This is Why Honesty Really is the Best Policy
We are socialized not to complain, but sometimes that means not telling people what we need. I have been getting better at saying what I need, and finding out that people can help.
Author: Heather Cook
A Dentist and A Dinosaur
A recent trip to the dentist was both a harrowing experience and a moment of acceptance.
Why Trying Harder Backfires
After trying a range of activities to see how each made your body feel, did you notice anything unexpected? Did some that you associate with relaxing not actually have that relaxing effect? Here’s why.
A Challenging Behavior Vanishes
I have long maintained that behavior is a symptom. A recent revelation in my own life led to my own challenging behavior instantly vanishing, once I got to the root of the issue.
Recognizing Stress is Complicated When You Can’t Tell What Your Body Feels
How do you figure out where your kid’s stress is coming from, when they aren’t even sure of what they are feeling?
Stimming and Autistic Stress
Stimming is both a physical expression of stress—either bad stress or good stress—and it’s a way to help us calm down.
The Worst Testimonial I’ve Ever Read
We want to raise kids to be independent, but when they’re fighting you at every turn, it’s so easy to succumb to the seduction of a child who’ll just do what you tell them.
A Lesson from the Big Bang Theory
Penny tries to help Bernadette go into labor, but Bernadette gets stuck and what happens next it’s so reminiscent of my life.
On Non-Autistic People Speaking for the Autism Community
I’m so glad you want to help spread autism acceptance. The best way you can help us is, as much as possible, to raise up our voices.
An Alternative to Labels
Labels and diagnoses have their use, but they also have some significant downsides. What if there were an alternative?
On Trying to be Normal
I tried for so long to be normal. And it drove me nuts and burned me out multiple times. It’s not only an unreachable goal, bit it turns out it’s not really the goal that I thought it was, after all.
On the Joy of Learning
I hear a lot of questions from parents and professionals on how to motivate autistic children. But motivation itself isn’t the issue.
