1. I am not flawed. I am a unique individual and my life is significant. 2. I choose not to give up on myself and I seek to discover my joy and pleasure for life. 3 I will not change who I am just to fit into a group. 4. I am a good and Read More
Tag: autism
What We Can Most Hope for: The Future For Individuals with Autism
I believe there is Much We Can Hope for The Future of Individuals with Autism As parents we worry about where are adult children will live and be cared for after we die or get ill. For Trent, my autistic son, I want him to be physically and psychologically safe, live in his house Read More
Autism, Transition, Rebuilding Life: Do you relate with me?
It seems that I can’t keep up with my work. I have been away from my writing/work for the past 10 days. My focus has been in all the details and tasks of finally bringing together all the new parts of Trent’s new life. The past 6 months hasn’t been easy living in the uncertainty. Read More
Want More than Autism Awareness?: 12 Actions into Acceptance
I see the community both welcoming and friendly, as well as indifferent and unsafe. As parents and caregivers, we deeply desire our teens and adults with autism have acceptance and freedom. Examples include: to have safe community access, be supported by safe people, to participate in activities they enjoy, to have their needs met, and to Read More
Autism + Strengths = EFFECTIVENESS
Today’s employment situation for individuals with autism is in a state of emergency. For a short time, I am offering for FREE my strengths tool to help individuals with autism facing transition. Do you know a student or an adult with autism seeking transition possibilities? With this online tool, the individual or his teacher/parent advocate will identify strengths Read More
Why We Should Stop Promoting Independence: Autism and Disability
These two great women have influenced my perceptions about many things, including the concept of ‘independence’ surrounding individuals with disabilities. “The myth of the lone individual is a trope, a rhetorical device. In real life no one is self-made; few are truly alone.” Linda Kerber “We are an Interdependent People. Dependence is not bad–indeed, it Read More
Three Harmful Words We Should Stop Using About Individuals with Autism
Many of us are in roles of providing caregiving, daily living support, community assistance, on-the-job training, or teaching in educational settings to individuals with autism or disabilities. I found three words that are harmful that we should stop using. We often use these words when describing the individual to other people involved, such as, when talking about Read More
The Most Important Question to Ask about Your Capabilities
When considering what you would like to do in life, ask the right question to guide you. Don’t ask, 1) “How capable are you?” about (a subject)______. Rather, ask, 2) “How are you capable?” The first question, “How capable are you?” emphasizes comparison of your current skills to others, presents your ability or a specific score Read More
How to Create Positive Experiences for Someone with Autism/Disability
When we are the one person that another with a disability relies on, how do we create positive life experiencrelies? “Each day I find I must have clear perception as my goal, that is clean windows not clouded by culturally conditioned beliefs. While this isn’t easy, it is the only way I know to stay focused Read More
The Antidote to Ableism
Recently, I advocated for one of my clients who has autism. In this blog I withhold any names of people or settings to not reveal this individual’s identity. Today we experienced a closed door that ended his place there for the last 3 years. This was confusing because he always enjoyed it there and felt accepted. ‘Ableism’ Read More