The Zuniga family has been taking Hector to this particular Blockbuster since he was 13-years-old, and in many ways, he’s grown up with a lot of the employees. He even says one of his only words, “Barney”, when he and his family drive by the store. A few months ago, Hector’s mother Rosa got some tough news: Blockbuster would be closing its doors. Read More
5 Easy Ways to Get Involved for Autism Awareness Month
According to US Department of Health and Human Services, about 1% of the world population are placed somewhere on the autism spectrum disorder, with an overwhelming 1 in 68 children in the US affected by autism. Read More
Julia, Sesame Street’s First Muppet With Autism, to Make Her Debut
Families have turned to Sesame Street for generations in order to start conversations and teach important life lessons. With an estimated 1 in 68 American children having autism, there is no better time than now to show the public what it’s like to interact with these special people among us. Read More
Mental Illness in Children – What You Need to Know
Mental disease in children is surprisingly common. The Centers for Disease and Control Prevention notes that about 20 percent – one in five – of American children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness in any given year. Read More
Psychologist Claims That Baby Boys Are Far More Sensitive to Stress Than Baby Girls
It’s obvious that our culture exalts the strong, unfeeling, aggressive side of men, and does so beginning at infancy. On the contrary, though, biology suggests that our boys are actually less equipped than their female counterparts to deal with stress. Read More
What’s Autism and What’s Not?
Don’t freak out if you catch your child head-banging, echoing others words’ or hand flapping. Yes, those are symptoms of autism, but they don’t define your child as having an autism spectrum disorder. Read More
Toys R Us Stores to Offer Quiet Shopping Hours for Children with Autism
Stores will reportedly open one hour early on November 6 to accommodate families who would like to shop, just without the familiar stimuli. Management will dim the lights, turn off store-wide announcements and music, display autism-friendly signage, and designate quiet spaces for families that need them. Read More
Helping Our Autistic Son with Transitions
Junior is a very agreeable sort. He aims to please and is perfectly content to go with the flow for the most part. BUT. Like anybody else, he… Read More
Being Different Is Normal: Let’s Change the Way We React to Autism
This post is part of our ongoing series of April Autism Awareness Month posts. View other posts on our blog about autism here. Make sure to scroll to the bottom of this article to learn about two great scholarship opportunities relating to special needs children. Evelyn Baker Blogger I came bursting through my front door after school, eyes flooded with tears. My Disney princess backpack slowly dragging on the floor … Read More
My Autistic Sister: An Elementary Child’s Perspective
This post is from the unique perspective of Sarah DeMonia, an elementary school girl whose older sister was diagnosed with autism at age two. Sarah’s mom, Lori DeMonia is the author of Leah’s Voice and Love for Logan, two Mom’s Choice Award-winning children’s books dealing with autism. Read More