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Propietario de restaurante y orgulloso padre puertorriqueño aboga por su hijo autista y por la comunidad autista en su conjunto… a una familia necesitada". La primera recomendación de Michael cuando le piden consejo es sencilla... acudir a Autism Speaks. Hoy, su hijo Dominic tiene 20 años y está a punto de embarcarse en su último año del programa Cooke … y los dibujos animados en que se ha convertido su hijo, pero los primeros años tras el diagnóstico fueron duros, pero Autism Speaks estuvo presente.   "Tenemos que agradecer a Autism Speaks gran parte del éxito de Dominic a lo largo de los …

One day at a time: Tania and Valeria’s journey with CST… When Tania Garcia’s daughter Valeria, age 6, was diagnosed with level 2 autism at just 2 years old, Tania found herself facing not only the challenges of parenting an autistic child but also the … the help of the virtual Caregiver Skills Training (eCST) program , an 8-hour training course developed with support from Autism Speaks, Tania is helping her daughter learn and grow while overcoming her own uncertainty as a parent. CST helps an …

Meet Molly and Brendan, a young couple from Whitehorse, Canada… found a safe space in each other that’s given them room to grow—both together and as individuals. Molly, diagnosed with autism at age 5, loves reading, hiking and playing the flute in her high school band. She will be graduating this year and … walks with his dogs Mikey and Leo. While he does not currently have a formal diagnosis, he has long suspected that he has autism and plans to get an evaluation in the next three years.  He aspires to become an actor, particularly in sci-fi or …

U.S. House Passes Historic Investment in Home and Community-Based Services… many others across the disability community and country made their voices heard in support of this significant increase. Autism Speaks advocates’ collective action resulted in congressional offices receiving 14,000 letters supporting additional … individuals and others with disabilities in this country,” said Stuart Spielman, Senior Vice President of Advocacy for Autism Speaks. “While there’s no doubt that challenges will remain even after the legislation is signed into law, the $150 …

Reasons why eye contact can be hard for those on the spectrum… This  guest p ost is by Dr. Kerry Magro Ed.D ., a professional speaker, best-selling author and autism entertainment consultant who is on the autism spectrum. A version of this blog appeared on Kerrymagro.com.  Follow Kerry on Facebook .   Growing up on the autism spectrum, eye contact was challenging. Often it felt like an internal pressure from sensory stimulation. As a …

Expert Q&A: How ABA therapy can help with severe behaviors… Some people diagnosed with autism struggle with severe and distressing behaviors that can be destructive, harmful to the individual and others. This … food), among others.  Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is an evidence-based intervention that can help people with autism learn healthier behaviors and improve their quality of life. The goal of ABA is to work with the person to build …

Expert Q&A: Teaching self-care skills to autistic youth with high support needs… building them block-by-block. Dr. Lisa Nowinski, Ph.D., clinical director of non-physician services at the Lurie Center for Autism , an Autism Speaks Autism Care Network site, and instructor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, is a clinical …

It's time to stop the stigma… Lee, a rising self-advocate. Read his previous blog or watch his SBSK interview .  There is still so much stigma around autism and it has to stop. Some autistics still feel forced into hiding their true selves. For example, if an autistic does … into society. And this can be tough on us. Society can force those of us who are different to hide or “ mask ” their autism. That’s not how it should work though, at least not in any way that’s healthy .  When you’re accepting to be … stop me from trying hard. Because of things like aggression, meltdowns, or hugging impulses for example, some people view autism as a source of annoyance, disappointment, or worse in different ways and to different degrees. Everyone gets upset …

Meet Andrew K, an autistic man navigating fatherhood for the first (and second) time… This guest blog post is by Andrew Komarow, founder of Planning Across the Spectrum and host of the Autism Speaks Adulting on the Spectrum podcast . Andrew specializes in helping any individual, family or employer of those with autism and other disabilities pursue financial independence. Learn more about Andrew in a recent Q&A .   My first Father’s …

For Josh E., a big move opened the door to happiness and self-discovery… Josh talks about his journey and shares some lessons he has learned for dealing with life’s chaos. Josh was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 13. He is an engaged member of the Self-Advocate Committee that advises the Autism Speaks Autism Care Network . He has served as a panelist for Family ECHO: Autism , a virtual training series designed …