Intervention — what can it get you?


Posted by Patricia Wright on February 22nd, 2008

What can systematic intervention provide for an individual with autism? For Carly Fleischmann, it gave the opportunity to communicate.

Although the ABC News report about Carly was brief, it appeared that Carly was independently communicating via speech generating software on a laptop. What’s important to note here is that she appears …Read More » »

Autism Spokesperson Network


Posted by Beth Finke on February 20th, 2008

I spent so much time in yesterday’s post bragging about blogging blind — and about the blogging session my colleagues and I will present at tomorrow’s Easter Seals Autism Spokesperson Network meeting — I neglected to explain exactly what the Easter Seals Autism Spokesperson Network is.

So, enough of the self-adulation …Read More » »

Blogging about autism


Posted by Beth Finke on February 19th, 2008

I tell people I am the only blind woman in America being paid to moderate a blog. I’m not sure that’s true, but so far no one has challenged me on that statement.

This Thursday I’m one of the presenters at a session called “It’s My Party, and I’ll Blog if I Want To.” That’s just one of many sessions being …Read More » »

Today’s the deadline: share your ideas with autism committee


Posted by Beth Finke on January 4th, 2008

In December, Patricia Wright wrote about Dr. Stephen Shore’s appointment to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee.
I had the pleasure of meeting Shore at our 2007 Easter Seals Training Conference in April. Shore is a well-known public speaker, and at the conference he provided a personal perspective on …Read More » »

Top autism books of 2007


Posted by Beth Finke on December 31st, 2007

You’re Going to Love this Kid! by Paula Kluth …Read More » »

Autism rocks in NYC


Posted by Patricia Wright on November 19th, 2007

Here’s a quiz. Name one topic that interests both Ladies’ Home Journal and VH1 Classic.

Give up? The answer is… autism.

These days if you Google “autism” you get more than 20 million hits — an overwhelming amount of information! Editors and television/film producers need access to …Read More » »

Book review: Karen L. Simmons’ “Little Rainman”


Posted by Donna Davidson on November 2nd, 2007

Little Rainman: Autism — Through the Eyes of a Child takes what many children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience and puts it into words and pictures. It would be a wonderful book to …Read More » »

Book review: Temple Grandin’s “Thinking in Pictures”


Posted by Heather Pint on October 23rd, 2007

Temple Grandin’s memoir, Thinking in Pictures: and Other Reports from My Life with Autism, recounts the journey of an isolated child struggling with a disorder that was fairly unknown at the …Read More » »

Book review: Joanne Cafiero’s “Meaningful Exchanges for People with Autism”


Posted by Patricia Wright on August 29th, 2007

Meaningful Exchanges for People with Autism: An Introduction to Augmentative and Alternative Communication, by Joanne Cafiero, Ph.D., is an excellent resource for …Read More » »

Celebrating independent living on Independence Day


Posted by Beth Finke on July 3rd, 2007

This Fourth of July will be the fifth year our son has lived independently of us.

Our son Gus is 20 years old. He communicates by propelling himself to whatever it is he needs. When he wants to hear music, for example, he scoots to the piano.

Gus doesn’t talk or sing, but he does laugh and poke at the piano keys …Read More » »