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Why I advocate for Direct Support Professionals… by Kit Peterson, a grandmother of a young man on the autism spectrum. She is an advocate for fair pay for the direct support professionals who have become family to people like her grandson. Despite how difficult it was to accept our … are impacted: it begins right in Albany, but can reach far beyond New York State. We must raise our voices on behalf of a group who often cannot speak for themselves; they are our grandchildren. They need direct support professionals who can …
Expert Q&A: Supporting siblings of autistic children with aggressive behaviors … for the other child and have long term effects if unaddressed. It's important for parents and caregivers to know how to support their children through these challenges by acknowledging their feelings, keeping lines of communication open and teaching healthy coping strategies. Support groups can be a valuable tool, giving both siblings and parents a safe space to share their experiences and learn new …
The Hatching Hope Foundation brings advocacy and support to Dallas-Fort Worth families… triplets, was diagnosed with autism in 2012 at age 2.5, she struggled to find much-needed information, services and social supports in her area. This struggle motivated Sabrina to commit her life to helping underserved families in Ft. Worth, Texas … she founded the Hatching Hope Foundation, an organization that provides parent training about autism, individual and family support services, and special education advocacy. In 2019, Keshawn tragically passed away from Osteosarcoma, a rare form of … someone who really understands what it’s like to be a parent living with a child with severe autism. Our Facebook support group, Autism Mocha Moms , has been another great way to connect with parents in the community. The group was created to …
How general education teachers can support students with ASD… to autism is nearly non-existent and rarely mandatory. As a result, even the best teachers can be unsure how to properly support their autistic students. Some even struggle to understand autism. Ethan Hirschberg experienced this in high school . … course in autism to promote awareness and acceptance and to help create an inclusive classroom environment that not only supports autistic students but the entire class. But the learning does not stop and start with one teacher in one … autistic student is likely to have anxiety in social situations, particularly with peers. Carefully consider pairings when group work is required. It is best to ask for input from family and past teachers. Do not assume an autistic student and an …
“Adulting on the Spectrum” with Autism Speaks… Our Facebook group, “Adulting on the Spectrum,” was created last summer to provide a space for autistic adults to cultivate friendships, find support and have fun. The moderators of the group, Andrew Komarow and Eilieen Lamb, are autistic adults themselves, and all … newfound information had impacted my life with those around me and watch them adapt as well. What made you become a voice/supporter/advocate of the autism community? I really saw a need for autistic voices to be heard, and when I say autistic …
Autism Speaks Grantee Recipient Story: SoCal Adaptive Sports… Autism Speaks supports community programs that provide people with autism with fulfilling social and educational experiences through the … Sports, a recipient of our Local Impact Grant, shared their story: "I wanted to express our gratitude for sponsoring the group tickets for "Riverdance" show, which the group including Som and his family, had the pleasure of attending. Despite … It is often challenging for individuals with severe autism to participate in formal events without the necessary support. So thanks to you for organizing this, Som was able to enjoy the show with his family. His reaction to the show …
The Autism Care Network works to expand access to autism diagnosis in Canada… becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with the need for autism assessment. We’re fortunate to work with a wonderful group of community pediatricians who are engaged with lots of autistic kids, so we saw an opportunity for them to take on an advanced practice role in autism diagnosis. We began to work on developing the optimal training approach to support this group and came up with a three-step educational process. We’ve done the training three times now and we’re … child communicates, expresses themselves and plays. We also shared information about community resources, how the different supports and services are funded, and how families navigate services. The second phase was mentored assessments in the …
Seeking Therapy: Options and considerations for autistic adults… Some people go to therapy after being diagnosed with a mental health condition. Others have a specific behavior or need support through a challenging short-term period. For others, therapy is a safe space to talk and get support in solving the … to CBT. However, DBT focuses more on regulating emotions, being mindful, and accepting uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. Group Therapy is a form of psychotherapy involving one or more psychologists leading a group of roughly five to 15 patients. …
Tips to create inclusive sports and recreation activities… shared interests. One option is through high-quality adaptive programs – those designed for people with disabilities in a supportive environment, from the Special Olympics to local therapeutic horseback riding lessons to school LEGO clubs. Since … individuals with and without disabilities participate together. Some activities and programs are already designed with the support needs of people with disabilities in mind. (Think: online video gaming.) But what happens when they are not? Here we … online within your county or state can open doors. One of the wonderful things about technology is there are virtual groups based on shared interest open to people across the world. These can be ideal if you feel burned out in general or if …
Why a mother-daughter running duo teamed up for Autism Speaks… Christel, Iowa Wesleyan ’88, decided to check out different race options online. She saw that through Disney you can run in support of various charities, including Autism Speaks. Christel and her daughter Samantha, Iowa Wesleyan ’14, decided to … signed up for the races six months in advance and began training 16 weeks before the race. “Everyone has so many different groups and causes to support, so it was hard for me to ask people to give to another cause. Putting myself out there on social media and asking …