Addressing the Autism Education Crisis
A recent article decrying the fact that Mississippi requires no autism training for its special education teachers struck me as hardly newsworthy.
The reality is that special education teacher requirements vary drastically from…
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Autism
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a form of therapy that involves breathing pure oxygen in a hyperbaric chamber. While originally designed to treat "the bends" in divers, its applications have expanded to include carbon monoxide…
The Path to Autism Self-Advocacy
As parents of children with autism, we are their best advocate and indeed, advocating for them becomes a full-time job in itself. In the best of all possible outcomes, our children will one day be able to advocate for themselves. …
Short Film by Autism Advocate Sheds Light on Condition
Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting a number of different people within the autism community at the Autism Society's 42nd annual conference in Orlando, Florida. We attended as exhibitors to introduce a new line of autism jewelry that…
No Charges Filed in Autism Abandonment Case
The story of a ten-year-old boy with severe autism being abandoned at a hospital emergency room in Florida is unfortunately not an unusual one. More and more horror stories are surfacing as families with inadequate support systems crack…
Neighborhood Prevails Against Home for Young Men with Autism
In a sorry sequel to our previous story about a New York borough opposed to having a group home for young men with autism in their neighborhood, the non-profit seeking to establish the home has given up and plans to seek a new location. The…
When a Child with Autism Grieves
The grief of a child with autism, be it for a cherished pet, a grandparent or other close family member is very hard for a parent to experience. While most children openly cry and seek comfort for their loss, a child with autism will…
Homeschooling Options for Children with Autism
Many parents of children on the autism spectrum are unable to find a successful place for them in the school system. Often, teachers and staff have little or no training in autism and treat our children's symptoms as disciplinary problems…
New Study Emphasizes Environmental Factors in Cause of Autism
A new study is finally shifting the official discussion of the cause of autism from mainly heredity to a combination of genetic and environmental influences.
Researchers examined 192 pairs of identical and fraternal twins whose…
Stranger Replaces Stolen Autism Therapy Dog
The recent trends in autism news have been dispiriting, to say the least. The persecution of parents with autism, a community rejecting a group home for young adults with autism, the harrowing encounters between individuals with autism and…