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Autism Rights, Wrongs, and Acceptance: A Two-Way Street
Though I was diagnosed autistic as an infant, I was unaware I was different until second grade, when I was shuffled between special and regular education classes, when I decided, mostly on my own, that I would transition to mainstream school. While I was a great student throughout my scholastic...
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Autism and Speech Therapy: Evolving Perspectives
My training as a speech-language therapist tells me that my job is to treat communication deficits in autistic people. I tell them, “Point to the triangle and then the circle.” I verbally model the phrase “I want,” and wait for a response. I read them social stories, encourage them to...
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Breaking the Silence: A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for Autistic Children
Imagine your child has thoughts, feelings, and ideas but struggles to say them out loud. For many parents of children on the autism spectrum, this is a daily experience. This is where Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) can help. What is AAC? Augmentative and Alternative...
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Bridging the Gap: Improving Health Care Access for Autistic Patients
People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face significant health care disparities and stigma in accessing appropriate care, contributing to markedly reduced life expectancy. Research indicates that autistic individuals experience premature mortality at rates two to ten times higher than the...
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How Stigma Creates Invisible Barriers for Autistic Individuals in Healthcare
As more individuals are diagnosed with/identify as autistic, societal awareness continues to grow. With the neurodiversity perspective, which views neurological differences as natural variations rather than deficits, also gaining recognition (Pellicano & den Houting, 2022), the U.S. healthcare...
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Celebrating Our “Dadvocates” on Father’s Day
On Father’s Day, we honor fathers, as well as the many paternal figures and mentors who make a meaningful difference in our families and our communities. It also feels like an opportune time to discuss fatherhood engagement in our systems of care, which can often feel like a hurdle to navigate...
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Neurodiverse Couples: Making Meaningful Moments of Every Day – Having A Good Evening
Every night there are countless opportunities to create small connecting moments to enhance intimacy in a relationship. Especially after a long day, when partners are tired and out of gas, evenings can be a time when it’s easy to forget to acknowledge each other. Be intentional about having a...
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Enhancing Communication: The Case for Teaching Public Speaking Skills to Autistic Individuals
“My stomach feels kind of weird,” an autistic middle school student once said to me when I asked him how he was feeling before he went on stage to co-host a talent show with me. I told him that he was experiencing anxiety, and people describe this as having “butterflies in your stomach.” As...
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The Importance of Fitness Training for Autistic Individuals
Key Points: Individuals with autism have traditionally tended to live more sedentary lifestyles, which contributes to increased risk for both physical and mental health conditions. To reverse this trend, a variety of physical activity and sport-based training programs are now being offered...
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Improving Health Care Communication for Autistic Teens
Effective communication is essential in health care for accurate diagnoses, quality patient care, and positive outcomes (Ratna, 2019). However, communication barriers can significantly impact the health care experience, particularly for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Saqr et al.,...
