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A Happy Blogiversary

One year ago, I transferred a number of Facebook notes that I had written about my family’s experience with autism to Blogger and started Lou’s Land. I didn’t really put a lot of thought into it. I d…

Ultrasound as a Risk for Autism

Last week's essay on ultrasound generated a great deal of commentary. Some of the questions raised by readers were beyond my expertise, so I turned to Dr. Manny Casanova from the University of Louisville. He and his co…

Could Cutting the Umbilical Cord Too Soon be a Cause of Autism?

Today we have a guest post from publisher Jeff Gerke of Marcher Lord Press:

A Message to Jenny McCarthy

So it’s a Monday morning and I get to my computer at work and I start checking the emails I received over the weekend and I see a link to a wonderful Website called Special Needs Book Review where they have been…

Autism Speaks: Salutes Military Families

It was a great morning aboard the iconic Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum on Saturday, March 31st. As families came out for the Autism Speaks Salutes Military Families event. More than 200 guests joined us for this s…

Don't forget to laugh.

Not a very long post, but a super cute one. Yesterday, Gabe was helping his dad clean his office. Much to my surprise he was actually being pretty helpful, and Ian being very patient.

Are You Moving or Staying?

My son, Brandon, is thirty-nine years old and he has been living independently for the past fifteen years. He has hit many road bumps and obstacles along the way. But nothing had prepared either one of us for what was…

Summer Travel Tips for Families Living with Autism

The Autism Society is committed to providing information that will help you live your best journey with autism. In celebration of the unofficial start of summer, we would like to share with you this helpful list of va…

Not Taking Things For Granted

When you have special needs children , you don't take things for granted the same way other people might. I don't assume my kids will walk and talk on time. It's always a huge relief when they do. I watch all the kids…

Special Needs Ryan Gosling

Thanks to Sunday Stillwell of Extreme Parenthood for starting the SNRG craze. Click here to see the other week 16 SNRG blog entries! So..... I've seen these Special Needs Ryan Gosling pictures floating around the i…

Finding Hope

Being a part of a community wasn't something I strived to do. On the contrary, I just wanted to find answers.

Good Mythical Morning

Today we're proud to sponsor Rhett and Link's 100th Episode of Good Mythical Morning!

MEMORIAL DAY 2012

This weekend we honor those who gave their lives for this nation. It is fitting that we remember that Freedom is not free. We sleep well at night because rough men (and women) stand ready to do violence in our name...…

Walk Now - By Their Side

To better understand somebody, don’t just walk a mile in their shoes… walk three miles by their side. This was the conclusion I drew last year after participating in my first Walk Now for Autism Speak…

Hold the Wine, I Have to Explain Special Needs

Wine makes some weepy. Truly. It’s been proven….theorized, hypothesized, tested and proven. On said occasion, I started the evening out happy, without a care in the world. A cork popped at the challenge was…

Military Spouse Appreciation Day with San Diego Padres

On the West Coast, Karen Driscoll with the Autism Speaks Government Relations team threw out the honorary first pitch for the San Diego Padres game against the Florida Marlins at PETCO Park as part of Military Spouse Ap…

How to know child with Aspergers Syndrome May need an OT Assessment

{ image source} Does your child with Aspergers Syndrome have difficulties with their fine and gross motor skills as well as that of their sensory processing. If the answer is yes, you should consider getting an assessm…

Handing over the Reigns of Advocacy

I'm working on some posts about autism and teens. There are several situations and experiences that are typical in the teenage years. While these experiences are typical, the reaction and the way they have to be…

Dear Researchers, Please Stop

Dear Researchers, I am writing to you to ask you to please stop. Stop trying to find a way to blame mothers. Stop reaching for any and every single thing you can think of to link to a cause of autism. Stop scaring peo…

Kingston's Coming Out

My sweet boy, Kingston. I remember 4 years ago searching the internet and putting into the search engine all the "weird" things Allbri was doing and displaying. I will always remember the day I saw the word "AUTISM."…

Special Olympics Moment in History

This past weekend was the Spring Sports Festival for Special Olympics, held in Wildwood, New Jersey. This is the “state tournament” for Special Olympics basketball teams from all over New Jersey. Throughout…

Equine & Artistic Expression

In Middle Tennessee, we are very blessed to have a long-standing, highly successfully recreational and therapeutic horseback riding program for children and youth with disAbilities, called SaddleUP! Weeks ago, event r…

Love Notes in the "blue notebook"

So... the backstory on the picture.....

Golden Afternoon

James has less than two weeks left of First Grade. His sister's last day of Third Grade is this Friday. I am sad to see another school year / grade level / established set of routines come to an end ... ... but there i…

Sunshine and Haircuts

Sometimes I get rainbows with Sammy. It's as if the windows fly open on a warm summer morning by the ocean. The breeze comes in and calms my soul, quiets my mind and helps me to see the flowers that bloom in my life.…

I am Officially a Children's Book Author!

I am VERY, VERY, VERY excited to announce that ON MY WAY TO THE BATH IS OFFICIALLY ON SALE TODAY!!!! (I've been waiting for this day for a year and a half!)

To Medicate, or Not to Medicate

This is the question I have been struggling with for the better part of two years. When Bianca was diagnosed she was given a primary diagnosis of classic ASD and a secondary diagnosis of ADHD. We knew she was au…

Releasing the Grip

I am a problem solver. Most people who know me well can attest to this. I see a problem and I become obsessed with finding a solution. It is one of my greatest qualities because it has allowed me to tackle things a…

Does Floortime Therapy Work? We're still waiting for the evidence.

I’ve been reading about Floortime/DIR Autism Therapy for the last twenty years and have also written about this topic at length before. The theory behind this form of “play” therapy always sounded co…

Video: Ethan Plays 'Piano Man'

A video of Ethan, a six-year-old boy with autism, playing Billy Joel's "Piano Man" has become an internet sensation. Now Billy Joel himself has praised Ethan's performance, saying, "I think I like his intro to "Piano Man…

Book Review: The Optimistic Child

The Optimistic Child: A proven program to safeguard children against depression and build lifelong resilience by Martin E.P. Siligman, Ph.D., I’m not here to argue with the premise of this book as that kind of r…

Autism Light: Kathy Medina

Kathy Medina is from Clovis, California. She and her husband Glenn have three children, including a son with autism named Zack. Kathy was a Life Insurance Agent for 15 years with American United Life, and left that p…

Court Declares a Vaccine Caused Autism in 1 Case

An Italian judge has sided with the parents in a case where the MMR vaccine stood trial for causing autism and 100 percent disability in a child. Apparently the child became sick the same day as taking the vaccine and…

Poetic Musings from the Aspie Mind

autism my musings, a poem Autism What’s it all about: For sure will there ever be a cure? Maybe not now, maybe soon, Today, today it is really hard to say.

Jenny McCarthy Announces That She Will Pose Nude “For Autism”

First of all, I thought I’d put “for autism” in quotes in the title for one simple reason… she’s not doing it for autism. You can read the news stories here Jenny McCarthy is head of…

Autism and Sexuality - IMFAR 2012 Conference

Now that IMFAR has wound down and I have a moment to gather my thoughts I’d like to describe a few of the less-noticed findings from this year’s conference. One concerned autism and sexuality. I fou…

My New Autism-Warrior-Anthem

Donna Summer, the Queen of Disco, passed away this week at 63 after a long battle with cancer. Here is her last hit from 2008. I can't tell you how this song speaks to me about our fight for our children's rights....I…

How Successful Autism Integration makes ALL Kids Better People

As parents of children with autism, we want our children to have the same kind of enriching experiences in life as do typically developing children. The best way to ensure a rich childhood, full of opportunities, is t…

Bullying in the Autism Community

Sadly, bullying is an issue that has touched many families in the autism community. We hope that greater awareness and the tools and resources that have been developed will help all of us to combat bullying. So spread…

The Fitness Factor

I stand up and tell a roomful of parents, educators, and professionals that among my friends and colleagues in the fitness industry, I consider myself the “most hardcore.” Sure, I know guys who are training…

A Matter of Perspective

I'm trying to write this down this morning before I forget what was said. Sadly I have already kind of forgotten. It was amazing and made me smile. Sammy woke up and gave us a rare show of sunshine. He is currently dow…

Autism Light: Shinji Tejima

Shinji Tejima is from Fukuoka, Japan. He works at the Showa Studio Automobile Repair Shop. Shinji built a very expensive motorcycle that is a replica of a famed motorcycle that was featured in the 1988 Japanese animate…

Autism Numbers Are Up...How can you help?

I've been catching the stories online about the latest CDC numbers for autism: 1 in 88 children; 1 in 54 boys. In some regions of the United States, the numbers are even more alarming, such as 1 in 47 children in Utah.…

Angry Birds..at home

Bitty asked me to help him make a slingshot. Turns out this is what he had in mind:

Define "Normal"

For us, “Normal” is… late nights, even sleepless nights. In depth Conversations on transport, LEGO and wrestling! Visual learning (our home is full of home made schedules)! Laughter… Tears

Lining up my M&Ms

We had some coloured popcorn left over from Annie’s party so I busted it out for afternoon tea when friends came over. It was fascinating to watch all the spectrum kids picking through the popcorn.

Having Nana For Dinner?

Saturday, I was telling Gabe, that we were having Nana for dinner on Sunday. As soon as those words came out of my mouth, I began to giggle. I knew exactly what Gabe would say next.

1:88 and not an epidemic per the CDC?

1:88 and not an epidemic per the CDC? That is because they would have a HUGE backlash if they acknowledged anything environmentally was contributing to this enormous spike in the autism diagnosis.

No Child Left Behind, Fact or Fallacy

Can education for the autistic be improved? I am trying to spread autism awareness, lend a voice to topics that are interesting to people who are either autistic or have friends or family that are. I have 3 kids on t…

Autism and Bullies

Stephanie Pappas of LiveScience wrote and excellent article that is troubling at times to consider. The majority of students in my school have Autism, Asperger Syndrome or other developmental disorders. However, whe…

Your Child’s Autism is Not a Theory!

TV3 Ireland AM recently interviewed an autism “expert,” a clinical psychologist, Tony Humphreys, who made a comment about autism, saying the disorder is “a theory.” So now your kid’s a the…

Autism Speaks Co-Founders Appear on NBC Nightly News

On May 1, Autism Speaks Co-Founders Bob and Suzanne Wright appeared on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams for an interview about the Theatre Development Fund’s highly successful Autism Theatre Initiative to ma…

Where it Began - Life After Autism

It's been a crazy week here. Tantrums, refusals, non compliance and angry outbursts. I'm writing to forget about what this week is like. I need to get out of my own way.I don't know where this post is going. I don't kno…

Difficult Times

It's challenging for me to write during hard times, like now. Money is a constant worry. My consulting jobs have dried up and I am still trying to get payment on my last invoices for last year. My daughter is moving to…

Autism Light: Charles Colson

Charles "Chuck" Colson was born on October 16, 1931 in Boston, Massachusetts. He died on April 21, 2012 from complications of a brain hemorrhage. Some people have heard of him as a Special Counsel from 1969-1973 for U.…

Autism Light: Eustacia Cutler

Autism Light #195 is Eustacia Cutler. On this Mother’s Day we want to pay special tribute to one mother in particular: Eustacia Cutler, the mother of Temple Grandin, known world wide for her ground breaking…

Stuart Duncan: Part 2-Getting the diagnosis

It has been quite some time since my wife first suggested to me, that how I am reminds her a lot of how my son with autism is. It was one of those things that I would dwell on for a while and would come up between the…

Lesson 1: You Are Not on the Star Trek Enterprise

I love Star Trek. It seems like every episode there is some kind of crisis and the captain and crew have to use logic and ingenuity to solve it. There are even Vulcans on the original and Voyager who are super logica…

Sweetest Mother's Day gifts ever! :)

I HAVE THE TWO BEST BOYS AROUND!! :) Mom loves you both VERY VERY much!! This was probably the first year that I can remember the gifts and crafts that came home for a holiday, actually being made by Ashton. I LOVE THI…

Autism Today: Alien

Last week I felt like the mother in the commercial, where her son shows her a good report card, and she starts to cry. My son is growing up. He pulled up his grades. I wish he could do the same for his pants, but on…

Colors of Autism

"My name is Kelly Loftin. I teach special education at Southwest Laurens Elementary in Rentz, Georgia. My daughter is in 4th grade. Recently she was given an assignment to write a poem on a color. She asked her teache…

Dear Huffington Post: autism treatment is about kids, not parents

In recognition of Autism Awareness month, the Huffington Post printed an article called 10 Things To Do After an Autism Diagnosis. The author -- Hannah Brown -- gives advice to parents on what they should do after th…

Hitting the Bumps at Full Speed

Some days are just exhausting to me. Days when I am told nothing I am doing is right, and everything seems to agree with the all too common response. Days when I realize that I cant be everything to everyone. Days w…

My Ponytail: An Angel in Our Corner

Ok so maybe her name isn't really my ponytail but that is what Sammy called her after the first time he met her. This woman is so awesome and I can't even tell you how much we love her. She came for dinner and had the…

Autism Light: Dr. Stanley Greenspan

Two years ago today the autism community lost a hero who made a tremendous contribution in the treatment of autism. Dr. Stanley I. Greenspan was the influential child psychiatrist responsible for the development of th…

Magic Lens

We had another great day playing ball up in Healdsburg with the Wonder League. The whole family got into it. Both kids played and cheered. James' Nana came and rooted for all the players, especially her two rookie…

Poem: Listen

Embraced by a redefining memory and a reviving sense of healing, I am slowly rebuilding my inner voice

I Am In Here: Meeting Virginia Breen

Finding one's voice in society is enough of a challenge when you can speak. What if you couldn't speak, couldn't say the words verbally? What would you do then? I had an opportunity last week when I was able to m…

Stuart Duncan: Part 1 - I have Aspergers

I started my autism blog with a very specific focus, which is why I named it “Autism From a Father’s Point of View.” It was to be a place for me to write about my son, Cameron, his growth with autism a…

I'm not a Helicopter Mom...I'm a Sherpa

Sir Edmund Hillary, Colonel John Hunt, and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay at Mount Everest. Everyone loves to hate Helicopter Parents: the ones who grab all the Easter egg…

Hurt and Wonder

I could hear the catch in my throat as I told the woman she was wrong. That rejecting Pudding’s application for admission was a mistake, for them as much as for us. It really was us and them, no matter how she…

Social Stories, Scheduling and Pragmatic Speech

Here is a list of some of my favorite posts dealing with social stories, schedules and pragmatic speech. The resources at the bottom of this page are a basic place to start. Turn to the Helpful Websites on this blog fo…

Autism from an 8-year-old's perspective

My baby brother, Michael, has Autism and is three years old. He is just now learning to say some words. Autism is something when it is hard for a baby to learn to talk. Sometimes it is hard to understand him. He ca…

Don't Be Such A Hater

So...I decided not to write a blog for Autism Awareness month. Seems crazy right? Well, everyone else was writing lots of articles and blogs for the month, and it was great to see new people getting vocal about Autism…

My JA Speech-Language Pathologist and Mom's Point of View

Guest Blogger: Shirly Mesa, Speech-Language Pathologist & Mother What inspires me? This question may be hard for so many to answer, but for me, it’s pretty simple. It’s Autism. Autism you ask? Well…

Integration Mustn't Be a Boilerplate Approach

Educational and recreational segregation used to be the model for children with special needs. Then, integration came into vogue. Now we’re got segregationists debating integrationists, and truly, we’re all…

Technology Opens Door of Communication for Autistic Individuals

This is an excerpt from CARLY’S VOICE by Arthur Fleischmann with Carly Fleischmann. Copyright © 2012 by Arthur Fleischmann. Published by Touchstone Books, a division of Simon & Schuster. Reprinted by pe…

Runaround Rodeo

Up at 5AM after hearing daughter moaning. Stomach flu. Gah. This simple fact triggers the following cascade of events: Call to her school to report her sick Call to job to report I need to stay home (see above)

Autism Light: Curt Brown

Curt Brown is from Gardiner, Maine. In 1984, Curt Brown started serving as a foster parent for adult men with autism, caring for them around the clock in his own home. He served as caregiver, household manager, and a…

Our Toxic Environment and Autism

The media are finally beginning to make a connection between the unbridled use of toxins in our environment and autism. One catalyst is a book, Brita Belli’s The Autism Puzzle, consists of a “terrifying loo…

Mentorship Right Under My Nose

What a week last week was! Four school night's out can nearly do me in. Each night was worthy: an ASA film festival, our Banding Together board meeting, the Miracle Project launch in San Diego, a Young Life fundraiser…

“I Wish I Didn’t Have Aspergers” – An AutismPositivity2012 Flash Blog Event

Do you really wish that you didn’t have Aspergers? Do you really think that your life would be better or easier? There’s a lot of advice that I’m supposed to give. Most of it can be found here: Auti…

Autism Diet and Nutrition: Poor Methylation and Sulfation Biochemistry

In celebration of its partnership with Potandon Produce, the Autism Society will share an autism diet and nutrition blog post each week throughout April. It is the hope of the Autism Society and Potandon that we can…

Anything can happen...

Ryan at his first Broadway show. I could start by saying that Mary Poppins isn't the best Broadway musical for kids; it's a long and very uneven show, with lots of slow, talky parts between the fun production nu…

Poly Hobby Mommy: Busy Spring Break

Wow. This has been a crazy spring break for us. The past two weeks, we have hit the beach with family, my sister was in town, we visited the in laws, several cookouts, fishing, a few birthdays, Autism 5K, a trip to D…

I don’t write books for children but…

I don’t write books for children but could understand why some people think that I do. Since I began my post as Writer in Residence for Portsmouth libraries I have done a lot of work with children in schools. Thi…

He’ll Get the Message

Like many kids with Autism, Byron has a hard time believing things that are seemingly illogical or abstract. Religion in general is a difficult concept for him to understand and study because it asks him to have fait…

Aggressive Behavior

The Lost and Tired family is no stranger to aggression. We’ve been dealing with it for years and years. However, no matter how long you’ve been dealing with aggression, it never gets any easier. Emmett is…

Canada needs YOU ... unless....

A video news clip of outrageous Canadian immigration bigotry. The Canadian Government just announced that it is funding a Research Chair in Autism Spectrum Disorders! The news release indicates they are looking to…

Judith Ursitti Explains Need for Healthcare Reform

Judith Ursitti, our director of state government affairs and the mom of two kids on the spectrum, met with master’s students at Yale University’s Pierson College to talk about autism insurance reform.

Just be Mommy

It’s so amazing to me how much you can love your children. It is even more amazing to me how much children learn from their parents, and how much we, as their parents, learn from them. Having a child on the Autis…

Wickiffe center teaches children how to cope.

WICKLIFFE, Ohio – A new study shows nearly 75 percent of children with autism have been verbally bullied and half were ignored in social situations. The Integrations Treatment Center in Wickliffe is working wi…

Autism Awareness, Perspective Taking and Freedom

Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our point of view. Obi-Won Kenobi, Return of the Jedi, LucasFilm,Ltd OK, so what kind of blog about auti…

Choosing To Be A GFF

As we leave behind yet another Autism Awareness month, I’m reflecting on what that really means. While I love the t-shirts, the puzzle pieces and the blue light bulbs because they shed light on what I believe…

A Good Start, But We Can Do More

April is my son Mikey’s birthday month. It’s also National Autism Awareness Month. Little did my wife and I know, seven years ago, that the month of April would be important to us for both reasons. Most Am…

The Media's Creation of a Civil War Within the Autism Community

Nothing much gets my blood boiling more than outright, obvious attempts to pit people against each other. I wrote about it before about how we do it to ourselves but the most obvious problem is the media. We’re…

There Will Be Salad

Older Post Home Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom) Image Source // ]]> Yesterday morning, I got up at 6:30 A.M. to go downtown with my case manager to see about getting cash assistance to tide me o…

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