Language and Autism: The impact of penumbra and generalized instances, on debates about the existence of, and functioning levels within, ASD

I want to make it clear from the outset that this post is an attempt to get my own head around these issues. So if you can see an error in my own reasoning, I strongly encourage you to point … Continue reading →

I almost love you…

My husband and I decided to visit my mother at her work earlier this week. She’d been away over the Easter break and I was keen to catch up. So we set about getting the children ready, which of course … Continue reading →

Guest Post by Clara

This gallery contains 2 photos.

Before Autism Awareness Month draws to a close, I wanted to open my blog to the voice of someone who is living with autism. I am a mother of a child with autism, but I do not have autism myself, … Continue reading →

Hugging the Haters: Why hating autism is not so bad

If you express a hatred of autism, chances are very high that someone will come along and tell you how offensive your hatred is, without making any effort to either support or understand the person doing the hating. You may … Continue reading →

Review of Paul Offit’s “Autism’s False Prophets”

As I read “Autism’s False Prophets”, I found myself wishing that I’d read it years ago, so I could have been better informed and prepared to deal with all the misinformation about autism, and the dangerous therapies offered for autistic … Continue reading →

Reflection on his first term at a special needs school

At the end of my son’s first term of school, I am now in a position to reflect on whether we made the right decision to send him to a special needs school, instead of a mainstream one. I’ve also … Continue reading →

“Loving Lampposts” DVD Review

“Loving Lampposts” is a documentary about autism, specifically about attitudes towards autism, and the neurodiversity movement. It includes commentary about various therapies for autism, and interviews with some of the central personalities of the autism world, while telling the personal … Continue reading →

Autism Ad Hominem: Attacking Diagnosis, in the Disability vs Difference Debate

As you’re no doubt aware, an ad hominem attack is fallacious where the person making the argument is attacked instead of the argument itself. When addressing an argument, you need to deal with the premises and logic that lead to … Continue reading →

Laughter

My children’s laughter is the panacea for my hardest day. Just hearing either of them laughing puts the world in perspective. I can make my youngest laugh so much that he can’t stay standing, just by saying the words “yuck … Continue reading →

When a doctor over-diagnoses autism

There are plenty of theories as to why autism numbers have sky-rocketed over the past few decades. Opinions fall into two broad categories: Either the increase in autism is real (usually placing the cause on environmental factors such as toxins … Continue reading →