Autism Beyond Standardized Measures

Dear Standardized School Questionnaires, I could go on and on about how frustrated and sad I feel when I have to fit my child into all these boxes that he does not fit into. I could elaborate on how this questionnaire is unproductive in describing my son. Instead, I’ll tell you what you’re missing when we check “never” on many of the countless boxes. He may not be able to write the alphabet, but he knows and recognizes all of his letters. He even recognizes sight words—perhaps more than that.…

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Our Non-Speaking Child’s Future: A Letter to His Caregiver

“We should start planning for his future?” This is what my husband often says, but neither of us are sure where exactly to start. Should we set up a special needs account? Who will be in charge of his care? Where will he live? Who will explain to him what’s going on and how? I keep telling myself that we don’t need to think about this for a long time, but the reality is, we do. The fact of the matter is, something can happen to any of us tomorrow.…

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