National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week is coming up September 8-14! The Autism Society of North Carolina employs hundreds of direct support professionals; without their dedication and continued efforts, many individuals on the autism spectrum and their families would not have needed support services. Every day, they work one-on-one with individuals with autism, teaching skill…
Shutting Down Like an Overloaded Computer
Why does your computer suddenly choke on you? Are 1,000 windows open? Is YouTube playing while Facebook is showing cat videos? Is a browser doing some sneaky scans on the hard drive? It’s all eating the data and memory. Too many tasks at once! Computer crash! Well, imagine an autistic brain working like that. Give…
Make the Most of Family Outings
Meaningfully participating in community outings is one of the most important areas that we can address, for any individual with or without autism. Community-based experiences provide opportunities to work on social skills, following instructions, transitioning appropriately, and otherwise learning how to just be around other people. But being in the community can be very stressful…
New Cat Coming Soon
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…
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…
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…
Recognizing & Treating Common Co-Occurring Medical Problems in ASD
Dr. Laura Politte of UNC and the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities presented on “Recognizing and Treating Common Co-Occurring Medical Problems in ASD” on Saturday, March 23, at the Autism Society of North Carolina’s annual conference in Charlotte. For those who were not able to attend her presentation, we are sharing some of the highlights…
Transition to Adulthood: Tips Learned on the Journey
As a parent once said of the transitioning to adulthood stage of life, “So much to do and so little time to get it done.” Isn’t that the truth! When my son was diagnosed with autism at 3 ½ years of age, the list of things that needed to be set in motion seemed overwhelming,…