Do Schools Have the Right Model for Autistic Kids?
A look at whether the mainstream education system is doing the best it can for children with autism. To decide if our schools are using the best model for our children, we need to think of the environment, the interventions, and the impact of both on our children. Most school interventions in the US are
What Can We Do to Prepare for College
Many students and parents think about college. Is college a possibility? How can we best prepare? Where do we look? What do we ask for? All good questions. Many students on the autism spectrum do well academically, and graduate high school with grades that make them candidates for college. We’ve all heard that one in
Why Girls are Missed for Diagnosis and Why That’s so Important
In the autism community, the prevailing idea is that boys significantly outnumber girls on the autism spectrum. Common estimates suggest that the boy: girl ratio is 4:1. Recent studies have found that, in fact, there are more girls on the spectrum than previously recognized, with current estimates of the boy:girl ratio ranging from 3:1 to
The Importance of Giving Kids With ASD Some Space During the COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19 is beyond anything we imagined or prepared for as a community. We’re all pretty much winging it, trying to follow the rules and making up how we manage. It can be helpful to have insight into how it affects our neurodiverse children. All of us are experiencing anxiety. For our children with autism, the
Effective Ways You Can Assess and Teach Social Skills
Most parents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children want them to have effective social coaching in school to supplement what’s done at home. School Individualized Education Programs (IEP) usually include groups using social learning curriculum. How do we assess whether the child is learning effective skills? Are there any possible negative effects of social skills instruction, or