First Person Autism

Autism and Stereotypes: A Few Tips for Survival

I used to get yelled at a lot when I was younger, especially when it came to homework.

Autistic Vs. Having Autism:* The Importance of Labels

Meanings we attach to words can have a huge impact, influence, and change the attitudes and tones of conversations. “Autistic person” and “person with autism” may have the same definition theoretically, but their meanings are significantly different. Self-advocates and allies of

4 Things I Wish Parents Knew About Autism

As a person on the autism spectrum, there are a few things I wish parents of children on the spectrum knew. Please note that I am just one individual, and other people on the spectrum may have different experiences and opinions on these topics. I hope that this article will broa

Autism and Dance Therapy

Dancing is a universal language, and many on the autism spectrum can easily learn it.

Our Autism Journey From Special Education to Mainstream Classrooms

According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), every child with special needs has the right to be educated in the least restrictive environment (LRE) , which is the general education classroom as a first option. Working toward a more restrictive environment

Ask an Autistic*: What Do Meltdowns Feel Like?

And How Can I Help? When I was young I would lose all control if I accidentally touched a seat belt strap, if I heard certain sounds, if someone entered my room, or if my mom put sweaters on me. And tights? Completely out of the question. Meltdowns are not tantrums. An autistic

Autism in the Workplace: Advice From the Trenches

Autism in the workplace can have its share of rewards and pitfalls. As with anyone else, one on the spectrum has a lot to navigate when trying to find the right job fit. For some, the learning process may be pretty daunting.

Equity for Serving Our Rural Students

I’m from a small town in rural Kansas with no stoplights and the nearest Walmart is 30 minutes away. My father was a rancher with 200 head of cattle and my mom was a teacher at the nearby—and only—school.

Making Friends: The Ups and Downs of Friendship on the Spectrum

As someone who grew up on the autistic spectrum, friends were hard to make and even harder to keep.

Autism & Drama Therapy: A View From the Spectrum

My journey to the stage (and, lately, behind the camera) was a long one.

Conquering Negative Thoughts When Parenting Autistic* Children

Every parent thinks negatively from time to time, but the negative and often fear-filled thoughts parents of autistic children struggle with can be off the charts because they are so different from the typical worries of other parents. Conquering these negative thoughts is not e

Parents and the Autism Diagnosis: How to Accept Your Autistic* Child

Receiving a diagnosis of any kind is difficult for parents, and an autism diagnosis can be particularly frightening. The uncertainty about how to best support your child, and the confusion that can follow conflicting treatment advice, can be very unsettling. Hearing that autism

My Sister and Me – Both Autistic

One of my older sisters, Shaylin, was born in September 1995, in Knoxville, Tennessee, a lovely, blue-eyed infant, the second daughter of my happy parents. From the time my parents took her home to Jefferson City, to about her first birthday, everything seemed normal. By twelve

10 Things a Grandmother of an Autistic Child Would Like Other Children to Know

Autism Awareness and Acceptance to Prevent Bullying There has been a lot of talk about Autism Awareness and Acceptance through the years, and while we still have a ways to go, much has improved since my grandson was first diagnosed as autistic in 2009. At that time, I knew next

Can ARIS Work for an Autistic 29-Year-Old?

Using t he ARIS® Academic Readiness Intervention System With My Brother, Tommy. With ARIS, Skill Development Can Happen at Any Age Early intervention is the prime advice for education and life skills in the autism community, but should intervention ever truly stop? Although clin

5 Diverse Portrayals of Autistic Adults on TV

From Stereotypes to Paving the Way for a Diverse and Authentic Understanding of Autistic Individuals Taking a closer look at Abed Nadir, Hank Rizzoli, Matilda, Drea, and Nicholas In recent years, we have been seeing more diverse representations of autistic adults in the media, i

Growing Up in a Deaf and Autism Household

The Story of My Brother Tommy Growing up is never easy. Growing up in a hearing household with a brother who is deaf and autistic brings unexpected challenges, to say the least. Picture a rural family in the 1990s with no past interactions with people who are deaf or autistic an

Autism Influencers: Who to Follow

Interested in connecting with people in the autism community? Check out our list of influencers to follow on social media. Social Media is a powerful tool in the way it allows us to connect with friends and family, celebrities, and strangers with common interests from around the

Young Adulthood on the Spectrum: An Interview with a Friend

First Person Autism: Review of Netflix Series Atypical

About two weeks ago, I began to watch the show Atypical on Netflix. This is a program that was of great interest to me, as it is about an 18-year-old high school senior who is living with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The plot revolves around this young man (Sam) as he tries to find

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 characteristic, occurring in over 90% of children and adults with Asperger’s synd

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 book’s story, illustrations and message.

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, wrapping presents, pie, singing, joy, worshipping, and making cookies! However, holida

Work Environments, Adjustments for Autistic Employees

Advice for entering the job world It is common knowledge that people with disabilities tend to experience higher rates of unemployment and underemployment. Many employers seem to be unwilling to give disabled individuals a chance when they feel that their company’s success is at

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.

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 person’s life. Autism is diagnosed by looking at the three ‘pillars’ of autism: Repeti

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:

Book Review: The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

Whenever I sit down to write a new blog entry, I mentally acknowledge the importance of self-advocacy in the lives of people with autism. It is vital that we tell others how we are feeling and what we are thinking, so that the community can understand our needs. I write these bl

A Special Thank You to a Special Teacher

A Former Student with Autism Shares his Gratitude for a Teacher that Helped Him Succeed When I was growing up, school was very rough for me. I struggled with many of the same social and emotional challenges that many others on the spectrum had, and each day I am thankful for the

The Positive Side of Autism

Note: Nathan Hughes is a writer who works for Stages Learning. He provides an inside view of his experiences living with autism. Stages Learning is dedicated to providing our community with useful articles relating to autism. For more about our products and resources for childre

Top Blogs by People with Autism

Nathan Hughes has curated a collection of the most useful and interesting blogs that are written by people like himself: People with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Nathan’s selections reflect a variety of experiences and provide advice, wisdom, experiences, poetry and art from people

Career Choices for Autistic People: First Hand Advice

Finding a Job That Matches Your Skills Many people struggle with finding a job and establishing a career for themselves. In addition, there are often multiple applicants for only one job vacancy, which can be discouraging to any jobseeker. However, for autistic people, this sear

My Thoughts on School Experiences and Being on the Autism Spectrum

First Hand Experiences of Being a Student with Autism As an individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder, I have found myself reflecting on both the challenges and strengths that my differences have brought me. On one hand, I had a rather hellish experience with school for much of m

Pushing the Envelope: The Importance of First-Person Autism Accounts

Autistic Adults: The Importance of First-Person Accounts Many parents of autistic children wonder what will happen when their children grow up – what will their adult lives be like? This is true of all parents, but likely more so for parents of autistic children. And just like n