The holidays are coming up, and the pressure is for managing anxiety! There are gifts to purchase and wrap. The house needs to be decorated. Peopleās feelings need to be accommodated. Bills pile up from cranking the heat. Weight wants to cling to your belly from all those cookies. Visitors come and overstay their welcome….
Escape into Learning
In the United States, everything shut down in March. Support services, places to go, things to do. Routines and expectations have been taken away from us all. Like most of us, I have been silenced by the change. This is an uncharted territory. We have been figuring out what to do with what little advice…
Compliments and Criticisms: Supporting an Adult with ASD
One day, not so many years ago, my son shared with his therapist that when he hears me call his name or sees my name on his caller ID on his phone, he immediately gets nervous. He wonders what he did wrong and how angry I will be. While that was hard to hear as…
I Really Am Listening to You!
I really am listening to you! My eyes are looking elsewhere. Iām playing with something. Iām rocking. Humming. Giving an unpleasant facial expression. Fill in the blank! āNormalā people look right at you and respond. Sorry! I canāt! But I can listen! I AM listening! You are very important to me. Your thoughts are interesting….
Whatās Speech Got to Do with It?
When I was studying to be a doctor in India, in the third year of my 51/2 year course of homeopathic medical science, I read about āautism.ā I did not react to it much as I thought (just as anyone might), āWow, what a terrible challenge, wonder how folks who have it cope and deal…
Autism and the Sibling Connection
My husband, Chip, and I have two adult children, Hayley (26) and Evan (22). Evan has autism and other co-morbid conditions. At age 19, he graduated high school Cum Laude with an OCS diploma. According to Evanās former case manager, an older sibling can be the best therapist. Not to discount professional intervention, but in…