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The difficult decision to place my autistic son in a group home with 24/7 support… started rolling. Someone came over to evaluate Justin. Shortly after that, I finally was told that he was approved for a group home. I had mixed feelings. I knew this was coming, it was help at long last, but it was difficult to accept. Where … of the autism experience. What a journey! A Journey to Acceptance. … The difficult decision to place my autistic son in a group home with 24/7 support …
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 …
Purpose-driven, functional mentorships support low-pressure learning … how to play a specific video game or cook a particular dish. Informal mentorships are not arranged by an organization or group, and mentors and mentees are not assigned. Mentees, their parents, teachers or friends seek out someone with … I use the knowledge and apply it? If my co-worker hasn’t been to a meeting with my boss and has little understanding of the group dynamics, I can’t achieve my goal of understanding the meeting behavior. It might be time to find a better mentor for … nothing I do is typical. That is one of the many things I enjoy about autism. … Purpose-driven, functional mentorships support low-pressure learning …
Preparing to teach autistic college students in an unprecedented fall semester … setting and, with many course offerings transitioning to hybrid, hyflex, or fully online platforms, professors are eager to support students in new and varying ways. Five Ways to for Professors to Support Students with ASD Across Learning … content and interactive features of online classrooms into each course. Small “breakout” rooms within a larger class group can allow instructors to monitor student participation and encourage interactive groups, which naturally require …
“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 …