I had a couple of requests for a story about seeing other people wear masks out in public. I had been thinking about writing one because I live in Wisconsin and while many people are wearing masks in stores, not everyone is. Even as an adult, it felt kind of strange and startling to see people wearing masks. I'm SURE that our kids are feeling the same way. Once we talk about it in a non-scary …
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What Will They Call This?
Since all of this COVID-19 stuff has started, I have been wondering what “all this” will be called in the history books. Even as I am experiencing it, I am thinking about how this unprecedented time will be remembered, about how future generations will learn about the Coronavirus and its impact on our world. Will it be as simple as the “COVID-19 global pandemic,” or will the name …
Change a Child’s Life
Photo by Chris Benson on Unsplash “Change a child’s life.” Those words were the first thing I saw as I dejectedly walked out of the office of my undergraduate thesis advisor. He had just told me my summer research internship was cancelled due to lack of funding. This was going to be a HUGE opportunity for me as I was accepted to a joint program at Carnegie Mellon University and …
Consistency During a Lockdown
These times are unprecedented. Many of us are just going day-to-day making sure we brush our teeth. That’s okay. One day at a time has never had more meaning. I’ve heard from a few parents whose children receive speech or occupational therapy. They are distraught because they know how important consistency is, but they are following the rules and staying home to stay safe. They are asking …
Giving Back
April is Autism Awareness Month. We're sharing a story about one individual's support for the autism community. Hello! I’m Dana. I’m a Cleveland native who graduated from Ohio University in 2018. During my years at OU, I was an active member of Alpha Xi Delta Pi Chapter. This chapter inspires women to realize their potential by providing opportunities for sisterhood, leadership, knowledge …
How to Cope with Disrupted Family Routines During COVID-19
Autism Speaks shares some helpful advice for dealing with the sudden and drastic change in routines that our households are currently experiencing. These changes are especially challenging for children who have autism. Visual daily schedules, increased physical activity, organized family fun. These are just a few ways to return routine to these very disrupted days. If you have a special …
Five Steps to Get Started in Telepractice
During this time of physical distancing, in-person speech therapy is not an option. Fortunately, the American Speech-Language Hearing Association offers the following recommendations for establishing tele-therapy with speech therapy patients. For the complete article, please visit ASHA.org Over the last few weeks, many schools and clinics nationwide—well, really worldwide—have been shutting …
Change is Hard. Change is Scary. Change is Good.
This post originally appeared in the monthly Orange Effect Foundation e-newsletter. It’s February. Here in Cleveland that can often mean a lot of time at home because the weather can be so cold and the skies so gray. For me that means the new year's resolutions start wearing off. Exercise becomes less frequent and dessert becomes more frequent. I tried to do some reading on …
How Many Kids Can We Help on August 3rd?
Announcing the 14th Annual OEF Golf for Autism I remember the day my wife and I walked into the clinic to get the results on our oldest boy. He was two-years-old. He couldn’t talk yet and rarely made eye contact. We were young parents without a clue of what to do. The therapist at the clinic was going to tell us what to do with our son. We were thankful for that. Unfortunately, what …
Scientists Discover Clue to Autism
Myelin, or insulation, surrounding a nerve cell. Scientists have discovered a significant clue as to how autism spectrum disorder affects the brain. This was an unexpected and exciting discovery for researchers who had been studying brain cells for another purpose. The findings, reported in the February 2020 issue of the journal, Nature Neuroscience, offer new insight into possible …
Ryan’s Story
I've listened enough. It's time for me to speak, however it may sound. Through an electronic device, my hands, or my mouth. Now it's your time to listen. Are you ready? Neal Katz, Self-advocate A few weeks ago, Ryan, with his fuzzy PJ pants on, galloped into the kitchen with a determined look in his eyes. He approached the drawer that holds his GoTalk device so he could request his …
Early Treatment for Autism Is Critical, New Report Says
Photo by Anna Kolosyuk on Unsplash Citing 12 years of research and clinical study, the American Academy of Pediatrics as issued a new clinical report on autism that urges early identification and referral for treatment, even if a formal diagnosis has not been confirmed. Although the average age of diagnosis is age four, the new goal is to obtain a diagnosis by age two. In …
