After a day of rushing around from therapy to therapy, I pulled into the driveway to see something written in a primitive-looking chalk square on the concrete pad in front of our garage. I parked the van in the garage and went back out to read the important message I had just driven over. The…
Q&A with Mindy Govan, new Transition and Employment Services Director
The Autism Society of North Carolina has long recognized the growing need for more supports for young adults with autism. Our current strategic plan calls for a focus on transition services, employment supports, and the social needs of young adults and adults with autism. This spring, we created statewide positions to lead our Transition and…
Wandering, Bolting, and Safety
According to a 2012 study in the medical journal Pediatrics, at least 49% of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder have wandered or bolted from safe settings. The moment you realize you don’t know where a child is can be one of any caregivers’ greatest fears. This fear can be compounded if the child has minimal…
Autism and the Sibling Connection
My husband, Chip, and I have two adult children, Hayley (26) and Evan (22). Evan has autism and other co-morbid conditions. At age 19, he graduated high school Cum Laude with an OCS diploma. According to Evan’s former case manager, an older sibling can be the best therapist. Not to discount professional intervention, but in…
Ask Your Representatives to Support These Federal Bills
Below are brief summaries of bills introduced in Congress that would affect people with autism and their families. More information on each bill and other federal actions can be found on the Autism Society of America’s Action Center webpage. The Autism Society of North Carolina urges you to contact your members of Congress and ask…
Autism Awareness: We Are All Human
I’m here to talk to you about autism awareness. The autism community could use the help of people who aren’t a part of it. People who have autism can talk and behave differently from people without it. If someone without autism knows that the person with autism they’re talking to has it, they’ll understand and…
Focus on Anxiety at the Annual Conference
Dr. Patrick Friman, who has more than 30 years of experience as a licensed psychologist, opened the Autism Society of North Carolina’s annual conference with “Anxiety and Sleep: Addressing Life’s Challenges.” For those who were not able to attend his presentation in Charlotte, we are sharing highlights of the anxiety portion here. Dr. Friman began…