temple grandin Archives - Learn From Autistics

Autism and Religion: Raising Religious Children on the Spectrum

Google “autism and religion.” When I did so, I was flooded with results explaining why people on the spectrum are less likely to believe in God or participate in organized religion. Many sources explain how the desire for logical answers to all of life’s questions isn’t congruent with some of the mysteries that come with a belief in God. But this wasn’t my experience observing my brother on the spectrum as we grew up together. He appreciated the comfort of a religious routine and thrived in a religious community. Religious families hoping to offer their children on the spectrum all the fulfillment of a life centered around a belief in God can look to others on the spectrum or other religious families for guidance.

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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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