Fourth-grader George Yionoulis made a video to help his classmates understand “why he does the things he does” because of his autism. The video is a compilation of photos and videos of George through the years, accompanied by a soundtrack of music he created. “Let me tell you a little about myself. I have fun dancing, […]
A school in Devon, U.K., recently converted its unused outdoor space into a beach. While there’s no ocean, the courtyard has been filled in with 23 tons of beach sand and populated with pails, shovels, and beach balls. Like a giant sandbox, the space also includes a couple of seated child-size diggers. There’s also a […]
Food shopping with kids in tow is typically not easy, and if those kids are prone to sensory overload or meltdowns, it’s all that much harder. Many supermarkets and grocery store chains have rolled out “quiet hours” in the last few years to help those with special needs shop in a less-challenging environment, but the […]
Lucas’ story is a familiar one for many parents of autistic children. He was diagnosed with autism at age 3, and professionals told his parents that he would never speak. However, instead of giving up on Lucas, they sought out alternate ways to communicate with him, and he started talking when he was 7-years-old. Lucas […]
I admit it—I binge-watched “Atypical.” And, while I recognize there are both fans and critics of the show, I’m sure you found the idea of a “Silent Prom” as fascinating as I did. In fact, I loved the idea so much, I was immediately curious to know whether this was “a thing” in the real […]
Target recently introduced sensory-friendly pieces to their Cat & Jack clothing line for kids. The clothing, which is only available on Target.com, features flat seams, one-dimensional designs, and heat-transferred labels in place of tags. Each piece is modelled on an existing Cat & Jack item, with those minor adjustments made to help make them more […]
Omar’s son, Spenny, may be blind and autistic, but he doesn’t let that stop them from having some fun in his sports car. Who do you think is having a better time?
Glamping—short for glamorous camping—has become the “in” thing to do in the last few years. This slightly-more-upscale take on camping is perfect for people who like to be closer to nature when they travel, but don’t relish the idea of roughing it in sleeping bags thrown on the ground. If you’ve ever considered glamping, but […]
A few Lidl supermarkets have joined the burgeoning movement of stores (and some game places, such as Chuck E. Cheese) adding an “autism-friendly” shopping time to their weekly or monthly schedules. This newest addition to the growing list of these initiatives by shopping chains such as Tesco, Toys ‘R’ Us and Target, is worth noting […]
Welch actor, Richard Mylan, talks about raising his autistic son, Jaco, in a recent BBC documentary. They’ve both come a long way since Jaco’s diagnosis. Richard, who didn’t want to talk about it at first then found that when he did talk about it, nobody really understood. People thought he was in denial, and even […]