We have seen the topic of Autism featured more prominently on television and in films over the past few years than in the nearly three decades since “Rain Man.” And that, of course, is a great thing, as the exposure forces society to become aware of autism and then more accepting of all individuals on the spectrum. […]
In March, we profiled a police officer in Waukesha, Minnesota, who reacted appropriately and compassionately when he realized that the teenager who was “getting physical” in a local Target store had autism. Police departments from Minnesota to New Jersey and throughout the U.S. are being trained to become better educated on mental health issues, disabilities, […]
There have been news stories about kids practicing and honing their reading skills by reading to dogs. They are, after all, a pretty non-judgmental audience. There have also been news stories about kids reading to shelter dogs to help both socialize the dogs and keep them calm and relaxed in the stressful environment of a […]
If you were in Wildwood, Florida, this past weekend for 75 Chrome Shop’s annual truck show, you wouldn’t have been able to miss this Ausome® “One of Many” truck. One of our readers sent us the video below, which clearly shows the truck’s many custom-built items depicting the popular Autism puzzle pieces. This beautiful big […]
A store manager in the U.K. recently decided to roll out a “quiet hour” at his ASDA Living store to benefit people with autism and other special needs. Simon Lea was moved to implement this new concept after witnessing a boy having what appeared to be a tantrum in the store a few weeks ago. […]
In an effort to spread more understanding about autism, The National Autistic Society made this short, 85-second video of an outing at a shopping mall from the viewpoint of a boy with autism. In it, we get to experience the overwhelming sensory chaos that assaults him during what is, for most people, an enjoyable trip […]
Apple’s recent videos profiling Dillan, a non-verbal teenager with autism, are just beautiful. Too often people assume that those who don’t talk also don’t think, even though speech and mind function are rarely tied to one another. As most of us know, and the rest of the world needs to be shown, just because somebody […]
As many of us know only all too well, children are rarely on their best behavior out in public. Still, cloistering ourselves and our families off and living like hermits within our homes isn’t the right answer. While some of us do our best to run errands while the kids are in school or at home with […]
Although it’s a few years old already, we couldn’t help toe tapping and singing along to this great video, sung by then 10-year-old Christopher Duffley and the WOC Kid’s Choir. Chris is blind and has autism, and although he didn’t speak until he was in first grade, he always enjoyed music and sings with perfect […]