What My Brother With Autism Taught Me About Special Needs
When I was 10, my two-year-old brother was diagnosed on the autism spectrum. He was nonverbal for much of his early life, unable to read or communicate effectively. He struggled to exhibit and mimic behavior that was expected of him from society, and would often find himself striking his head because of overstimulation from the […]
Continue readingHealthy Play Diets: The Best Way to Set Limits on Screen Time
In my work as a clinical child psychologist, I frequently encounter parents bewildered by their kids’ fascination with video games, social media, and other screen-based technologies. While problems with these technologies seem to be worse with kids diagnosed with ADHD or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), even many of the siblings of my patients would choose […]
Continue readingSensory Integration and Special Needs in the Dental Office
Most people have some degree of aversion to the sensory-rich dental experience. The sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and metallic instruments are literally in our faces. We can’t move or escape, while the dentist contorts our lips, sprays water while our mouths are open, and we try to breathe and communicate. It’s a challenge whether special […]
Continue readingTraining Young People With ASD to Be the Techies of Tomorrow
There’s a lot of talk about why teaching kids technology, programming in particular, is good for students in today’s educational landscape. Nearly every other week there seems to be some major news announcement around STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) or STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) and CS (computer science) and even, IT (information […]
Continue readingFuture Independence for Special Needs Linked to Technology and Money
As parents guide their children through the stages of life, there comes a point where adulthood becomes ever so real. That time usually comes somewhere between 14 and 17 years old, when parents realize their child will become an adult and will no longer be attending school. For some of those young adults, they may […]
Continue readingDoctor Makes Great Strides with Unique Treatment for Autism
Significant overall improvements often occur in those with autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by medically treating their coexisting inner-ear/cerebellar-determined (dyslexia or learning disabilities (LD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety related) symptoms with inner-ear-improving medications. Despite significant scientific advances, we currently do not know the primary cause(s) and cure of autism. Thus a […]
Continue readingHow Much Practical Time Should Your Child with ASD Spend on the Screen?
Do you know how much time your child spends on the screen playing video games? Do you know which kinds of games are detrimental or valuable to young minds? These are very challenging questions for parents, especially for parents of children with autism. There is no question that videogames, some apps and online activities can […]
Continue readingAssistive Communication Devices for Children with Autism
Communication issues and autism For many children with autism, communication issues are one of the first telltale signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As autism covers a spectrum of challenges, children can present communication issues differently from one another. Some children might have a large vocabulary and learn to read at a young age but […]
Continue readingIssue 71 – Navigating A New Year
Buy Single Issue Subscribe today and save 50% Features: Why Not Pledge to Cut Yourself Some Slack In the New Year? The father of a young, nonverbal boy compassionately reviews the true value of new year’s resolutions. James Guttman Easy Ways to Add Simple Communication Strategies to a Kid’s Life A speech-language pathologist, parent […]
Continue readingNew Communication App Gives Autistic Children an Important Edge
Communication is the key to every human interaction, and when a child faces challenges with language it can be devastating to social growth. Nikki Dickman, a supervisor to behavioral therapists focusing on kids with autism, had the idea to turn traditional behavioral therapy into an iPad brain game. With the help of her partners Andrew Greenstein […]
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