My Child With Autism Doesn’t Need or Want Your Pity

After attending an informational session for families about autism, Asperger’s and the difficulties of navigating being disabled and supporting your “differently wired” family member (their…

6 Tips to Keeping Your Child With Autism Safe at School

Most parents, as a rule, place their children’s safety as a top priority. But for parents of children with autism, the reality is that it…

I’m So Focused on What My Daughter With Autism Needs That I Sometimes Forget About Her Wants

When I realized my younger daughter was disabled, my belief in what was possible for her life changed. As her parent, I had to focus…

With the Right Team of Adults Behind Her, My Autistic Child Is Killing It at School

Nationwide, health coverage for autism-related services is seriously lacking. In my home state of Illinois, advocates are pushing newly elected Governor Pritzker to expand Medicaid…

Even as a Disability Advocate I Still Did Everything Wrong When My Daughter Was Diagnosed With Autism

November 6, 2018, is the day my daughter was officially diagnosed with autism. That’s the day my world collapsed. For the first hour of her…

It’s Not ‘Inclusion’ If You Leave Out Kids With Special Needs

Way back in 1990 on this day, then-President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. The law’s provisions…

My Mom Went to War to Get Me Into a School That Believes a Kid With Autism Kid Can Thrive

I have always been extremely anxious about change. Sometimes that change would lead to various levels of panic, sometimes in public. And that panic would…

Here Are 4 Tips to Help Your Kids Be Their Best Selves

Raising two kids has taught me a lot about how to help children become their best selves. Four key themes have emerged in my years…

DeVos Is Stripping Away Civil Rights Protections for Students With Special Needs

I’m detecting a trend. Recently, The Atlantic ran a piece that catalogues the Trump administration’s disregard of civil rights protections for Americans (and aspiring Americans)…

Students With Autism Are ‘Different, Not Less,’ and Other Lessons From Temple Grandin

Steven was my oversized and freckled first-grade classmate. That basement classroom was bulging with students, with rows of tiny desks brimming with books and a…