While it is impossible to foresee every scenario or emergency, as a flight attendant, I would like to share some tips for parents traveling on a plane with an autistic child. Booking your flight Notify your airline at the time of booking about your need for assistance and any accommodations they can provide such…
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….
Teaching Skills to Prepare for Back to School
Going back to school after time off for the summer is an exciting, but often overwhelming time. You may begin to feel some nervousness about how your loved one will transition to a new schedule or even navigate a new environment. To help prepare them for the new school year, it is important to think…
Shutting Down Like an Overloaded Computer
Why does your computer suddenly choke on you? Are 1,000 windows open? Is YouTube playing while Facebook is showing cat videos? Is a browser doing some sneaky scans on the hard drive? Itās all eating the data and memory. Too many tasks at once! Computer crash! Well, imagine an autistic brain working like that. Give…
New Cat Coming Soon
After a day of rushing around from therapy to therapy, I pulled into the driveway to see something written in a primitive-looking chalk square on the concrete pad in front of our garage. I parked the van in the garage and went back out to read the important message I had just driven over. The…
Focus on Anxiety at the Annual Conference
Dr. Patrick Friman, who has more than 30 years of experience as a licensed psychologist, opened the Autism Society of North Carolinaās annual conference with āAnxiety and Sleep: Addressing Lifeās Challenges.ā For those who were not able to attend his presentation in Charlotte, we are sharing highlights of the anxiety portion here. Dr. Friman began…