I am an individual with a clinical diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. It seems that I do not appear to be autistic, because when I disclose my diagnosis, the response is almost always someone saying that I donāt look like I have autism. The impact of autism has been significant in my life. I spent…
Win-win: Brother wins contest, builds autism acceptance
Colin Maxwell has always had a way of talking to his sister, who has autism. āBecause Kayleigh is 18, and heās 11, he doesnāt know anything else but having a sister who has autism. He does amazing with her,ā says Stephanie Maxwell, their mother. āShe responds so well.ā Colin always has patience and gives Kayleigh…
New Yearās Resolutions and Autism – A Promise to You
Happy New Year! Many people approach the new year as a time to focus on bettering themselves. In fact, making New Year’s resolutions has history in both Western and Eastern cultures and dates back many centuries – a fun tidbit I learned in preparing for this blog. Our friends at Wikipedia define resolutions as a…
Understanding the ISP
Because my adult son receives services through the Innovations Waiver program, we contribute to his ISP, or Individual Support Plan. During the school years, we were familiar with the IEP (Individualized Education Program), but since we transitioned into the post-school era, the document that we work on every year is the ISP. An ISP is…
On Empowerment: Where to Begin When Building Self-Advocacy Skills and How to Be a Better Ally
Note: This post originally appeared in the Winter 2021 issue of Spectrum.Ā For any individual, empowerment is crucial when it comes to the creation of a meaningful lifeāone that is embedded with communication, choice, and opportunity. These positive outcomes are often spoken about when speaking about empowerment, but there is a dark sideā¦…
New Connections for the New Year
Itās a new year, and we are all looking forward to new opportunities. We are setting goals, making plans, and renewing our hopes. If one of your goals is to find a community of support for yourself and your family, we invite you to join your local Autism Society of North Carolina Chapter. These support…
Find Your People in an ASNC Chapter
Are you looking for a community of support during these challenging times? Do you wish you could ask questions of other parents or share your childās latest victory with people who will get it? Want to help raise autism awareness in your community? Join an Autism Society of North Carolina Chapter! We have more than…