Life isn't always easy. Love isn't always easy. Autism isn't always easy. Embrace them all anyways.
Tag: autism
Stop Pathologizing Autistic Play
A topic came up in an autism support group I frequent. A mother said that her son's Early Intervention therapist was trying to get him to stop "repetitive play," and play more the way typical children do. The mom didn't see any harm in repetitive play, but the therapist claimed her son was doing the… Continue reading Stop Pathologizing Autistic Play
Behavior diagrams and flow charts
I often think of things from the perspective of a scientist or engineer trying to solve a problem. It can help bridge the gap between different communication styles, such as autistic and non-autistic, in a way that respects both. Here is an example: Autistic children are often taught to look up and make eye contact… Continue reading Behavior diagrams and flow charts
Sneaky Kiddo!
I got some new mints and let 11-year-old Nightingale try one on our way to the beach. He pestered me for another... and another... and another.... the whole way there. Finally, at the beach, I told him, "no more until after lunch." I put them in my purse and set my purse down on a… Continue reading Sneaky Kiddo!
A picnic, with nonverbal communication
A true story: My 12-year-old nonverbal client and I are having a picnic at the park on a beautiful summer day. We sit on the grass. I try to read to him a bit, but he turns away and begins to vocalize loudly, so I assume he isn't in the mood to listen. I put… Continue reading A picnic, with nonverbal communication
Behavior is Communication, but it’s not always easy to interpret
Recently, I went to a restaurant at a shopping mall with a mostly nonverbal, preteen client (let's call him Josh) and his mother. There was a cafeteria-style food counter, and next to that, a place to stack used dishes, a slot (like a mail slot) for used silverware, and bins for trash and recycling. Josh… Continue reading Behavior is Communication, but it’s not always easy to interpret
Welcome!
Welcome, new readers. Your support is greatly appreciated. Please be advised that, due to the way my brain functions, my typical pattern of online presence consists of 1-5 days of intense activity, followed by weeks or even months offline. I am trying to learn to engage on a more regular basis, but my disabilities don't… Continue reading Welcome!
Support
We should not ask things of our children that we aren't willing to do ourselves, whether that is tolerating discomfort, working hard, or accepting corrections gracefully.
Reblog: I identify as tired — Chavisory’s Notebook
This brilliant post describes my life almost perfectly. https://chavisory.wordpress.com/2019/05/27/i-identify-as-tired/ I started wondering something explicitly for the first time recently, and that is: How many autistic kids who fly under the radar for years, or forever, present primarily to non-autistic observers as exhausted?I wonder this as I continue recovering from a recent production, and my main… Continue reading Reblog: I identify as tired — Chavisory’s Notebook
Autism and Mindfulness
Why do I keep feeling like we (or at least I) have to be DOING something? He doesn’t want to do, he wants to simply be, and he wants me to simply be there with him.
