Your autistic child with ADHD may have one or more sensory issues, and that is very characteristic of those who are on the spectrum. Yet, you can help your child better manage these sensitivities by providing a sensory space in your home (and that can include your backyard too) where they can have items to help them. Find out how you can create a sensory space for your child with autism and ADHD. Sensory issues, autism and ADHD Sensory issues are very common with autism and ADHD. While the cause of sensory issues hasn’t been identified yet, experts believe the presence of them in people with a ..read more

Autism Spectrum Disorder includes a broad range of capabilities and abilities within individuals. You have autistics who are able to live a fairly “normal” life of obtaining higher education, having a successful career and developing, and maintaining good relationships (including marriage and children if that’s what they want). Then on the other side of the spectrum are those who cannot care for themselves and will always need others to take care of them. All the others are in between. As parents, sometimes it is difficult for us know where our own children fall on the spectrum, let alone expl ..read more

April has had a special place in my heart since my son was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (now part of Autism Spectrum Disorder) at age 4. Back then, the month focused on autism awareness, and now it has evolved to be more focused on autism acceptance. I think that is a good evolution, and it has even more meaning to me as a parent of an autistic child. Awareness vs. Acceptance As a parent, I’ve found over the past 15 years since J was diagnosed that many more people are aware of autism. They may not fully understand it, and they instead may lean more heavily in the stereotypes of autistic ..read more

As parents, accepting your child’s autism diagnosis is challenging enough. Yet, when you have friends and family who reject your child’s autism diagnosis, it makes an already stressful situation much worse. Your family needs a lot of support and when you have extended family and friends who do not accept or even work against your child’s diagnosis, it can make things very difficult for you and your child. Our experience of family rejection of autism I know this from personal experience. Our son J was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (no longer its own diagnosis but part of the autism spectru ..read more

If your autistic child has verbal and/or other communications challenges, a Picture Exchange Communications System, also called PECS, could be a wonderful way to enhance how your child communicates. But what is PECS and how as a parent can you find it and someone to teach you and your child how to use it? What is a Picture Exchange Communications System? According to the Indiana Resource Center for Autism, a Picture Exchange Communications System is “a modified applied behavior analysis program designed for early nonverbal symbolic communication training. It is not a program designed to teach ..read more

Taking notes in class can really help improve grades and encourage your teen with ADHD and autism to stay engaged in learning. Yet, I don’t think our schools do a good enough job in teaching our teens this essential skill. It is especially important if your teen will go on to a community college or university after high school. So what can you do as a parent to help your teen with autism and ADHD learn how to take effective notes during class? Why is it important for autistic and ADHD students to take good notes? It’s important for all students to take good notes during class, however, it is e ..read more

As a parent of a child with ADHD, you may be confused as to why your child forgets so many things and seems easily distracted yet can then be so focused on certain activities for a long time. That is called hyperfocus. I’ve seen my son J have this at times when he is really into something. He can spend hours on it. Then when it comes to doing something he isn’t interested in, he can’t seem to keep his focus for five minutes. What is hyperfocus for people with ADHD? A pediatric behavioral health specialist at the Cleveland Clinic Dr. Michael Manos describes hyperfocus as “the capacity for a per ..read more

For those who have autism, many have sensory issues of multiple kinds. But when is it something more than autism? When are these sensory issues themselves a condition called sensory processing disorder? My son J has ultra hearing, and it was very bad when he was younger and before his ears were desensitized through working with an occupational therapist. His school psychologist once told me that with his hearing sensitivities that a loud public toilet flushing sounded to him like a 747-jet taking off to us. He also is sensitive to the hot temperature of food and doesn’t like certain textures o ..read more

You suspect that your child may have autism and seek out testing. Yet, what does the testing look like and what should you expect? Is it a long process or is it fairly quick? As a parent, you have a lot of questions if your child needs to have an autism evaluation. Do you need a referral for an autism assessment for your child and who does the testing? First, do you need a referral to have your child tested for autism? In most cases, it is required and usually from your child’s primary care physician, however, you could call your health insurance plan to inquire whether a referral is mandatory ..read more

We all enjoy recreation, whether it’s activities outdoors or different types of them and hobbies indoors. Yet did you realize there is recreational therapy and that it could benefit your child or teen with autism? Better yet, that it’s usually covered by your state’s Medicaid waiver? What is recreational therapy? According to the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification, recreational therapy is “a systematic process that utilizes recreation and other activity-based interventions to address the assessed needs of individuals with illnesses and/or disabling conditions, as a means ..read more