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Rethinking Driver Readiness: Expanding Access to Employment Through Mobility
When we talk about employment outcomes for neurodivergent adults, the conversation usually centers around job training, workplace inclusion, or employer education. Those are all important. But there is a more basic issue that often gets overlooked. Getting there. Transportation remains one of...
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NY State Governor Hochul Announces $25 Million to Expand Access to Health Care for People With Developmental Disabilities
Grants Will Improve Access to and Quality of Physical Health Care Services in ‘Health Care Deserts’ Delivers on Governor Hochul’s State of the State Proposal to Create Regional Disability Health Clinics On Thursday, September 25th, 2025, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that $25 million...
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You’ve Never Seen an Untraumatized Autistic Adult. Neither Have I
What we think we know about autistic people may actually be a portrait of what happens to them. The email came in on a Saturday morning, about forty-five minutes before I walked into a room full of clinicians to present at the biggest psychotherapy conference I'll attend this year. A...
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Life Through an Autistic Lens: All Those Steps
There is a glob of peanut butter on my kitchen floor. There is also one on the floor next to my desk, in the middle of my living area, and in front of my couch. A browny-orange trail is also dripping downwards to my elbow, but I leave it there for the moment. There’s a tissue box on my bed and...
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Why Recreation Belongs in Education, Health, and Community Systems for Individuals with Autism and Other Disabilities
Play and recreation are where many of the most important parts of human development take shape. Through shared activities, people learn how to connect with others, how to manage differences, how to experience themselves to their fullest abilities, and how to feel part of something larger than...
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The Role of Interest-Driven Experiences in Supporting Wellbeing for Autistic Individuals
For much of the past several decades, autism intervention has been organized around two primary aims: increasing adaptive skills and reducing behaviors that interfere with learning and daily life. These priorities have generated important advances in education and clinical practice. However, the...
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Bringing the Arts into Direct Support: How Theatre Programs Empower People with Developmental Disabilities
A career on Broadway isn’t the only way to incorporate a love for theatre into a job. Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) often find meaningful ways to include the arts and performance into their work every day. Shayna Stroh, a DSP at Family Residences and Essential Enterprises (FREE), who has...
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From Gardens to Galleries: Cultivating Confidence, Identity, and Belonging Through Inclusive Community Experiences
At AABR’s Program Without Walls (PWOW) and Day Habilitation Programs, we believe that access to hobbies, recreation, and cultural exploration is not a luxury — it is a pathway to growth, confidence, identity, and belonging. For individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD),...
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Modern Autism Care Requires a New Approach to Education: Catalight Academy’s Model for Clinician Training
Autism care has evolved dramatically over the past decade but, in many cases, our training systems have not. Those of us committed to truly personalized, evidence-based care believe we owe families more – care that is delivered efficiently, collaboration that is thoughtful and outcomes that...
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Creating Space Where Possibility Thrives: Recreation, Belonging, and Purpose at WJCS Shelanu/Supper Club
In my experience, after high school, services taper off, structured opportunities for recreation and social engagement often diminish dramatically and isolation begins with many adults on the spectrum. Research consistently shows that autistic adults are significantly more likely to experience...
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The Autism Society of America Awards Felicity House the 2025 Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Leader in Adult Autism Award
January 7, 2026, Rockville, MD — The Autism Society of America is pleased to announce Felicity House was named as the 2025 recipient of The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Leader in Adult Autism Award. This distinguished honor recognizes organizations and leaders who champion the autonomy of...
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Resilience, Resistance, and Making a Difference While Cultivating Autistic Joy and Living in Community
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you are not alone. Children are terrified of going to school. Families are being separated forcibly and deported. Peaceful protestors, including Renée Good and Alex Pretti, have been killed in the streets of Minneapolis. Warehouses are being converted into jails....
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Building Prerequisite Skills for Spectator Participation in Community Events: Supporting Family Outings for Children with Autism
Family activities often extend beyond the home and into the community. Participation in community events can be an important part of family life. Leisure activities such as joining a team, enrolling in a class, or developing a hobby provide opportunities for individuals to engage with their...
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The Importance of Leisure Activities for Individuals with Autism
When families first learn of their child’s autism, it is not uncommon to concentrate on early intervention efforts to help their child develop the requisite skills to support their least restrictive placement during the school years. Early studies that reported on the efficacy of these intensive...
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Bringing Fitness to an Already Safe Place: Integrating Exercise into Behavioral Health Care
Research has clearly supported the connection between mental health and fitness for all people. In fact, its positive impact on mental health is so significant that it can be viewed as a useful adjunct for mental health and substance abuse disorder treatment interventions (Ashdown-Franks et al.,...
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When Puberty Meets Autism: The Hidden Struggles of Autistic Girls
Why Puberty Is a Turning Point for Autistic Girls Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social interaction, communication, and patterns of behavior (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). These differences often include...
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Empowering Adults with IDD Through Outdoor Activities: A Path to Connection, Confidence, and Wellness
Spending time outside offers more than just fresh air — it opens doors to physical wellness, emotional growth, and social inclusion, especially for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). With thoughtful support from caregivers, family members, and direct support...
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Planning Stress-Free Vacations for Families with Autistic Kids
Understanding the Challenges Traveling with a child with autism can present unique challenges. Changes in routine, unfamiliar environments, sensory triggers, and social interactions may cause anxiety or overwhelm a child on the autism spectrum. For families, this can make vacations feel more...
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Beyond ADA Compliance: Advancing Recreation Accessibility Standards for Autistic Adults
Recreation is often seen as a luxury rather than a necessity. For autistic adults, it is essential for quality of life, mental health, and social inclusion. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensures physical access but does not address the unique needs of autistic adults. To truly provide...
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The Missing Middle: Recreation Access for Autistic Adults in New York
When autistic students finish high school or college in New York, the transition into adulthood often brings unexpected loss. What disappears is not only structured support, but also access to community, hobbies, and meaningful social participation. For autistic adults without intellectual...
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Increasing Accessibility: Mindfulness-Based Practices for Autistic Folks
Mindfulness-Based practices have been shown to increase one’s interoceptive abilities, present-moment awareness, and ability to regulate emotions (Simione et al., 2024). These are aspects that autistic people tend to have challenges with. Often, mindfulness and meditation practices focus on...
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The Role of Anime as a Special Interest in Autistic Well-Being
Media has been a way to share stories, express ideas, and provide a sense of connection and understanding. Many individuals consider shows a special interest, and it becomes a strong topic and passion in their social lives. One example of media that is commonly discussed is cartoons and animated...
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Who Is Caring for Whom? Rethinking Care Work and Disability
I feel literally stuck between a rock and a hard place. It’s the night of my choir performance and the choir is grouped by sections and lined up in rows in the community centre auditorium. I find myself in the centre of the soprano section: there’s one row in front of me, one row behind, and...
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Finding Calm in Nature: Parent Perspectives on Outdoor Experiences
Engaging in nature activities like nature walks, park visits, and trail hiking has been linked to improved mental health outcomes across populations. Research indicates that nature exposure reduces stress, enhances mood, and supports emotional regulation in children and adolescents (Jimenez et al.,...
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Access to Public Recreation and Leisure Opportunities for Autistic People as a Measure of Societal Acceptance and Inclusion
Sometimes a break is more than just a break. The value of hobbies, special interests, and other recreational activities is often viewed through the lens of respite from more serious pursuits, and with good reason. Going to the bowling alley after work every Friday is a good way to relieve the...
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When Special Interests Look Typical: Understanding the Hidden Intensity in Autistic Girls
Most autistic individuals develop special interests (SIs)—deeply focused passions that go beyond typical hobbies. These interests are often characterized by intensity, prolonged engagement, and difficulty shifting attention away from the topic. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental...
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Autistic Personal Philosophy: Why Breaking Up the Autism Spectrum Would Be a Bad Idea
Though the autism spectrum is as widely diversified as any group of people could possibly be, I view us as a single community. Any one segment of the population, however it may be defined, embodies both commonalities and differences, and ours is no exception. Every way in which diversity...
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Reboot Before Takeoff: Regulation Strategies for Traveling Neurodiverse Families
Family travel is stressful. Full stop. Especially when your family has distinct needs planning and preparation can be overwhelming…like trying to update your phone while your storage is full, the Wi-Fi is unstable, and three apps are frozen at once. Chunking the aspects of travel and identifying...
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Safe and Inclusive Aquatics for Autistic Individuals: An Evidence-Based Approach to Water Safety and Skill Development
Key Points Autistic individuals often experience significant barriers to recreation, limiting social engagement, physical development, and overall well‑being. Drowning risk remains a major safety concern, with autistic children being 160 times more likely to drown than their neurotypical...
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Autistic Endurance: What Ultra Running Has Taught Me About Regulation and Belonging
Getting up at 4:40 a.m. most mornings is hard. I want to stay in my warm bed. I can find no logical reason to get up that early to run in the cold, but I need the miles. I am training for a 100k race, and it’s only a few short weeks away. My sleepy brain argues with me: can’t I just take a day...
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Rhythm Nation: How Music Helps Neurodivergent Children Communicate, Focus, and Thrive
I was introduced as “Ms. Gina” to two, cherub-faced little boys who attended kindergarten group speech sessions together at their school. Space was limited, so we were given a smaller “pre-school” room to use for our meetings. My first memory of my “little drummer” was that in a room...
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Building an Autism-Supportive City: Training Municipal Staff and First Responders
I have learned so much when working and interacting with people who have autism and neurodivergence. They offer such a unique perspective and taking the time to better understand the world through their lens, is an opportunity to better ourselves. A truly inclusive environment, in my opinion, is...
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Special Interests are the Key to Autistic Success, Employment, and Satisfaction
It is now widely accepted that special interests, for autistics, can serve as a powerful motivational tool, and in many cases present the only opportunity they have for future employment and independent living. This has been recognized by such prominent autistics as Temple Grandin and Stephen...
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“It Really Is Disneyland”: The Benefits of Sleepaway Camp for Autistic Children and Adults
After 32 years as the Director of Family Support Services at Citizen Options Unlimited, Savita Sharma still begins a countdown to the organization’s Camp Loyaltown in Hunter, NY each January. “Parents tell me: ‘Bags are packed, it’s only January. [Our child] knows camp is coming,’”...
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The Performing Arts: More Than Access to Recreation for Autistic Children and Adults
The school district I attended between 4th and 9th grades included a professionally managed theater arts program. In fifth grade, my class was treated to a live performance of Pippi Longstocking. The following year, I was cast in a small, non-speaking role in Tom Sawyer. My parents enrolled me in...
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Creating Inclusive Recreational Spaces for Autistic Adults: The Role of Parks, Community Centers, and Workplaces
In theory, the community center gym was accessible. The ramps were well maintained, automatic doors readily available, and the hours of operation were clearly posted. However, when Jessie arrived after work, the fluorescent lights were glaring, the music was blaring, and every machine was occupied....
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How Animals and Pet Therapy Enhance Recreational Experiences for Autistic Individuals
For individuals on the autism spectrum, recreational activities can sometimes feel overwhelming or stressful. Loud noises, crowded spaces, or unfamiliar social interactions can make participation challenging. This is where animals can make a big difference. Animals provide a comforting,...
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Do’s and Don’ts of Connecting Through Classical Music: An Autistic Perspective
Neurodivergent special interests can be more or less "obscure." The author used to be fascinated by mathematics and was a math student through graduate school. Even at that time, I began spending an unsustainable amount of time in music libraries and record stores. Decades later, after writing...
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Traveling with Children with Autism or Sensory Needs: Tips for Families and Single Parents
Spring and summer travel planning is in full swing, but for many parents, especially those with children with autism or sensory needs, the thought of planning and taking a vacation can be daunting. Fortunately, there are ways to make travel more manageable and enjoyable, even as a single parent of...
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How Enhancing Access to Art Activities Supports Well-Being and Social Inclusion of Children on the Autism Spectrum
For many toddlers, some of the earliest joys are simple things: the playground, toy trains, building towers out of blocks. But one of the first things that truly captivated my son Matthew was something much quieter. It was crayons. When Matthew was very young — before he was speaking much...
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The Voice Inside – How the Arts Express the Unspoken and Unleash Pathways to Success
There have been generations of people with a message God gave them that the world never heard. Children who seemed voiceless on the surface but had powerful voices inside. Caregivers, parents, and teachers who didn’t yet have all the tools needed to help the voiceless find their voices. The...
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How Special Interests Help My Mental Health as an Autistic Adult
When people on the spectrum are vulnerable to society ostracizing them because of their autistic traits, unfortunately, in some cases, it means that their mental health can deteriorate, as well. Indeed, autistic people have two to 10 times higher rates of mental health conditions than...
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Online Recreation and Autistic Teens: A Parent’s and Carer’s Guide to Safe, Supported Gaming
It’s a Thursday evening. I am just about to dish out dinner when my son Haydn runs into the kitchen with a massive grin on his teenage face whilst doing a happy autistic dance. He yells (I wince as my own autistic hearing struggles when he is so excited), “Oh my God, T, A, C and L (names...
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Beyond Barriers: Making Mathematics Accessible for Autistic Students
Why Math Instruction Matters for Students with Autism Mathematics is often perceived as a discipline marked by abstraction and complexity, frequently associated with low academic performance among students in general. For students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), these challenges may be...
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Creating a Home Environment That Encourages Play and Leisure for Autistic Children
Play isn’t just fun—it’s a vital part of development for autistic children. It helps build social skills, creativity, problem-solving, and emotional regulation. Leisure time, whether it’s reading, art, or sensory activities, provides opportunities for relaxation, exploration, and...
