Yet Another Volley in the Battle over ABA, part 1

The report is well worth listening to, because there are some very good quotes, a wide range of opinions from an interesting variety of sources, and a more nuanced conversation than we usually hear about how ABA should change if it's going to continue to exist. I also found it frustrating to listen to, because it begins and ends with pro-ABA statements from a particularly problematic source.... How is there such a vast chasm between what autistic people keep writing and what so many non-autistic people believe about autism? It's almost as though we are using the same words but speaking different languages. I think this is because the two sides start the conversation from such different perspectives that they can't even understand each other's arguments.

Yes, THOSE Kids

Life isn't always easy. Love isn't always easy. Autism isn't always easy. Embrace them all anyways.

Just Amazing

Sometimes my job is difficult, frustrating, or annoying. Sometimes it makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world. This day was the second kind. And not just because I got to wear a bathing suit to work! *** Less than a year ago, I would arrive at his house, pile into the car…

Autism Awareness Month: Before You Light It Up Blue

It's almost April, and you know what that means. "Autism" is the word of the day. Speaking of words, many of us were told: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." I think we all know that's not true. Words can hurt a lot, even words that aren't meant…

Small Miracles

Here's the flip side to my last post. Here's what makes this job worthwhile. *** Yesterday, an autistic child whose average attention span is about 30 seconds curled up next to me on the couch and let me read almost 30 pages of "The Reason I Jump" out loud. Yesterday, a girl who generally insists…

Restless Hands: Acceptance, Love, and Self-care: #AutismPositivity2015

Scattered memories: ...He meets me at the door, eyes wide. Takes my hand, looks into my face intently, bounces up and down in place. I give him my biggest smile and squeeze his hand. "I'm happy to see you, too" I tell him. Later, I read to him, ASAN's "Welcome To The Autistic Community (Adolescent)." He doesn't…

Managing Challenging Behaviors in Neurotypicals

[This is a long overdue repost from my old blog. It is both satire and very serious. It is satire in that it is very closely modeled on actual articles I see frequently online, and it borrows much of the tone and phrasing of those articles. It is serious in that I very much hope…

An Open Letter to Wendy Chung and Everyone Else Who Worries About Autism

(So, it would have been nice if I could have written this for the Autism Positivity flash blog, or Blogging Against Disablism Day. But life doesn't always work out that neatly, and I only saw the TED talk two days ago and the words to respond didn't come to me until now. I'm tagging it…

Dear “Autism Parents,” We Don’t Want To Be Cured

If you want your autistic children to grow up and be happy, then you need to start listening to them, and to the autistic community as well. When you ignore autistic adults and our opinions, you are adding to the system of oppression that your child is going to face for the rest of their…