“Autism and the Family: Understanding and Supporting Parents and Siblings,” by Kate Fiske, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is a new release by the W.W. Norton & Company. The publisher describes the book as useful for therapists and educators in understanding “the experiences of parents and siblings of a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from the time…
One afternoon I got a phone call from a woman living in another state hundreds of miles away from her childhood home, where her elderly mother and brother still lived. Her mom had just passed away, and she did not know what was going to happen to her brother, who was 60 years old and…
When my brother and I summited Mount Quandary, a 14,000-foot peak in Colorado, I was afraid the other hikers would think I had forced him into finishing the climb. He was fresh to Colorado from sea level. He was breathing in deep, heavy gasps and was dressed only in shorts and a T-shirt for the…
My daughter, Anna, is the youngest of three children and the one who helped me to understand how important community and support are for the siblings of people with autism. As the sister of an older brother on the spectrum, Anna has always identified with autism. What she lacked was a community of peers who…
This post originally appeared on It’s A Tink Thing and is re-posted with permission. A little girl, somewhere around Tink’s age, came up to us in the soft play centre. She asked why Tink has a dummy. I told her, “because she likes it. It makes her feel safe when she’s feeling a bit worried.”…
A thing I do every time my girls get a new teacher (or begin kindergarten) is write a letter, and explain autism and what it means and looks like for our family. I do this for a few reasons: So I don’t have to repeat myself constantly, and to open up the dialogue about autism.…
Sexuality is a central component of socialization for all people and can play a major role in an individual’s overall self-identity and quality of life. Unfortunately, the discussion and promotion of this area of adaptive and social functioning in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is often avoided. A number of myths regarding sexuality and…
In January 2015, OAR released “A Guide to Safety,” the newest installment of the “Life Journey Through Autism” series. Since then, OAR has distributed over 3,000 copies to homes, classrooms, fire and police departments, and resource libraries. Designed with families, educators, and first responders in mind, the goal is to give readers the tools and…
I am not the perfect parent, but as the mother of a child with autism, there are things I’ve learned along the way. I’d say the biggest lesson I can take away from raising a child on the autism spectrum is to always stay positive and patient. I’m not saying I can do it all…
I recently heard from a parent who was in the process of moving to a new city. She was very concerned about helping her son, Andre, who has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), adjust to all of the upcoming changes a move entails, including a new house and a new school. I assured her that there…
