I type this as a toddler kicks the back of the chair of a passenger two rows ahead of me. As a mother to a child with autism (now an autistic adult), Iāve felt the shame or embarrassment parents with unhappy little travelers often feel. The need to explain. The frustration of wanting to blend…
The Tools that Help Me Organize a Neurodivergent Life
I live at the intersection between ADHD and Autism. While I love my neurodivergent brain (most of the time), there is absolutely no doubt that I have to organize my life strategically to stay on top of #adulting. Not going to lie, even though I have extensive coping systems in place, some stuff falls through…
Parenting the Young Adult with Low Support Needs
Iāve entered that phase of motherhood that most of us donāt prepare for ā the parent of a young adult on the spectrum with low support needs. It is a tricky time when we see our young adults have the capacity to become independent, but they need some help, and we may not know as…
He Needed Something More, and We Found It at Camp Royall
As the mom of four Au-Somely unique children, Iām always trying to find the right path, the right therapies, and the right connections for them. Sometimes those connections are obvious and easy to come across, but others arenāt as clear. My 18-year-old son graduated from our homeschool in May 2022, and we began this journey…
New Space and New Energy for ACLE in Greensboro
In 2022, the Autism Society of North Carolinaās Greensboro services moved into a new building. As a result, the Autism Center for Life Enrichment (ACLE), our day program in Greensboro, received a makeover. ACLEās new space includes so many opportunities for participants. There are rooms to practice a variety of skills ā from a model…
Ascend, Day Program for Adults, Opens in Asheville
The Autism Society of North Carolinaās newest day program for adults, Ascend, opened in Asheville in February. For Michael LePage, Regional Services Director, a day program for the Asheville area is a long-held dream. āEvery year, people are graduating and falling off the services cliff,ā he said. āItās tough without those supports and natural structures….
Accommodations at Work
Almost everyone uses tools at work: cash registers, computers, the Internet, heavy machinery, pens, hammers, paintbrushes ā the list could go on forever. We use these tools to perform our jobs to the best of our ability, so we do not hesitate to request them if we do not have all the ones we need….
Differences in Autism Presentation Between Siblings
I don’t remember when my parents told me that my little brother was autistic. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know; my memory doesn’t go back that far. He was diagnosed when I was around five or six, per his age of diagnosis at three. Iām a late-diagnosed autistic, not receiving my diagnosis…