Online spaces have become central gathering points for autistic individuals. Forums, social media platforms, and group chats often provide connection, validation, and shared experience. The unspoken rules of online autistic communities refer to shared expectations about communication, identity, safe...
Autism
Autism conversations often focus on challenges. Less attention is given to positive emotional experiences. Yet research and lived experience show that joy plays a central role in autistic identity and wellbeing. Autistic joy refers to recognizing the unique ways autistic individuals experience happi...
Some children struggle to recognize when they are hungry, tired, anxious, or need to use the bathroom. These challenges are often linked to interoception, the body’s ability to sense internal signals. Understanding and supporting a child with poor interoception (trouble sensing internal body signa...
Autism and School Refusal often means a child becomes highly distressed about school and cannot attend, not simply “won’t.” National Autistic Society notes some autistic children find school demands and the environment unbearable, leading to absence. What Autism and School Refusal can look lik...
Cooking for One: Making Meals Manageable with Executive Dysfunction works best when you shrink choices, externalize steps, and reduce cleanup. Executive function differences are common in autism, including planning, flexibility, and organization challenges. At Move Up ABA in Maryland, we often start...
Play is not just entertainment. It is a foundation for learning, communication, and social development. In autism intervention, play is used as both a natural learning context and a structured teaching tool. The role of play in autism: why free play, structured play and peer play matter is supported...
Managing clothing and textile sensitivities means identifying the exact fabric features that trigger discomfort, then changing the environment and teaching dressing in small steps. Many autistic people have sensory differences, including adverse responses to textures, which is listed in DSM 5 autism...
Autism is often associated with introversion, but many autistic individuals are naturally extroverted. They enjoy social interaction, conversation, and connection—yet face unique challenges that can make socializing both rewarding and exhausting. Autistic extroverts may seek out people and social ...
Homeschooling an autistic child can offer unique advantages, but it also comes with important considerations. One major benefit is flexibility. Homeschooling allows families to tailor lessons to a child’s learning pace, interests, and sensory needs. This can reduce stress and create a more support...