Stages Connect
Catlaina Vrana
ContributorCatlaina is a Connect contributor writing on autism education and special-education practice.
Articles by Catlaina
Behavior & Sensory Leveraging Special Interests to Help Children with Autism: An Autistic Person* Shares Her Experiences
Having a special interest in something is a major part of the repetitive behavior that comes with autism. In fact, researcher Tony Attwood (2003) found that special interests seem “to be a dominant...
Catlaina Vrana
Jan 23, 2017 · 6 min read
Emotions & Social Skills Book Review: “Why Johnny Doesn’t Flap”
This is a book review of “Why Johnny doesn’t Flap,” a book about an autistic boy’s neurotypical (meaning without neurological disabilities) friend, Johnny. I will give a brief description of the...
Catlaina Vrana
Jan 17, 2017 · 2 min read
Family & Home Life Autism and the Holidays: Advice from the Front Lines
Navigating the holidays with autism The time has come for families and friends to get together and celebrate. This particular time of the year means many things: inviting extended family over,...
Catlaina Vrana
Nov 29, 2016 · 2 min read
Language & Communication How To Make Life Easier for a Person Who Uses Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
As an autistic person, I am very familiar with AAC. I use it, and I am around others who use it too. Because it is AAC awareness month, I thought this was a good opportunity to write about it. So,...
Catlaina Vrana
Oct 24, 2016 · 2 min read
Language & Communication Autism Explained
An Autistic Woman Explains Common Autism Characteristics and Misconceptions Basics- What is autism? Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder. It is a condition that affects every part of a...
Catlaina Vrana
Oct 9, 2016 · 3 min read
Language & Communication Author Catlaina Vrana On Her New Book “Ella Autie”
Hi! My name is Catlaina, and I am the author of "Ella Autie". "Ella Autie" was a book made for my senior project. Here is a quick summary: Ella Autie is a book about autism and friendship. During...
Catlaina Vrana
Oct 8, 2016 · 1 min read