The Tyranny of Hope

by Maxine Rosaler When my son was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome over two decades ago, autism did not hold much interest for the medical establishment. It wasn’t “sexy,” one mother told me. That was why there was so little research being conducted about it, she explained. There was no consensus on how to treat this strange disorder. In the absence of a consensus, a host of strange therapies flourished. It was clear to most parents that […]

Navigating the Road to Adulthood: One Family’s Story

Marina Sarris Interactive Autism Network Ruth Dunigan is proud. Her son, David, is excelling at a full-time job and managing his money well enough to buy his first vehicle, a silver Jeep Liberty. Those may seem like average things for a 25-year-old, but David is not average. David is among a tidal wave of people with autism who have made the transition from school to adulthood recently.1,2 His generation has had to navigate school and […]

Hurricane Bean

by Brandy Pavia Today was the day. We’ve had this appointment with a leading Neurodevelopmental Pediatrician for over nine months, and now it’s here. These appointments are extremely hard to get, and the wait lists are ridiculously long, so I was anxious to get the ball rolling. I was even FIVE MINUTES EARLY, which, anyone that knows me knows that this NEVER happens. Ever. So yeah, I’m tooting my own horn for a minute. Ok…back […]

Forgetting Milestones and Learning to Measure Progress…a New Way of Thinking! – Fighting for Inclusion and Acceptance

By Mary Ellen Bogucki  As July came to a close, I witnessed the launch of the “Inclusion Revolution” with the Special Olympics 50th Anniversary Celebration. I wondered that with the celebration behind us, would the momentum continue and would society step up to the challenge? The challenge is defined in the “Inclusion Revolution” pledge. The pledge states: I pledge to look for the lonely, the isolated, the left out, the challenged and the bullied. I […]

This is Why I Will Forgive

by Tulika Prasad A few days back, while I was browsing the aisles of a store, my 9 yr old son brushed against another customer. I was hoping it would not be a big deal but she had something else in mind. I said sorry and explained that my son is autistic. She was not ready for that excuse and said that if that’s the case, I shouldn’t “let him loose” and that she has been […]