Delaware families and teachers will be especially thankful this holiday season, as the Delaware General Assembly has consigned half a million dollars to pilot a statewide initiative expanding clinical and educational resources for individuals with autism. Last month, Delaware Governor Jack Markell signed into law Senate Bill #93, establishing an Interagency Committee on Autism (ICA)…
Any family’s trip to Disney World during the holidays is likely to require a lot of preparation. For a family with three children, two of whom have autism, it is extra challenging. This is how the mom in the family prepared: She packed a white pop-up Christmas tree, a spiral cone-like shape that assembled easily,…
Michael has profound autism, he is very “rain-man-ish.” In our family’s birth order, I am third and he is fourth of six. Michael and I have a very special relationship. When someone calls his group home asking for Michael, he knows it is usually our mother or me. He typically wants to talk for the…
Sometimes, families need a space to openly discuss with and learn from other families facing similar challenges. The OAR blog addresses this need by serving as a forum for self-advocates, parents, educators, and medical professionals to share information about autism. The blog is a collection of stories and personal insights that share resources and serve…
Autism advocacy groups across the country are celebrating after a decade-long battle with state legislatures now that the nation’s leading health care provider plans to insure coverage for applied behavior analysis (ABA) for individuals on the autism spectrum. Starting in January 2017, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) will be modifying its standardized benefits package to offer coverage of…
Deficits in speech, language, and communication are common in children with autism. The range of these challenges varies widely from failing to develop speech at all to having a large expressive vocabulary but not communicating effectively. While it is important to seek out the support of a speech-language pathologist, it is even more important to…
When you have a child with autism or other developmental disability, it’s easy to feel you don’t have a free moment. Between your child’s medical appointments, IEPs, household tasks, therapy, community activities, and work, your days are full. Not only that, but when you are witnessing worrisome or extreme behaviors or emotions in your child…
There are few virtues more important than independence. Universally, nations and their citizens strive for independence. Teenagers seek independence from their parents. Small children tell their parents, “I do it.” Research tells us that independence is fundamental for success, boosts confidence, reduces over-reliance on others, promotes happiness, increases a sense of accomplishment, and promotes better…
Safety is ever present in our minds in today’s world. Violence and disasters at times surround us and make us feel even more vulnerable than we already do as parents to our special children. It seems like wherever you turn, you read or hear something about chaos in the world. Like most parents, I send…
