Features:
PUTTING LOVE INTO LIFE SKILLS
A look at how parents and educators can teach neurodivergent children love as a life skill.
Rachel Schwartz, PhD, BCBA-D
TIPS TO REVITALIZE AND STRENGTHEN YOUR MARRIAGE
Here are a few ideas that could help revitalize and strengthen your marriage post-pandemic
Deanna Picon, BA
HELP YOUR CHILD RESPOND TO HIS/HER NAME THROUGH POSITIVE ASSOCIATIONS
Suggestions for increasing your child’s responsiveness to his/her name.
Maritza (Mitzy) Pardo, MA, BCBA
LET’S TALK SEX EDUCATION
A guide for creating dialogue about sex and sexual maturity with your autistic child.
Karen Kaplan, MS
WHAT IS A BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN?
A look at how you can create an effective BIP for your child.
Carol Tatom, RBT
AUTISM ASSESSMENT: WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW
For parents wondering about the process of obtaining an autism diagnosis for their child, this article could help.Rita Wendi L. Johnson, PhD, Olivia King, Jasmine Hammer, Hannah Hagler, Briana Paulman
CHOOSING THE BEST EDUCATIONAL OPTION FOR YOUR AUTISTIC CHILD
A detailed overview of educational options for children on the spectrum.
Ronald I. Malcolm, EdD
AN AUTISTIC MAN’S POINT OF VIEW ON SELF-STIMULATORY BEHAVIOR
Have you considered what an autistic person thinks about stimming? If not, check this out!
Michael Tanzer
AMAZING HENRY
A mom shares her journey to get her autistic son the support he needed.
Eunice Obinim
AUTISM WARRIOR: STEPHANIE SMITH
Meet Stephanie Smith, a woman driven by her passion to create change in the autism community.
Andréas RB Deolinda, BA, BSc
SUPPORTING PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM AND PATHOLOGICAL DEMAND AVOIDANCE
Some supportive tips for parents who may be getting “bad press”.
Sandy Turner BEd (Hons) NPQH and Judy Turner BEd (Hons) Adv. Cert. Child Focused Therapy
POETRY CORNER: MIRRORED STRANGER
Andréas RB Deolinda, BA, BSc
MY SON THE SUPERHERO
A father shares insight into life with his son in a world that paints a savant image of autistic children.
Erik Raschke
FINDING YOUR CHILD WITH SENSORY ISSUES THE RIGHT DENTIST
A look at how parents can find the right dentist for their child with sensory sensitivity.
Jennifer “Jay” Palumbo, BA
PARENTING THE HORMONAL AUTISTIC ADOLESCENT
An autism mom shares her ideas on how parents can help their child through puberty, navigating hormones, and relationships
Eboni Jarvis
WHAT’S NEW ON THE BOOKSHELF?:
BEHIND THE MIRROR
Learn about Jeanne Simons, a social worker and educator who developed the Linwood Model.
POETRY CORNER:
AUTISM HEARTS
Amanda Harrinauth
IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING BEHAVIOR AND TEACHING NEW SKILLS
A look at the possible causes of maladaptive behaviors among autistic children.
Dr. Camille Brandt
HOW TO BE A TRUE FRIEND: A REFLECTION ON BELONGING AND RELATIONSHIPS
A guide from an autistic advocate on how to remain true as a friend and build lasting relationships.
Marcelle Ciampi, MEd (aka Samantha Craft)
UNDERSTANDING SEXUAL IDENTITY
Learn how to understand and accept your child’s sexuality and growing interest in relationships.
Lt. Joseph Pangaro, CPM, CSO, MOI
Q&A ADVICE FROM AN EXPERT…
An autism expert offers advice to a caregiver wondering how she can improve her child’s speech.
Karen Kaplan, MS
WHAT’S NEW ON THE BOOKSHELF?:
ROXY AND MALIBOO: IT’S OKAY TO BE DIFFERENT
Join the adventures of Roxy the dog, who learns to accept change in her life.
THE FIREBOY: WITH A SIDE OF AUTISM
An autism mom shares her son’s reality of living with autism and Lennox-Gastaut seizure syndrome.
Lori Aach
ONE FAMILY’S JOURNEY TO CREATE FINANCIAL SECURITY FOR THEIR AUTISTIC SON
A family shares ideas on how to start a business for your older autistic child.
Mark Lyons
AN AUTISM INTERVIEW WITH ROSE MORRIS
Meet autism parent and advocate, Rose Morris in our regular interview feature.
Derrick Hayes
SAFE SCHOOLS FOR THOSE WITH SEVERE AUTISM POST-PANDEMIC
An autism expert voices suggestions on how autistic students can be supported at school post-pandemic.
Karen Kaplan, MS
THREE KEY STEPS WHEN EMBARKING ON SPECIAL NEEDS PLANNING
Planning for the future can sometimes feel like a can-do-later task, but like the saying goes: “better today than tomorrow”.
Ryan Platt, MBA, ChFC, ChSNC
Dear Readers,
It’s human nature for most of us to want to love and be loved in return. The majority of people on the autism spectrum are no different from neurotypical people in this regard—but the dynamics of getting there can be extra tricky. Many of us have had to navigate awkward dates, trying our best to read any romantic signals, flirt successfully, and engage in appropriate conversation. Just imagine trying to do all that with autism also in the mix!
That’s why, in this issue of the magazine, we’re running with the theme Autism and Romantic Relationships. Our pages are packed full of practical advice for parents to share with young people starting to explore relationships, attraction, and all the confusing moments and emotions that come with them.
Among our themed content, we have an article from Karen Kaplan, MS which offers a comprehensive guide on sex education to help parents create comfortable, informative dialogue with their children. Lt. Joseph Pangaro has also penned a piece on understanding sexual identity to help caregivers accept and welcome their children’s relationship preferences.
We also have an article from Dr. Rachel Schwartz, PhD, BCBA-D on the concept of teaching “love” as a life skill. She points out that while parents and therapists focus on building skills such as communication, money management, cooking, etc., it’s important they don’t forget “learning love” is just as important.
Dr. Schwartz comments that, for far too long, conversations around sexuality, love, and the right to love have excluded neurodiverse individuals. This has resulted in many individuals being unprepared and ill-equipped to explore healthy relationships on their own. Scary stuff. It’s time to make a change!
Taking a slightly different slant on the relationships theme, autism coach Deanna Picon, BA has authored some content to help parents revitalize and strengthen their relationships with each other as the world slowly recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic.
We also have an array of articles exploring topics such as Behavior Intervention Plans, the autism assessment process, pathological demand avoidance, sensory solutions, communication, and so much more. We hope you dive in and enjoy the read!
Emily Ansell Elfer
Editor
Autism Parenting Magazine
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