Home : News : Parents and Friends

Coping with my brother's autism

Peggy

From a young age, I almost relished my brother’s autism. People would say to me: "you're so mature, you cope so well, you're so brave". I thought his autism was a gift for me that would help me develop as a person and it hadn't crossed my mind that his autism would ever become something I was ashamed of. I loved my brother from the bottom of my heart, included him in everything and introduced him to all my friends. I talked about him all the time and spent every waking moment caring for him. When I ..

Video: Shahalam and I

Kamilah Badiane

People don't get autism. The media portrays autistic people as slow and "special," but Kamilah knows different. Kamilah Badiane shares her brother's goals and dreams to help people understand that he isn't so different from other kids his age.

Autism, parenting and feeling judged

Laura Shumaker

I saw a woman at the gym the other day that I really wanted to avoid. I used to see her a lot when Matthew was small. It seemed she was always there when he was bolting away from me at the grocery store, the swimming pool, the park. She watched me as I tack ..

Guardianship and autism

Liz Becker

As I sit at my computer I can tell a beautiful fall is just around the corner. The leaves are just waiting turn bright shades of yellow and orange, and the nights are about to get cooler – I can smell it. I look forward to the fall – mostly. This fall th ..

reach-for-stars

How my life got filled with autism every day, and why yours should too

Hannah Cushing

Three years ago, I was teaching in a charter school for students in recovery from drug and alcohol addictions. My campus was closing and I needed a new job. The first four years of my teaching career were spent working with addicts, gangsters, and wanna-be gan ..

Autism and small victories

Lena Rivkin

“Phillip made that!” I proudly exclaimed. Then I instantly wondered who exactly I had become. A friend had come over with her 5-month-old baby. After we cooed over her baby’s latest accomplishments, I suddenly pointed to a neon pink, incredibly long legg ..

Star-crossed autism

Jeff Katz

Last night I was up in my room when I heard Nate. “Fix it! Fix it!” he yelled over and over again. Usually that signifies some real trouble, but sometimes it’s something stupid that Nate simply can’t deal with. I’m hypersensitive about the giant f ..

autism-coming-of-age

Video - Autism: Coming of Age

ASN

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are some of the most complex disabilities that families can face. Autism: Coming of Age is a documentary that examined the hopes, fears and challenges of parents raising children with autism. That study, conducted by Harris Inte ..

Autism and rising to challenges

Beth Kuklinski

Eleven years ago I became a mother to a boy and girl set of twins. Two short years after that, my son, Jon, began losing language and was soon diagnosed with Autism. Maybe some of you can relate to the whirlwind that begins when you hear that your precious and ..

Autism & waiting for a scream

Alex Cargius

the above picture was taken after benedict smashed his arm through a glass window. he’s done this twice now, both during a meltdown. the result is scars all up and down his left arm. when benedict gets angry, he doesnt hide it. he wants everything and everyo ..

Grief and autism

Liz Becker

Grief can be an overwhelming emotion. It’s a feeling of loss which pulls from both guilt and sadness. It sits deep within us wanting to get out, but we tend to block its path. We hold onto it, playing memory tapes over and over in our mind as we adjust to ..

Our Support Community

Join our free support community and connect with thousands of other families and individuals touched by ASD. Find out what’s working for others, coping strategies, and life guides from others living what you’re going through now. Click here to join for free!

Resources in Your Area

Looking for autism resources nearby? Check our listings for professionals and services that might help.

Post your services | Help out in general

Events

The Power of Play
Golden Valley, MN - United States
Jan-09-2014 - 07:00 pm
Learn how to play? One of the biggest struggles parents on the spectrum face is how to play with their child. But we all know that play is how a child learns. It’s als ..
Go to Event site

view all events