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The Problem with the Autism Puzzle Piece

October 20, 2015Jenna55 CommentsAutism Acceptance, Practical Parenting

Image from asipages.com in an article explaining what the puzzle piece means.

For years, Autistic people have been condemning the use of the colorful jigsaw puzzle piece that stands as an international symbol for autism awareness. But their voices haven’t been able to overpower the media push to use the symbol. It’s everywhere: on clothing, keychains, coffee mugs, license plates, organization logos and promotional materials. Many families use the logo to advertise “autism awareness,” their personal connection to autism, or their commitment to finding a cure. The symbol was designed to represent the complexity of autism and how little is known about it. On the surface, it seems like a memorable and harmless advocacy symbol. But I don’t buy anything with a puzzle piece on it because of how many Autistics have condemned the use of this symbol. Certainly not ALL Autistics condemn the puzzle piece (and each Autistic person has the right to define and interpret and identity with it as they wish); however, it’s important for neurotypicals to note that it’s not that some Autistic people don’t like it–it’s that they are deeply offended by it, and many NTs are unaware. As NTs, it is less important with how we interpret the puzzle piece, and critically important how the Autistic people in our lives perceive it.

There are plenty of detailed articles available online that articulate why some condemn this symbol. This post aims to concisely summarize why the puzzle piece logo has become so problematic for many in the Autistic community. The resources at the end of this article link to other sources discussing what the Autistic community is saying about the puzzle piece logo.

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Teaching Siblings of Children with Autism to be Disability Advocates

October 13, 2015JennaAutism Acceptance, Practical Parenting

Parents want their children to grow into confident, caring, and capable adults who respect everyone, including those with disabilities. In families with a disabled sibling, parents often additionally encourage acceptance of differences in a more personal and immersive way than those without one. The challenges of devoting individual time to each child’s personal development is coupled with extraordinary opportunities to teach disability acceptance and advocacy. This article discusses the unique power siblings have as disability advocates and outlines 6 tips for helping your other children learn to advocate for their siblings and others on the spectrum.

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Autism Wars: Can’t We All Just Get Along?

October 6, 2015JennaIn the News

Parents of autistic children are at war. Autism tends to produce polarizing supporters, perhaps because of the spectrum of symptoms. One major argument comes from parents of “higher-functioning” autistic children advocating for neurodiversity and even the perspective of embracing autism as a “gift” while parents of more severely disabled or “lower-functioning” autistic children insisting that autism is no “gift” but rather something they would shed in a second if they were given the option. Unfortunately, this debate has been as much in the public view as information about the complexities of autism itself.

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5 Tips for Teaching Autism Self-Advocacy

September 29, 2015Jenna4 CommentsPractical Parenting

When autistic children are young, their loving parents and families are their best advocates. But autism self-advocacy is crucial for achieving varying levels of independence and improving confidence and accessibility for all autistics.

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Feeding Aversion Part 2: Feeding Strategies for Children with Oral Sensory Issues

September 24, 2015Jenna2 CommentsPractical Parenting

Jalapeño Pringles, chocolate chips, and Pediasure. This was my son’s breakfast, lunch and dinner for weeks at a time. Every couple weeks it might change to one specific type of dry cereal and chocolate or saltine crackers. And that was it. Nothing else. As I detailed in my previous post, My son had a complicated medical history that led up to severe oral aversion and oral sensory difficulties. But we have seen significant progress since his first solid feeding attempts.

This post contains a variety of different feeding strategies that might help children with oral sensory issues. I am not a doctor or therapist, and this shouldn’t replace medical advice. I am writing based on anecdotal experiences I’ve had from the past nine years of working with my son and my own personal research. Some of these topics are specific feeding strategies for different ways to help your child interact with food. Other suggestions illustrate how to communicate a positive attitude during meals. I hope some of this information will help you to safely encourage your picky eater to gain more confidence in eating skills.

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Understanding Feeding Aversion Part 1: One Family’s Story

September 15, 2015Jenna2 CommentsPractical Parenting

It’s a gross understatement to say my son is a picky eater. The eating progress I could brag about would horrify the typical parent. I am grateful for each of his successes and his potential to continue improving. Many individuals on the autism spectrum have feeding challenges; however, they differ in their specific difficulties and needs. This is my son’s story and a summary of what I want other parents to know about their own feeding journey.

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Autism Interview #5: Dr. Stephen Shore on Autism and Education Part 2

September 8, 2015JennaInterviews, Practical Parenting

This week’s post is a continuation of Part One on autism and education based on the advice from autistic professor, author and international speaker Dr. Stephen Shore. In this week’s post, Dr. Shore emphasizes the importance of identifying and developing a student’s strengths in order to achieve academic and personal success and how best to go about accomplishing this.

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Autism Interview #4: Dr. Stephen Shore on Autism and Education Part 1

September 1, 2015JennaInterviews

Dr. Stephen Shore is a professor at Adelphi University, autism author, music teacher, and international autism speaker. He recently spoke with me about his experience living with autism and offered educational advice for autistic students. Part One of this post offers an overview of his personal schooling and suggestions for families trying to help their children transition into general education settings and get the most out of an I.E.P. conference. His answers from our interview have been transcribed below.

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Eye Contact and Autism: Reflecting on Your Agenda for Your Child

August 25, 2015Jenna3 CommentsPractical Parenting

One of the first signs of autism in infancy is a lack of eye contact, and autism spectrum individuals may experience this difficulty as a result of neurological differences in visual processing.

Do you remember your parents telling you, “Look at me when I’m talking to you!” demanding you show them respect? Eye contact and autism is a controversial and complex issue. Therapists, educators, and parents often insist autistic people make eye contact with them. They assume that people cannot listen and understand what they are trying to say unless they are making eye contact. Since communication breakdown is a central issue to autism spectrum disorders, parents and professionals naturally feel that eye contact is an important first step to teaching. But anyone who has talked to autistic individuals understands that this issue is more complex than we realize.

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Neurodiversity Movement Opposition

August 18, 2015Jenna9 CommentsAutism Acceptance, Practical Parenting

When I first heard about the neurodiversity movement, it made a lot of sense to me and offered immediate advice for teaching my son about autism and helping him grow comfortable with his identity and confident in the pursuit of his dreams. But not all parents and autistic individuals have adopted the neurodiversity philosophy.

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