Autism in the Teen Years: What to Expect, How to Help

Marina Sarris Interactive Autism Network at Kennedy Krieger Institute What parent doesn’t watch their “tween” become a teen without a twinge of anxiety? Factor autism into the equation, and parents may well wonder how the physical and hormonal changes of adolescence will affect their child on the spectrum. How will typical teenage rebellion look in someone who struggles with behavioral control? What will it be like traversing the social minefield of high school for someone […]

Changing Minds and Changing Lives

Hiring people with disabilities is not about charity—it’s about smart business. By: Kris Foss Nearly 40 percent of employers are having challenges hiring qualified employees, while at the same time one in five people in the United States have some type of disability and are facing challenges in getting hired.  Some disabilities are visible, such as physical disabilities, and some are hidden; including mental health conditions, medical conditions, learning and cognitive disabilities.  We also have […]

Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs in Healthy People 2020: A Consumer Perspective

 Every decade, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services publishes Healthy People, a document that provides science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans. Healthy People 2020 includes almost 600 objectives in 42 categories, from Disability and Health to Genomics to Public Health Infrastructure. The authors of Healthy People 2020 recognized that children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN) deserve dedicated objectives to foster better health in this particularly vulnerable […]

Your Child’s Move from Early Intervention to Preschool Special Education Services

As your toddler approaches his or her third birthday, early intervention practitioners will work with you to plan your child’s transition from early intervention and, if potentially eligible, to preschool special education services. This transition involves key decisions about your child’s future. By communicating and collaborating with both the early intervention program staff and the preschool program staff, you can share information you need to actively participate in the transition planning process, share your concerns […]

On Comparisons

by Carey Handley I distinctly remember bringing my then three year old daughter to my friend’s house for a visit even thought it was over 20 years ago. She had a jungle gym play yard in her backyard and I watched as her son, who was just nine months older than my daughter, did flips on the bars and navigated each part of it with confidence and impressiveness. Meanwhile, my daughter contented herself on the […]