Rachel’s face lights up anytime she talks about Josh, her younger brother with autism. “He’s so funny,” she says. “He goes around the house making sure all the lights are turned off – even when we’re still in the room.” When Rachel is feeling down, Josh is quick to cheer her up with a dog…
Common Back to School Questions – Answered!
On August 19, the Autism Society of North Carolina held a webinar panel discussion to address issues related to returning to school in 2021. The panel discussion featured Autism Resource Specialists Vickie Dieter and Nancy Nestor and Clinical Department members Deb Leach and Louise Southern. We know that a lot of uncertainty still exists around…
Back to School in Uncertain Times
It’s that time of the year again! School will be starting soon, and parents and school personnel find themselves in the same climate of uncertainty that has existed since schools closed in 2020 due to the pandemic. As I write this, school boards in our local communities are voting on whether students will be required…
Reintegración Social Después de la Pandemia
Artículo publicado en la revista de ASNC, Spectrum, en agosto del 2021. Hemos tenido un año y medio de cuarentena, y adultos y niños se han asentado en rutinas controlables. Muchas de estas rutinas han sido solitaria para los niños, incluyendo jugar videojuegos y dormir.. Para los adultos, según publicaciones comunes en redes sociales, el…
Counselor Spotlight: Grant Clark
Grant Clark first attended Camp Royall in 2012 as a camper. That summer, he decided that he would return one day as a counselor. This year, he fulfilled that promise. “It’s been really special seeing the other side of things, to see how much effort goes into making sure that these campers have an amazing…
It’s Time for the Dentist!
What feelings does this title bring to you? I can tell you that just writing about the dentist brought up all the anxiety-induced emotions that having a loved one with autism spectrum disorder, I/DD, and/or anxiety can bring. I (Kim) vividly remember my three-year-old son needing to have his blood drawn. It took a papoose…
Bringing Back Needed Structure and Routine
When the pandemic began in March 2020, our world took a sharp turn, and everyone’s life looked very different. With all the changes that occurred, known routines and schedules were literally turned upside down. We were left with uncertainty, few answers, and we may have lost control of maintaining what we had implemented and put…
North Carolina General Assembly Update – State Budget
State Budget Update: The NC Senate passed SB 105, their version of the state budget bill, on Friday, June 25. This year’s budget contains a mix of state appropriations and allocations of federal funding that has come to North Carolina through several “recovery act” bills. The NC House is expected to release their budget bill sometime in mid-July. The House and Senate will have to reconcile differences between their budget bills though the conference committee report before sending the final budget to the…