Shake it Up! How to be young, autistic, and make an impact: Book now available

Hello, dear readers! I am very excited to announce that my book Shake it Up! How to be young, autistic, and make an impact was released just yesterday and is now available for purchase. I am so very excited to finally see this book, after multiple years in the making, finally be released to the …

Body in Motion

When I was little my grandpa would call me "Whirling Dervish." It's because I was always spinning around in circles: spinning in place in the yard, spinning while pacing, spinning in my seat, spinning through the air as I skipped. As time has gone on my age has changed and the nickname has lost its …

The Problem with “Mental Age”

One unfortunate way that you'll often see people with developmental disabilities, including autistic people, described is with the concept of mental age. "Oh, they're a ten year old in the body of a twenty-one year old." "My daughter's eleven, but functions as a six year old." "My cousin's legally an adult but is mentally four." …

How to make the Holiday Season Less Stressful for Autistic People

"It's the most wonderful time of the yearWith the kids jingle bellingAnd everyone telling you be of good cheerIt's the most wonderful time of the year" Well, at least for some people. The "most wonderful time of the year" isn't wonderful and magical for everybody. For autistic people especially, the holidays can drive much more …

Autistic Play is Appropriate Play

“Does your child play appropriately with their toys?” Apparently, this is a common question asked of parents if their kid is being assessed for autism. In this context playing “appropriately” means “playing with toys exactly as a neurotypical child would play with their toys.” That, and it is often pushed very hard for parents to …