A blog sharing my experience with & advice for living well on the autism spectrum
Many individuals with ASDs would greatly benefit from getting support around everyday life skills, yet often have difficulty accessing it. This is especially true for those who would be considered “high functioning”. Consequently, a large number of these people are left to struggle and live on a [fixed] disability income. From personal experience, I have … Read more General Life Skills – Introduction
Adequate educational and employment supports are crucial for many people with ASDs, as well as a major factor in their ability to achieve success. Some examples of educational supports may include: Sadly, a high number of people with ASDs are unemployed, underemployed, or employed in jobs below their skill level. This very well could be … Read more Education / Employment – Introduction
Health and fitness play a significant role in the ability of people with ASDs to function effectively in everyday life. Proper self-care is essential for managing ASD related symptoms. The benefits of a healthy lifestyle (eating a well-balanced diet, regular exercise, daily meditation, etc.) are truly endless. In addition to maintaining a healthy weight, some … Read more Health & Fitness – Introduction
People with ASDs would really benefit from a good social support system to teach the basic skills necessary to have healthy relationships with themselves and others. Some of these skills include social etiquette, [reciprocal] communication (direct speaking, active listening, paying attention to nonverbal cues, etc.), empathy, accountability, setting and respecting boundaries; assertiveness, conflict resolution, and … Read more Relationships / Pets – Introduction
Although the term Asperger’s Syndrome was officially introduced in 1981, it wasn’t until 1994 that it was added to the Diagnostic Statistics Manuals (DSM). In 2013, a controversial decision was made to remove this diagnosis from the DSM, possibly because it was largely considered to be a [milder] form of autism. While I would definitely … Read more Why I Highly Recommend that Asperger’s Syndrome be Reintroduced in the DSM under Autism Spectrum Disorder(s)