Features:
I Am a Super Hero Expert
A brother shares his experience with his favorite superhero, his brother.
Josh Stehle
Why Is Autism So Difficult To Diagnose?
Dr Malcolm provides wisdom filled tips to parents of autistic children, encouraging them to resources for each other.
Dr. Ronald I. Malcolm
A Neuroscientific View of How Autism Affects The Brain
Find out how autism affects the brain and if scans can accurately detect it.
Donnesa McPherson AAS
Tips For An Advocacy Journey
An autistic advocate shares tips for others on the spectrum wishing to become advocates themselves.
Angela Chapes
Mister Dog
A mother shares the story of her journey with her autistic son.
Maxine Rosaler
Mild Autism In Adults
Gain a better understanding of what mild autism can look like in adults.
Rachel Andersen
Top Seven Challenges of Raising a Child with ASD
Learn seven of the challenges parents may face when raising their child with autism, and what they can do about them.
Vladimir Kogan
Poetry Corner: Autism Part 3
Ishaan Holloway
How People Games Helped My Daughter
Discover “people games” and how they could help your child with autism.
Chantal Lavergnel
Autism Warrior: Emile Gouws
Meet Emile Gouws and autistic advocate on a mission to make the world a more inclusive place.
Rachel Andersen
Six Things You Can Do To Support Children On The Autism Spectrum
Learn several ways to support your child with autism in some of the most common challenges they may face.
Amina Giselle
Autism Evolution
Walk down the “memory lane” of autism and find out how far we have come in our understanding of it.
Rachel Andersen
Self Diagnosed Autism
Find out why someone would self diagnose, if it is safe, and how the autistic community feels about it.
Yolande Loftus, BA, LLB
Autism and Humor: Laughing on the Spectrum!
Learn about humor and how it relates to autism.
Rachel Andersen
Autism Subtypes: Understanding the Spectrum
Examine what used to be known as the autism subtypes to better understand autism itself.
Yolande Loftus, BA, LLB
Autism vs Intellectual Disability: Are they Synonymous?
Find out the differences between autism and intellectual disability.
Yolande Loftus, BA, LLB
Theories of Autism Spectrum Disorders
Explore the theories related to autism and why they exist.
Yolande Loftus, BA, LLB
Five Common Myths About Autism
Learn five common myths about autism, and discover the truth.
Dan Jones
What It Means To Be Autistic
Learn what it means to be autistic and how we can build understanding and connection with our children with autism.
Rachel Andersen
Advocating for Strength
Discover the true meaning of fitness, and how to incorporate it into your child’s life.
Eric Chessen, M.S
What’s New on the Bookshelf?
An Autism Casebook For Parents and Practitioners : The Child Behind the Symptoms
Dr. Shoshana Levin Fox, EdD
Warrior Mom - A Mothers Journey In “Healing” Her Son With Autism
Tracy Slepcevic
Dr. Branam advocates that his Xyliltol products are 3 times better than using a Fluoride toothpaste
A special report for moms, dads, grandparents, and caregivers of special needs loved ones.
Dr. Stephen Branam
2022 Contributor Awards
Introducing this year's Contributor Award winners.
Mark Blakey, Founder APM
Dear Readers,
As we all are settling down after the excitement from the holidays and events of the season, January might seem a bit anticlimactic. Depending where you live, some might be taking down decorations, while others might be prepping for the first big snowfall or an afternoon of building snowmen and drinking warm cocoa.
Being stuck inside on a cold day is a great time to do a little searching for resources to provide some helpful information about our loved ones who are on the spectrum. Whether it’s a highly qualified professional or just a supportive friend, finding someone who knows about, understands, and acts as an advocate for autism is like a breath of fresh air.
This month we explore the topic of autism advocacy. Where would we be without the people who provide information, support, and help while also seeking to explore research, provide answers, and challenge the myths and misinformation that often comes with the diagnosis? Take a look at Dan Jones’ article about “Five Common Myths About Autism” which he helps to dispel, and since we may not always know how to help the people in our lives with autism, Amina Giselle provides some great parenting advice in her article, “Six Things You Can Do to Support Children on the Autism Spectrum.”
While being your own advocate is also helpful, diagnosing oneself for autism may not be. Yolande Loftus expertly shows us why in “Self Diagnosed Autism.” Finding someone to give that diagnosis is important, but sometimes getting to that definitive answer might not be easy. Dr. Ronald I. Malcolm speaks to the difficulty of diagnosis in his article, “Why is Autism so Difficult to Diagnose?”
Finally, it’s great when that advocate in your autism journey is someone in your family, but it might be even better when it’s your little brother. Josh Stehle has proven just that as he writes about his “superhero” sibling in “I Am a Superhero Expert.” Speaking of superheroes, every year we honor those writers who contribute information and talent to our magazine with the Contributor Awards, and this year’s winners are listed right here in this issue.
Take some time to read all of the articles and narratives, remembering that each person who shares their story, research, or their time with you is an advocate for your child. We hope you benefit from their efforts.
Happy reading!
Mark Blakey
Founder
Autism Parenting Magazine