Blog

While autism is part of an individual, it is not the entire person. It does not define their personality or what they are capable of accomplishing in life. Should Autism be Obliterated? Many people on the autism spectrum take issue with talking about autism like it is...

I wonder how many school-aged children’s cosmic wishes were granted when the U.S. decided to suspend attendance in the 2020 school year 2-months before its scheduled completion? Didn’t we all once wish spring break would go on forever, and we wouldn’t have to return...

Are you a frustrated, exhausted or grieving parent during this difficult time? Most parents, whether their kids are on the autism spectrum or not, are feeling some levels of those three experiences during this Coronavirus outbreak. Feeling the Weight of This Time The...

If you are like me and many of the parents I talk to, you might feel that the future for your child with ASD is frightening. We wonder (more precisely worry) about how our kids will carve out a satisfying and successful life for themselves in a world that doesn’t...

Who knew we had so much power over our own experience and outcomes? Like so many parents of children on the autism spectrum, my life with ASD has been a roller coaster of emotions, many of which felt out of my control! An incredibly deep desire to be a good parent and...

Do you have a pith helmet? According to research, Autism Moms have stress similar to Combat Soldiers. Read the article here.

“Take a seat” “Sit Down” “Find you chair” “Please be seated” All of these phrases mean the same thing, and for those of us who are flexible and whose minds are easily able to globalize concepts, it doesn’t really matter which of these is said to us, we understand. But...

I heard something so touching from my 20-year old son with ASD as he described his girlfriend yesterday. A family friend had asked him what he liked so much about her, and he said that he loved her because he could always ask her when he felt confused about a...

In most grammar school classrooms today, you are likely to see at least one child on the autism spectrum. The Center for Disease Control in the U.S. has changed the stats form 1:69 to 1:59 children diagnosed with autism. That is nearly 2% of the school age population!...

If you just Google “Autism Schools near me” you will find that there are many excellent autism-specific programs in smaller schools, and public schools are being forced to kick it up a notch in terms of the services they are providing our children with autism to...

As you start back to school, establishing a healthy routine from the very beginning is very powerful. This is something you should plan as a parent, and explain to your child in advance (5- 7 days) of school starting to give them an opportunity to adjust their...

In the last of this 7-part series we discuss the fear of the future that parents experience, how to have hope, and how to build resilience with Lisa Dinhofer, M.A., CT., expert on grief, loss, trauma and difficult conversations....

In the sixth of this 7-part series, we discuss our hidden sense of feeling unloved and unlovable, and what do to about it with Lisa Dinhofer, M.A., CT., expert on grief, loss/trauma and difficult conversations. https://player.vimeo.com/video/263031562 Being in a close...

In the fifth of this 7-part series, we discuss the sense of failure that many parents experience during difficult times with their child on the autism spectrum, and what do to about it. Lisa Dinhofer, M.A., CT, expert on grief, loss and trauma and difficult...

In the fourth of this 7-part series, we discuss with difficult-conversation expert Lisa Dinhofer, M.A., CT the topic of parent’s anger with the school system and give valuable tips about how we can approach the school to get the best results in an IEP meeting, as well...

In the third of this 7-part series we talk with Lisa Dinhofer, M.A., CT., expert on grief, loss and trauma about the topic of loss and the cultural expectations that parents with children on the autism spectrum experience, and why they feel guilty about this pain....

In the second of this 7-part series, we discuss the on-going grief that parents with children on the autism spectrum experience with Lisa Dinhofer, M.A., CT., expert on grief, loss and trauma. https://player.vimeo.com/video/262902036 As parents of children on the...

In the first of this 7-part series, we discuss the difference between compassion fatigue and burnout (which very often co-express) and what to do about it, with grief and loss and trauma expert Lisa Dinhofer, M.A., CT. https://player.vimeo.com/video/262122988 The...

Learning to be flexible is essential in creating a successful life with someone on the autism spectrum. If we are too rigid, demanding and insistent on having things a certain way, it will really complicate our life and create stress for everyone. It is very likely...

Much of the social conformity that comes naturally to the rest of us originates from innately knowing and following the social rules without thought. We act, think and do things the way we do because that is just how they are done in our world, no questions asked. We...