Search Results for: blog autism its not like you think

Everything Parents Need to Know About Fidgets

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There’s a new fad that is taking over classrooms of all age groups. Students are playing with toys called “fidgets” while they are in class. Parents need to know that there is a constructive purpose for using a fidget – at least, for some students. Fidgets are all the rage now, but the concept isn’t new. The fidgets that are popular right now are small toys that spin. CNN described them this way: A fidget spinner is considered to be a type of fidget toy; a low profile, handheld device that people can, well, fidget with without making a big … Continue reading →

Mother’s Blog About Mentally Ill Son Goes Viral

A mother has written a blog that has been passed around the internet via Facebook and in links in several other blogs and news articles. In it, she discusses her fear that her son will someday do something similar to what Adam Lanza did in Connecticut. It is an eye-opening piece of writing. Yesterday, I wrote a blog that clarified that not all people who have Asperger’s Syndrome are violent. Some can, and do, express loud, verbal, outbursts or may push someone away from them. Typically, the violence that people with Asperger’s Syndrome express is not premeditated or planned out. … Continue reading →

Having a “Medical Home” Can Save You Money

A study suggests that having a “medical home” can help parents of children who have special needs to save some money on medical bills. It seems to work because it organizes the care that a child needs into one location. When you hear the phrase “medical home”, it conjures up images of hospital-like group home situations. There are many parents who are going to dislike the idea of sending their child who has special needs off to one of these types of places, (even if they thought it would help to cut down on medical expenses). However, “medical home” actually … Continue reading →

Researchers Discover Two Different Types of Autism

Researchers from the United States have discovered that there are two biologically different types of autism. It is believed that this could lead to more individuated types of treatment for children who have an autism spectrum disorder, based upon which type of autism the child has. A group of researchers from the University of California Davis’s MIND Institute, in Sacramento, California, are behind this new discovery about autism. They have been working on a longitudinal study called the Autism Phenome Project. The project began in 2006. They looked a group of 350 children who were between the ages of two … Continue reading →

An EEG Can Reveal Signs of Autism in Infants

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Right now, it is difficult to note the signs of autism in children who are younger than the age of three. Doctors at Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School are using an EEG in order to look for the signs of autism in the brain waves of infants. This could, potentially, lead to earlier treatment than is currently possible. You have probably heard of the technology called an EEG. This stands for electroencephalography. It records the tiny electrical impulses that are produced by activity in the brain. Doctors can then take a look at the wave patterns that are … Continue reading →

“Autism Now” Series On PBS NewsHour This Week

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Parents of children who have been diagnosed on the autism spectrum might want to watch a television series that is currently running on PBS. It’s called “Autism Now”, and it is being presented as a series of special reports regarding autism. These reports are located on television, as well as online. The series “Autism Now” is part of the PBS NewsHour. It is hosted by former anchor Robert MacNeil, who returned to the NewsHour because the topic, autism, is one that resonates deeply with him and with his family. Robert MacNeil has a six year old grandson named Nick, who … Continue reading →

4 Paws For Ability Places Service Dogs With Kids Who Need Them

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When you think of a service dog, you probably think of the service dogs that assist people who are blind. This is only one example of how service dogs can help people who have special needs. 4 Paws for Ability places trained service dogs with people of all ages who have a disability. Unlike many other organizations that provide service dogs, 4 Paws for Ability will place their service dogs with children. Service dogs are starting to be used to assist people who have many different types of disabilities. You may have heard of seeing eye dogs, but there are … Continue reading →

Student-to-Student Program Benefits All

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In Hudson, Wisconsin there’s a high school working to create a better educational and social environment for each of its students. The program, Student-to-Student is a partnership between Hudson High School and Bridge for Youth with Disabilities. It pairs students in the special education program with “mentor” students and is the brainchild of Margi Miller, who was on the board of Bridge for Youth With Disabilities when she thought of the idea. She is the mother to both a child without disabilities and a child with disabilities. Now in its fifth year, Student-to-Student has seen a huge increase in popularity. … Continue reading →

Reports From a Resident Alien: The Blog of Lisa Daxer

Lisa Daxer is a 27 year old biomedical engineering major at Wright State University in Ohio. She also happens to be a person with autism. Her blog “Reports from a Resident Alien” is, like many people’s blogs, a series of stories about her day to day experiences. She also writes somewhat anthropological observations about how the people around her, who do not have autism, socially interact with each other. She was interviewed on NPR recently, on their “All Things Considered” show. They have been doing a series called “The Human Edge”, which explores how evolution has made the human species … Continue reading →

Celebrity Financial Woes

From the top of the heap to the bottom of the barrel. If you thought celebrities were immune to the economic crisis, think again. According to reports, American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino has become another victim of the tanking housing market. News reports say one of the Charlotte, North Carolina homes owned by the singer is being auctioned off to reimburse a loan that was used to pay her taxes. Broward Energy Partners reportedly agreed to pay more than $68,000 of the award-winning singer’s taxes in 2006, but now they say they have not been fully compensated. Execs with the … Continue reading →