In The News
Dog Rescue Refuses to Adopt to Families with Autistic Children
On March 22, 2022, Kismutt Rescue of Ontario, Canada, posted a message on their Facebook page. It was addressed to “Mama Bears” and referenced their policy of not adopting to families with autistic children. (*I could not find this policy on their website, so it is not clear whether it is for any autistic individual or just autistic children.) The message related two incidents that resulted in the creation of the policy. One took place around 2008 or 2009 when, according to them, an autistic child’s mother called to say…
Read MoreSafe Room, Premiering on Lifetime, Features Actually Autistic Actor, Nik Sanchez
This Saturday, on the 15th, Lifetime will be premiering Safe Room, a thriller that centers on recently widowed Lila Jackson (Nicole Ari Parker) and her 14-year-old autistic son Ian (Nik Sanchez). Since the death of her husband, Lila is grateful for their kind neighbor Neil (Boris Kodjoe), who looks out for them. After Ian accidentally witnesses a break-in in the house across the street and records the horrific murder of the homeowner, Lila becomes embroiled in a deadly struggle to protect her son from intruders Dominic (Mackenzie Astin) and Rocco…
Read MoreHeartbroken at the Airport-Special Needs Families Are Getting Denied at the Gate
On Saint Patrick’s Day, I got up at 3:00 a.m. had our bags packed the night before, ready for a trip with my baby girl to visit family in Montana. I filled a carry-on bag with new toys, snacks, hand sanitizer, charged headphones, and of course, our masks. That morning I woke up our two-year-old Nora, she meet me with a doe eyed look but was in good spirits. I changed her into a cute black shirt with toile on the bottom and slipped on a black hoodie paired with…
Read MoreTake a Chance on Me
There’s a viral article out that highlights a young man (Ryan Lowry) in Virginia on the autism spectrum who has penned his own letter to a future employer asking for an opportunity to work. He highlights the wonderful IT skills he has to offer any company. He also points out where he needs mentoring. But if given the opportunity, he knows he can contribute to any company willing to work with him. “I promise that if you hire me and teach me, you’ll be glad that you did. I will…
Read MoreInspirational Boston Marathon Dad Dick Hoyt Dies at 80
I’ve heard countless stories from parents of adult disabled children about the prognosis and future predictions they were given. And not a lot of them were good. Parents were told to institutionalize their babies. Even, ‘go home, try again.’ And one, ‘forget about this one, have another.’ It was no different for Dick Hoyt and his wife Judy in 1962 when their son Rick was born. Rick was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy, as a result of oxygen deprivation to Rick’s brain at the time of his…
Read MoreAutism Representation – Daniel Tiger to Introduce New Character
I can vividly remember taking my autistic son, Johnny to the park when he was four years old. As I pushed the double stroller with him and his baby sister through the park entrance my heart sank as our usually pretty empty park was full of children and parents. Johnny was excited, and there was no turning back. I had to let him play for at least a little while. As he darted off to play I quickly strapped the baby to me and followed him like a shadow. Sometimes…
Read MoreMothers Feel an Intimate Connection to Their Nonverbal Children
From the moment you get news of a baby on the way, Mother’s focus is on the best way to take care of this beautiful little human. We read books, talk to other Mothers, restrict our diet, and wonder what it will be like when we meet our baby. We often worry if we are making the right choices and if we mothering correctly. After we hold our baby, we focus on Mothering. Is the baby sleeping enough? Should we breastfeed or bottle-feed, when should they try their first bite…
Read MoreNot Hired, or even Fired, because of Autism
Growing up I didn’t know much about people with Autism. In fact the only thing I really knew was that I have a younger brother who has Autism. He was diagnosed with PDD (Persuasive Developmental Disorder), which apparently was very hard to diagnose years ago, when he was 13 years old. Despite getting diagnosed late and receiving no therapy due to private insurance cut off age limit, he went on to graduate high school. I was so proud of him for what he had accomplished. But I never imagined what…
Read MorePublic Schools Accused of Defrauding Special Education Students During Pandemic Nationwide
Our lives are often broken up by dates that mark significant events that change us. Our wedding dates, the birthdays of our children, the death of a family member we loved and cherished.. And for parents in 2020, there are various dates throughout the second week of March that will stay with them forever. For us, March 11th 2020 is the day our world stopped. My husband began working from home, my small business was forced onto a virtual platform, and so were our therapies for our six year old…
Read MoreStates Look to Put Label on Driver’s License for Autism
My son Johnny was almost five years old when he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. That was almost one year ago. Although we were told by experts they were unsure, I could have pushed to have him diagnosed sooner. To be completely honest, I think I was afraid of the label. I did not want people to hear he was autistic and assume so many preconceived ideas about him. I did not want them to expect the worst from him, or love him less. I worried teachers would dislike…
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