Autism Parenting Magazine - Issue 89 

Dear Readers,

What inspires you? For me, it's good people who, when faced with challenges or tough times, work to find answers and get results. I am honored to witness this nearly every day when I interact with our Autism Parenting Magazine community. It's extraordinary to connect with families, doctors, autism specialists, advocates, and people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who work tirelessly to provide practical solutions. And, it's rewarding to see REAL changes happen right before my eyes in the autism community.

Nearly one year ago, autism advocate and mom Pam Mines reached out to me about a project she was spearheading to help make law enforcement aware of the unique abilities of people with autism. Her idea was to allow people with autism to voluntarily add a special code to an ID or driver’s license to potentially prevent disastrous misunderstandings with police. Named after Pam's young son with autism, JP's Law passed in the state of Virginia where she lived, but Pam had much larger prospects— she was aiming at the national level. Fast forward to an email I received from Pam the other day stating she was "through the roof excited" as she had received interest from advocates wanting her to introduce JP's Law to their states after reading her article in Issue 81 of Autism Parenting Magazine. JP's Law has since launched in Washington, DC after Pam provided training and now additional states are motivated to jump on board. Pam's enthusiasm for advocacy and progress is contagious.

I was also impressed this month by the actions of a Tara Bertic, an exceptional needs children’s ministry coordinator in Florida. While her church community was able to support missionary projects all over the world, her son with autism was often left out as he could not serve in the same capacity. Determined to instill change, Tara brainstormed ideas for service projects with fellow churchgoers so all kids could take part. If you want to discover simple yet heartwarming ways to involve a child with special needs in community service, take a look at her piece, Volunteering With Special Needs: Teaching the Served to Serve. All children should have the chance to become involved in making a difference, no matter their abilities.

Finding ways to improve a child's health is also paramount—which puts nutrition at the top of the list of concerns for many families affected by autism. For a variety of reasons, such as food texture, color, taste, and smell, food aversion is a common concern for children with ASD. If you struggle to find healthy foods your child will eat, take a look Why Some Kids With ASD Won’t Eat And How to Get Help as Rebecca Connick, MOT, LOTR, shares the underlying deficits that can often be the source of eating issues. Everyone knows it can be a struggle to change a child's diet, so we are pleased to share How to Introduce New Foods to Picky Eaters With Autism written by Dr. William Killion, PhD, BCBA. Take a look as he includes easy ways to help children get the nutrition they need as well as expand their menu options. Research shows that children are more likely to eat a meal when they are involved in its preparation, so one solution dietitian Jennifer Friedman, MS RDN, suggests is making foods together. Read her piece Great Ways to Improve Life and Social Skills In the Kitchen to help your child learn a valuable life skill that fosters confidence and independence.

Providing the skills a child with autism needs to transition to adulthood and the workplace is a significant concern. For guidance on ways to prepare a child with special needs through a sequence of learned skills and support, read Karra Barber-Wada's piece, Gaining Independence: From Cradle to Career With Autism. Her insight helped prepare her son with social challenges and processing delays for his future. Dr. Rachel Bédard, PhD has provided her advice this month on ways to help someone with autism use the skills learned in school to more smoothly enter the job market. Be sure to read her piece, Excellent Ways to Transition to the Workplace With Autism, as Rachel encourages people to highlight their strengths while keeping an eye toward roles and responsibilities that will likely benefit the future. And speaking of planning for a lifetime of needs, be sure to read Why Would My Child With Autism Need a Special Needs Trust? as Ryan F. Platt, MBA, ChFC, ChSNC, explains how a trust can allow someone to have assets available for support needs while continuing eligibility for government benefits.

Many people on the autism spectrum have a hard time transitioning to new routines and unstructured time during the summer months. With proper planning, it doesn't have to be that way. For advice on how you can better connect with your child using much-needed sensory, gross motor, and fine motor activities, read Summertime Activities That Will Engage Your Child With Autism by Annette Nunez, PhD. For families looking to work on important, real-life math skills this summer, Raj Valli, CEO and founder of Thinkster Math, has provided ways to help your child with autism while providing much-needed encouragement in Simple Ways to Help a Child With Autism Master Math. And if a trip to a theme park or another special event is on your calendar, be sure to check out Terrific Tips for Surviving Theme Parks When a Child Has Special Needs as Jenna Kopec shares her tips on navigating with ease.

Kind Regards,

Amy KD Tobik
Editor-in-Chief