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AUTISM BLOG
RECENT POSTS
Inspired by families living with autism
Rhode Island governor signs autism legislation
Accessing autism services: why a label matters
Language and labels -- what's the big deal?
Are autism service dogs smart?
Inspired by families living with autism
Posted by Bob Glowacki on November 20th, 2009
A lot of people left comments to a New York Times article called Going to Battle Against Autism, and I found myself touched by what those comments said about the dedication of families with autism. I was especially moved by the stories of two parents who were not only stretched physically and emotionally, but also facing an uncertain future …Read More » »
Accessing autism services: why a label matters
Posted by Patricia Wright on November 16th, 2009
Describing someone as having autism tells you a bit about that person. But really … what can you tell from that label? Some people with autism require significant support throughout their lives. Others with ASD move through their daily lives independently.
Currently there are three categorical labels used in diagnostics:Autistic DisorderAsperger SyndromePervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).
The diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome …Read More » »
Language and labels — what’s the big deal?
Posted by Patricia Wright on November 13th, 2009
Language and labels are powerful. They convey information, inform society and suggest a particular perspective. Labels that are used to describe individuals with disabilities, when used in other contexts, are often derogatory. Pierre Lellouche, French minister to Europe, did just this when describing the British Conservative Party in an interview with The Guardian.
They have one line and they just …Read More » »
Are autism service dogs smart?
Posted by Beth Finke on November 12th, 2009
A story in last Sunday’s New York Times ponders whether service dogs help humans because they are smart, or simply because the rigorous training they go through makes them want to please the person on the other end of the leash.
The matter of what exactly goes on in the mind of a dog is a tricky one, and until …Read More » »
Safeway and Easter Seals working together
Posted by Beth Finke on November 4th, 2009
An article in Reuters last week touts Safeway Inc. for the generous grants it gives to Easter Seals to empower children and adults with autism and other disabilities.
Safeway executives unveiled the 2009 Safeway Foundation’s Empowerment Grant award winners during Easter Seals’ annual convention in Washington, D.C., granting $1 million to expand programs across the country that measurably improve …Read More » »
A terrific Capitol Hill Day!
Posted by Bob Glowacki on October 22nd, 2009
What a terrific Capitol Hill Day we had in Washington D.C.!
We started the day off with a tour of the White …Read More » »
Putting “special interests” to work
Posted by Patricia Wright on October 15th, 2009
A story in Wired Magazine explains how the news of his son’s autism diagnosis inspired Danish entrepreneur Thorkil Sonne to start Specialisterne (Danish for “Specialists”), an I.T. firm that hires mostly people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
One characteristic we often hear about people with autism is an intense interest in a particular subject. Colloquially in the field …Read More » »
“The Story” on Disability Employment Awareness Month
Posted by Beth Finke on October 13th, 2009
It’s Disability Employment Awareness Month, and An NPR show called The Story contacted me last week to record an interview. If you’ve never heard The Story, here’s a description of the show from their Web site:
At a time when “celebrity rules” and the only “ordinary” people we see are faces in the crowd, The Story reminds listeners that their …Read More » »
Is clumsiness a sign of autism?
Posted by Beth Finke on September 29th, 2009
Patricia Wright’s post about surfing star Clay Marzo Included a quote from an Outside Magazine article that really caught my eye.
While many children with Asperger’s are marked by their lack of coordination — “motor clumsiness” is a very common trait — Clay moves in the water with an uncommon grace.
I’m reluctant to admit this, being the Easter Seals …Read More » »