Risk: “Catastrophic.” The foreseeable death of Julian Stacey.

The mother of Julian Stacey wants lessons to be learnt from the loss of her son. It is with that desire in mind – and the deepest sympathy and respect for the family – that I write this post. In … Continue reading →

ABA, Regrets, and a Question of Happiness.

ABA – Applied Behaviour Analysis – is a polarizing therapy in the autism community: For some it is the holy grail of treatment, for others it is an abusive practice. When we began an ABA playgroup with our autistic son … Continue reading →

Campbell Live’s “Struggling through the system,” and the NZ Education System (+ poll)

Tonight, the current affairs show “Campbell Live,” produced yet another story about the education system here in New Zealand letting down children with special needs. The story is entitled “Struggling through the system.” It is about a 13-year-old girl who … Continue reading →

Outsmarting Kittens and Misteaching Children

Many years ago – when I was a university student with a different surname, and hadn’t yet heard the word “autism” – I bought myself a kitten for company. A particular incident that happened soon after I got her, has … Continue reading →

Review of “Different… Not Less.” (A Collection of Life Stories from Autistic Adults.)

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“Different… Not Less” is a compilation of life stories from 14 adults on the autism spectrum. The stories were brought together by Temple Grandin, who also has a chapter at the start and end of the book, and briefly introduces … Continue reading →

Poll: Would you buy a book like this for your autistic child?

I’ve had quite a bit of interest in the book I created for my son that told him he has autism. So much so that I’m thinking of offering the service to others: Creating highly personalised books that introduce a … Continue reading →

Two Versions of “Pathologizing Normal.”

I recently realised that people with diametrically opposing views on the existence and validity of conditions like autism, appear to make the same argument about the modern trend to “pathologize normality.” So I decided to break-down the argument that is … Continue reading →

How inclusive do NZ schools think they are? Looking at a 2012 ERO progress report

Back in 2010, the ERO (the New Zealand Government’s Education Review Office) released a Report that found only half of New Zealand schools demonstrated “mostly inclusive practices for students with high needs.” Subsequently, the Government came up with a policy … Continue reading →

Guest Post: From Grandma’s Perspective

Today I’m sharing a guest post by my mother. I asked if she would write a piece about what it’s like having an autistic grandson, and how it has been adjusting to that truth. I was inspired to ask her … Continue reading →

“Autism” as a tool rather than an identity.

I’ve been making my way through a book which is a compilation of the life stories of successful autistic adults, written by themselves. The compilation is brought together by Temple Grandin, and is called “Different… Not Less.” Once I complete … Continue reading →