Question: Hi, I wonder if you can offer advice on how to deal with an adult son who, although undiagnosed, I am sure is on the spectrum. He does not do small talk, doesn’t understand why anyone should be interested in what he is doing, and has no interest in anyone else. Conversations are very […]

Jeannie married and had her first child by age 18. Carlos was a quiet, sweet natured baby. The year was 1998. For this first time parent, the word autism didn’t mean much. Unfortunately, it didn’t mean much to Carlos’s teachers or pediatrician either. As an only child for the first six years of his life, […]

I first met Cosette and her mom when they were referred to me by their pediatric neurologist. He wondered if Cosette, then six years old, might be autistic. Our evaluation affirmed that yes, Cosette was on the autism spectrum, that she was clearly struggling, and that she needed assistance and resources. At that time, Cosette […]

Kids with autism usually struggle socially and often find the teen years especially difficult. Anxiety and depression can emerge or worsen, along with a sense of helplessness, worthlessness and loneliness. Mental health professionals often refer these teens to social skills groups. These groups teach lessons about how to “appropriately” interact in a neurotypical (NT) world. […]

A Conversation with Patrick… Patrick, now 27, is a kind, candid, and wickedly funny young man. I counseled him beginning in his teens, and was later able to share his story in The Loving Push, which I coauthored with Dr. Temple Grandin. Patrick and I spoke recently by phone. We hope some of his story […]

I am a broken record when it comes to talking about learned helplessness! I think it is one of the most dangerous and damaging traps that kids or parents can fall into. Learned helplessness may be a term unfamiliar to you as well, so let me give you the basics and 10 practical ways to […]

Dr. Debra Moore, a psychologist who has worked extensively with children, teens and adults on the autism spectrum, talks with Dr. Temple Grandin about how to provide ‘loving pushes’ so kids with autism can become successful adults. Dr. Moore (D ): As a psychologist, I ran into lots of spectrum teens and young adults who […]