An Exclusive Look at AUTISM With Julie Polanco
Encouragement speaker Derrick Hayes gives an AUTISM Interview by asking six questions through each letter in the word AUTISM to give readers an insightful perspective from parents, experts, entrepreneurs, and other leaders in the field. Today’s AUTISM Interview is with Julie Polanco who is the author of God Schooling: How God Intended Children to Learn. […]
Continue readingWhy It’s Important to Embrace Autism Research
Research is very important for parents to understand—unfortunately, it isn’t something that a lot of families have time for or can easily access. It may seem that research exists in an ivory tower. I want to inspire you to embrace research. It helps inform the practitioners and teachers that work with your loved one on […]
Continue readingLife With Asperger’s: Learning As I Go
I’m scrunched up under a desk. My 3rdgrade teacher, Mrs. Alexander, implores me to come out and participate. I reply with grunts. All I want is my Game Boy Advance. That was me throughout elementary school—an unfiltered troublemaker who lacked the skills to assimilate into his surroundings. All thanks to something called Asperger’s. It’s the […]
Continue readingThe Struggles of a Teenage Girl With a Late Autism Diagnosis
We entered through the glass doors and were swept along with the crowd up escalators, down long hallways lined with multicolored fluorescent light tubes hung as art. People walked in pairs, groups of three, parents with their teens, groups of teens. We walked down a tunnel lined with pink and yellow glass through which we […]
Continue readingAutism and Depression: Connections Between Autism, Mental Health, Emotions, and Other Co-Relating Conditions
What is depression? Psychiatry.org defines depression as a medical illness that causes “feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed.” People with autism, particularly teens and adults, are prone to depression. At this stage of their lives, autistic teens and adults have more social experiences. As a result, they can go […]
Continue readingQuick Tips on Communications for Children With Autism and Special Needs
As a pediatrician, I have been taught that the developmental progress of a three to four-year-old should include well over 500 words and a child should be able to describe things and situations in a meaningful way. This milestone is one that all parents strive for as it is an important part of a child’s […]
Continue readingAutism in Teens: Puberty, Expectations, Symptoms, and Treatments
Signs of Autism in Teens Autism in teens can be recognized during regular interaction with others at school and at home. Verbal signs of autism in a teen might include: Not knowing how to engage in a two-way conversation; Usually talking about a single topic without allowing the other person to talk or respond Only […]
Continue readingBenefits and Uses of Weighted Vest for Autism
What is a weighted vest? A weighted vest is a garment worn over clothing with extra weight added within the vest. This is done either by using heavy fabric or filling the vest’s pockets with weighted objects such as steel bars or sandbags. It is designed to add between five to ten percent of a […]
Continue readingHow Do You Know If a Child With Autism Has a Mental Health Disorder?
Like all kids, those on the autism spectrum display a wide variety of behaviors and emotions. It can be tricky to know what’s normal and what needs to be addressed. Parents need to trust their guts and observations. You know your child best, and if you notice he/she is acting out negatively in a way […]
Continue readingHow Music Can Help Those With ASD Cope With Anxiety
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD ) is a wide spectrum and one that can come in a whole range of severities. However, one thing that many people with ASD have is some form of anxiety, and that can be tough to deal with. Research has shown that music is able to help mental health quite substantially, […]
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