While I was studying for my undergrad I was in a sorority. This sorority, about a year before I graduated, changed their philanthropy, and started supporting Autism Speaks. Before this moment I knew NOTHING of the organization. Really, until my daughter’s diagnosis I never really thought much of it. So, I do understand the many […]
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Person first language is taught in most health profession programs. That is why doctors, teachers, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, will likely call your child or yourself a “child WITH autism.” This movement began in 1974, seeking to empower individuals by placing an emphasis on their individuality and personhood over their disability. Since this time […]
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Before becoming a mother, I admittedly did not know a lot about Autism. When I thought about Autism, I pictured the very stereotypical blunt, robotic, routine driven individual. I did not understand how many of these are misconceptions about Autism. As my oldest daughter was creeping up on her second birthday it was suggested by […]
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National Autism Awareness Month: We Don’t Need Awareness, We Need Acceptance. Many of you, whether or not you have anyone close to you who is autistic, have heard of Autism Awareness Month in April. Really, however, we do not need to be aware of Autism. So many are aware of Autism. What is needed is […]
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There are so many things as a parent that we are responsible for teaching our kids, life skills should be on the top of that list. It is on us when our children graduate from high school not knowing basic life skills. I’ve seen arguments a lot lately about the public-school system and things they […]
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With most neurodiverse children, like Autistic children, the Christmas season can be very overwhelming. This overwhelm can be hard for any neurotypical child or adult to understand. There are many different ways during the holidays to make sure the Autistic child in your family is not completely left out and ignored due to their differences. […]
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Two years ago, my daughter was diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum. At the time of this diagnosis, I did have some knowledge about Autism but not much. I had extensive experience working with adults with Downs Syndrome and through that experience have met many autistic adults as well through shared activities. Those shared activities were […]
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There are many things we’ve known, grown up knowing, and just thought were fact, that are social constructs. Our society works in a way that tells us one thing is just the way it is when, other societies do or see things differently. For instance, gender is a social construct because biologically there are not just two sexes but many genetic possibilities. What it means to be feminine, and masculine is a social construct because those definitions differ depending on the society and culture you’re in. This is true also for disability. What is considered a disability depends on society and is made true by the norms and practices of society.
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Many things we have learned, grown with, taught in schools, taught by commercials and television, taught by movies, are social constructs. The idea that someone is a “real man” if they do X, Y, Z, is absurd, because that means that someone else is not a “real man.” The idea of a “real man” only […]
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I continued my education and went to college straight out of high school. For me it wasn’t really a question ever of whether or not I’d go. I was not the best in school. I definitely hated High School but it still was never a question. When I grew up it was always “when you […]
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