DATING IS DIFFICULT, even with finely tuned social skills and a winning personality.  Rejection in romantic relationships often leads people to wonder “what they did wrong” and what the heck is even going on.  In the US, for the 3.5 million individuals on the autistic spectrum who have impaired communication and social interaction, dating is […]

For many, including myself, romance is a foreign and often incomprehensible language. Meeting, understanding, and igniting the spark with another individual is a daunting and complicated task. However, for the neurodiverse community, finding a romantic partner is a much more difficult, and sometimes near-impossible undertaking. The differences in their neurological makeups mean that ASD individuals […]

Over the course of the past few decades, the online dating world has expanded exponentially and thrived with new technology and the Internet. Some of the  recent popular sites, such as “Match.com” and “eHarmony,” have become highly successful. Specialized dating sites also emerged based on different groups with common interests, such as “Christian Mingle” for […]

Contrary to the misconception that autistic individuals are not able to have successful romantic relationships, many individuals with ASD are in long-term relationships. However, there are several difficulties autistic people face when having and sustaining these relationships.  Psychologist Kirsty Kerr addresses some of these difficulties in her article “Romantic Relationships and Autism Spectrum Disorder.” These […]

The American government can be pretty silly sometimes. It has built bridges that lead nowhere, funded studies to determine whether the chicken or the egg actually came first, and somehow succeeded in shutting itself down eighteen times in the past forty years. However, every now and then, it manages to get something right. One of […]

People often forget that culture plays a major role in the upbringing of children, particularly those with special needs.  Culture has a direct impact on how a given society handles special education. For example, a commonly recognized trait of autism is a difficulty to make eye contact with others.  Clinical professionals screen for what is […]

The number of students with autism that are enrolling in college is comparatively low. Approximately 0.7 percent to 1.9 percent of the college population consists of autistic students with an incompletion rate of 80%. The question is, why is that and what can high school teachers do to prepare their students for upper-level education? “Understanding Autism: […]

Is Playtime a Sign? For all adults in position to care for children: do you know when is the appropriate time to screen for neurological differences such as autism? And more importantly, how do you go about doing it? According to the National Autism Association, there are new screening tools available for children ages 9 […]