The Best Books About Autism for Autistic Kids

The Best Books About Autism for Autistic Kids

As a late diagnosed autistic adult, there were a lot of things I’d wish I’d known sooner. One of those things? How to understand my autism.  Granted, as an adult, I still don’t always understand but I’m learning every day it seems. Whether that’s through interactions with others or through other means. One of my favorite ways of learning though is books. In fact, when my daughter was diagnosed; one of the first resources I turned to were books about autism for parents. Now, I want to share my top picks for best books about autism for autistic kids. Why books for autistic children? I believe that there’s a lot to be learned from books. Sure, we are in the day and age of YouTube…

Camping Tips for Families with Autistic Children: The Ultimate Guide

Camping Tips for Families with Autistic Children: The Ultimate Guide

Are you planning out your summer vacation or weekend getaways for your family? Have you thought about taking a camping trip? If you are hesitant about this, I would encourage you to check out these essential tips for camping with autistic children. Perfect for your first time or even if you’re looking to get your feet wet a little with backyard camping.  Why You Should Go Camping with Your Autistic Child Camping is such a fun family activity. I have a lot of fond memories, and some not so much. Camping is one of those things that I would love to do with my autistic daughter. I think that she would enjoy it, and given the right amount of planning? It could be one of our most…

Is Stimming Always Related to Autism?
|

Is Stimming Always Related to Autism?

When it comes to recognizing signs of autism, often we look for things that are behavior based or developmental based. But what about stimming? For that matter, just what is stimming and is stimming always related to autism? I just had to find this out.  Honestly, I’ve caught myself doing a few things that would be considered as “stimming” behaviors. I just never would have labeled them as such. Does that mean I’m on the autism spectrum? I would be inclined to think not. But, I found out differently in 2021. Yup. I’m also autistic 🙂 What is Stimming? Stimming is also known as self-stimulating behaviors and they are repetitive body movements or repetitive movements of objects. Many individuals on the autism spectrum engage in stimming…

Autism Speaks (and Jenny McCarthy) Do Not Speak for Me and My Family
|

Autism Speaks (and Jenny McCarthy) Do Not Speak for Me and My Family

Autism speaks is a bit of a controversy in the autism community. But why is that? And why, are we as parents, not as aware of this? Surely an organization such as autism speaks would act in the best interest of those on the autism spectrum, right? That is what I had believed as well but, I cannot and will not support them. This is why I don’t support autism speaks and I would encourage you to look deeper. Find out the truth and then make a decision.  Autism Speaks Doesn’t Speak for Me April, in the United States, marks the beginning of Autism Awareness month. World Autism Day is April 2nd. However, I would kindly ask you to not include me or my daughter. Rather…

10 Commonly Believed Myths About Autism Spectrum Disorder

10 Commonly Believed Myths About Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism acceptance begins with autism awareness, right? One thing that I know I can do as a parent of an autistic child, is to address this. So, let’s get started with 10 common myths about Autism Spectrum Disorder. While it hasn’t happened in quite some time, there were definitely days where we would get a barrage of stares and dirty looks when we would go anywhere with Sweet B. There were times that I didn’t want to go out in public because of this but then I realized- this was my chance and my opportunity to educate and hopefully bring awareness and acceptance for my daughter. 10 Common Myths About Autism Spectrum Disorder Myth #1: All individuals with autism are the same False. Autism is…

What will happen to my child’s IEP?
|

What will happen to my child’s IEP?

We as parents of special needs children have many challenges that we are facing during this time of crisis. With many of the schools across the country closed, many parents are now tasked with implementing school at home. But what about parents of special needs children? Yes, we are also in that boat of implementing school at home but our children are also losing valuable access to therapy services. These services are usually protected under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that puts the student’s IEP in place. What can I do about losing IEP services? IDEA or Section 504 of the Rehabiliation Act don’t specifically address school closures of this length. However, IDEA mandates that all eligible students still have a right to…