Helping people with autism and other cognitive and developmental disorders enjoy normal lives doesn’t necessarily need to start with ABA therapy. It starts with inclusion – including them in the classroom, in the workplace and in the conversations teachers, psychologists and ABAs are having about ASD. This was the thinking behind the least restrictive environment provision written into the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) way back in the ‘90s, something that helped bring kids with special needs into mainstream classrooms to learn alongside neurotypical kids.
As it turned out, in many ways people on the spectrum have always been part of the mainstream. Your favorite movie might be the brainchild of a brilliant filmmaker who also happens to be on the spectrum. Maybe that song you heard on your drive home was penned by a songwriter with ASD. Maybe that print that catches your eye in the lobby of your office building came from an artist who sees the world a little differently because of Asperger’s.
We had fun putting these lists together. Some offer tips you’ll be able to use to help manage your child’s behavior, others show the contributions people with autism have made to the arts and sciences, and popular culture.
We spend enough time analyzing and assessing the behavior of people on the spectrum. Sometimes we just need to take a few minutes to celebrate our friends, classmates, kids, and coworkers with ASD and make sure they feel included.
- 4 Functional and Physiological Differences in the Brain of a Child with Autism
- 4 Ways a Child with Autism Processes Information Differently
- 5 Acclaimed Visual Artists with Autism
- 5 Autism Success Stories
- 5 Best Off the Shelf Deep Touch Stimulation Products
- 5 Creative Geniuses Whose Autism Contributed to Their Success
- 5 Famous Musicians with Autism Spectrum Disorder
- 5 Mind-Blowing Things Kim Peek Could Do That You Can’t
- 5 Pseudo-Science Myths About Treating Autism
- 5 Signs Your Child Might Have Autism
- 5 Things We Could All Stand to Learn from People with ASD
- 5 Tips for Creating a Safe Home for Your Child with ASD
- 5 Tips for Identifying Behavioral Triggers
- 5 Tips for Making Sure Your Neurotypical Child Isn’t Feeling Neglected
- 5 Tips for Talking to Neurotypical Kids About Siblings with ASD
- 5 Top Athletes on the Autism Spectrum
- 6-Step Approach to Disciplining a Child with ASD
- 6 Strategies for Encouraging a Non-Verbal Child to Communicate
- 7 Most Honest Depictions of People with Autism in TV and Movies
- 7 Tips for Talking to Kids with Autism
- 10 Best Documentaries About Autism Spectrum Disorder
- 10 Questions to Ask Yourself When Time Outs Aren’t Working
- 10 Things You Can Do with an ABA Degree Other Than Work with Kids with ASD
- Top 5 iPhone and Android Apps for Children with Autism
- Top 5 Scientific Breakthroughs That Could Be Credited to Autism
- Top 10 Awesome Things About Being on the Autism Spectrum