• Understanding Autism from the Inside

    “Academics came easily to me. The rest of life—not so much.”
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Autism – 5 Tips to Calm Anxiety Due to Sensory Overload

Use Earplugs or Noise Cancelling Headphones Whether at home, school, or in a noisy supermarket the sounds coming at your child all at the same time can be an overwhelming experience. It is often difficult for the autistic individual with auditory processing issues (sensitivities to sounds) to filter out background …

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Asperger’s Syndrome / Autism Traits – How Can I Tell if Someone Has Asperger’s?

Asperger’s Syndrome is a high-functioning form of Autism, and is one of the developmental disorders considered to be a part of the Autism Spectrum. It is called a “spectrum disorder” because there are a wide array of signs, symptoms, and autistic traits that affect each person differently. Not every person …

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Is My Child Having a Tantrum or a Meltdown?—Recognizing the Difference

Children and adults with autism spectrum disorders are susceptible to suffering what are called “meltdowns.” These meltdowns are brought on by communication frustrations, sensory overload, or other usual environmental factors. They difference starkly from a tantrum which can “appear” similar but has the intended purpose of getting what one wants. …

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Autism “Looks” Different in Girls

  Many more boys are diagnosed with autism than girls; in fact, four times more boys are diagnosed. While the reason for the disparity between male and female autism rates is relatively unknown, there are several theories. One theory is that the possible mechanism for the transmission of autism is …

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What is my problem? Crankiness continues…

I am not sure exactly what was wrong with me yesterday.  It was beautiful out—30 degrees—sunny—yes, 30 was a heat wave here, the Teen watched the boys while Hubby and I went to lunch and grocery shopping without ANY children!  It was a very nice afternoon, but when I returned …

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Our First Trip to the Mall with Rocky (Our Autism Service Dog)

This is very likely on of the many upcoming “Rocky Chronicles” posts. Since moving to the North Country we have not ventured to the mall, one of the families favorite things to do-theirs, not mine. Aspie Teen is missing his bookstore excursion very much, and we still have not located …

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How will the autism service dog help the Tot?

  What does an Autism Service Dog do? This is a question I have received a lot over the past two weeks. I can tell you that having a service dog is not a miracle cure.  It is a lot of work (as is having any dog), and it takes …

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Craziness Plus Doggie!

I am so ready to be settled! I am having trouble getting back into the swing of things after our move to the Northern Country of NY. Life is still in great upheaval and for us ASDer’s this is a huge problem-don’t misunderstand me, I know it is stressful and …

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Remembering in Pictures: Visual Recall

Many of us on the autism spectrum have difficulty with short-term memory, but excellent long-term memory.  I have an extremely vivid memory of pieces of my childhood, before I could speak, before I should be able to remember. Memories of crying in my crib at night with my parents asleep …

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Autism or ADHD: Are Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) related?

There has been much speculation about whether ASD and ADD are related disorders, or if they simply appear co-morbidly. There is one core deficit that both disorders share which can make the two appear similar or “related”—a deficit in executive functioning, or “executive dysfunction.” What is Executive Functioning? Executive Functioning …

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