For those of us who love the ocean, nothing compares to the feelings of freedom and peace that it brings. Surfers Healing has been bringing that sense of freedom and peace to children with autism for 20 years now, with a series of surfing camps throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Australia. Surfers Healing was […]
This past Sunday, the J.C. Penney store at Timber Creek Crossing in Dallas, Texas, held its first shopping event for families with autistic children. The private, two-hour, back-to-school event was developed with help from the Dallas Independent School District (DISD), which also sent notices to parents, letting them know about the special occasion. All of […]
What happens when your child fixates on something and nothing else will do? If you’re smart, you post on social media and hope that—somehow, some way—your words are heard by a larger audience. That’s exactly what happened to Deborah Skouson last week, when she begged her 500+ friends on Facebook for help in finding more […]
Back-to-school time often means new school gear, including a new backpack. Check out this Nesel (pronounced like “nestle”) Pack, designed by six college students at the University of Minnesota for children ages 6-12 with autism. Last year, as part of their year-long “Entrepreneurship in Action” course, the students were required to come up with an idea […]
Back in the beginning of July, a video of Jeffrey Harrison in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, went viral. The video showed him playing a pickup game of basketball, dressed in Michael Jordan gear from head to toe—the jersey, the shorts, the sneakers, and even the sweatband on his left arm and compression sleeve on his left […]
Anyone who has had a pet knows the therapeutic value they can have. Studies have shown that companion animals can help alleviate depression, help with physical tasks, and ease social pain. While there are many wonderful organizations throughout the world training animals to serve as companions for a variety of reasons, we especially liked this […]
UPDATE 9/14/16: Mikey has won the gold medal in the men’s T20 1,500-meter race at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janiero. Yesterday morning, he crossed the finish line with a comfortable four-second lead ahead of the closest competitor. Once again, he came in under four minutes, with a time of 3:51.73–this is nearly six […]
It’s no secret that not everyone has the skills that are traditionally necessary to land, and keep, a typical job. Increasingly, we’ve heard stories about parents helping their children start their own businesses, for a variety of reasons. This is one of those stories. James Harris, an 18 year-old with autism living in the Bridlemile […]
Henry Normal is known in the U.K. for writing and producing several comedy series for television, as well as publishing several poetry books over the years. He recently wrote a new book of poetry—his first in 20 years—and performed it live for BBC Radio 4. The show, “A Normal Family,” is an emotionally charged tribute […]
Even if you don’t care about the world of fashion or keep a scorecard on the various diplomats who visit the White House, chances are you’ll still be interested in this story. This past week, when the Prime Minister of Singapore visited President Obama, his wife Lee Ho Ching was photographed carrying a simple and […]