems are usually life-long, and can affect everyday living. Often there is…