Tag: autism

Are you really achieving representation for your child with special needs if you’re only sharing the upbeat, attractive photos on social media?

Sixteen-year-old Sanders, an autistic high school student, was put through an extensive “threat assessment” (aka, “We think you might be the next school shooter”).

At Vox, Dylan Matthews posits that Julia could have a real influence on how society embraces those with autism.

The unexpected biological and psychological commonalities of addiction and autism, and some new science that suggests that combination may be more common than you think.

Preparing for a future in which you are the primary caregiver for your sibling.

How the system failed an obsession.

The Laidlers’ story is a microcosm of the changing debate over so-called alternative medicine and its cousin, integrative medicine. In 2007, Americans spent $2.9 billion on homeopathic medicine, a treatment based on the belief that minuscule amounts of what causes symptoms in a healthy person will alleviate symptoms in someone who is ill. From nutritional supplements […]

Between jail and the hospital, Savannah Shannon’s life is in limbo.

In the latest New York Times Magazine, Ron Suskind explores how his autistic son Owen found a voice through the lessons and sidekicks in Disney films. The story is an excerpt from the journalist’s new book, Life, Animated: Owen’s chosen affinity clearly opened a window to myth, fable and legend that Disney lifted and retooled, […]

An eight-year-old autistic boy disappears into a densely forested park in Virginia for five days. The frantic search to find a child who doesn’t understand he’s in danger: Because of his autism, Robert probably didn’t know that he was lost. If he heard people coming through the woods, he might well have taken cover from […]

From the beginning, their physical relationship was governed by the peculiar ways their respective brains processed sensory messages. Like many people with autism, each had uncomfortable sensitivities to types of touch or texture, and they came in different combinations. Jack recoiled when Kirsten tried to give him a back massage, pushing deeply with her palms. […]

It’s easy to turn away. It’s much easier than looking directly. He walks quickly with his head down, arms stiff at his sides. Or he paces the room and is unable to stop. Unable to stop making repetitive motions and sounds, fragments of sentences, noises that have no connection to the context (screech, yelp, pop, […]

It’s easy to turn away. It’s much easier than looking directly. He walks quickly with his head down, arms stiff at his sides. Or he paces the room and is unable to stop. Unable to stop making repetitive motions and sounds, fragments of sentences, noises that have no connection to the context (screech, yelp, pop, […]