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How to Best Support Siblings of Individuals with ASD
Typically developing siblings of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have a unique set of needs that often go overlooked and unnoticed. These needs are generally social and emotional in nature and can affect siblings at any age during their lifespan. When one family member has a...
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Guidelines for Parents on Addressing the Needs of Siblings
There is little doubt that those of us raised with siblings have been influenced by that relationship. Living with a brother or sister with an autism spectrum disorder adds more significant and unique experiences to that relationship. Throughout numerous accounts of parents and siblings of children...
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COVID-19: Tips for Working From Home (And Finding Relief) With Your Children Out of School
For many parents and caregivers, working from home during COVID-19 (while your children are out of school or day care) can present unique challenges, especially if you are caring for a child with emotional, behavioral or cognitive differences. As a mother of three children, one with autism...
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Help for Parents Managing Challenging Behaviors for Children with ASD During COVID-19
The last several weeks have resulted in significant changes for families, as parents and children are now spending most of their time together in the home. Many parents are trying to balance work, child-care, and distance learning for their children, while also trying to manage children’s...
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Periods and Pads and Pain, Oh My! Promoting Independence During Self-Care – Skills for Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder
As a parent, our biggest concerns for our children involve teaching them to be successful individuals who can advocate for themselves, providing them with an education to help them grow into successful adults, and keeping them safe. A common goal amongst all parents is to raise their children to be...
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Guiding Your Child with Autism Through Puberty
The early changes of puberty usually occur between the ages of 9 to 13 years (Odel, 1989). They are noticeable in girls by the budding of breasts and then pubic hair, with menstrual periods starting between 11 to 14 years of age. Boys usually develop testicular enlargement and then pubic hair...
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How Can We Make Spirituality a Permanent Part of Our Adult Son’s Life with Autism?
My son Daniel is a 31-year-old young man with autism. Like many families with an autistic member, our lives have - ahem - been interesting, distinctive, contained a certain element of surprise and provided a trail of unanticipated sweetness. I’ll take just one category of our life...
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When Residential Schooling Is an Option
As a single mom of a nine-year-old autistic son, I would never have imagined my son being placed in residential schooling. All of the autism characteristics were there at the tender age of two. Through early intervention services and then my son being placed in a New York City District 75 program,...
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Back to School Tips for Parents of Children with Special Needs
As families soak up the last few weeks of summer vacation, they may be starting to think about back to school tips for the new school year approaching. For parents of children with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, it can take a significant amount of preparation to create a seamless...
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Five Tips on How to Best Support a Sibling of a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Being the sibling of a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other medical or developmental diagnoses can have its challenges, but it can also provide opportunities in building resiliency and compassion towards family members and others. The Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental...
