#Autism Discussions Archives

#Autism Discussions / My thoughts / Podcast

Supporting Dads in the Autism Community

In "The Autism Dad" podcast, Harry Psaros, an advocate and father from Pittsburgh, discussed his transformation after his son's autism diagnosis. He shared how embracing the diagnosis as a gateway to improvement helped him become a proactive advocate and author. His book aims to inspire resilience and hope in parents navigating similar challenges, emphasizing the importance of community support and a positive mindset for continuous growth and development. Harry's personal journey celebrates each victory and the potential in every challenge, illustrating a profound commitment to fostering the best environment for his child and others.

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May 1, 2024

#Autism Discussions / Podcast / Season 6 / The Autism Dad

A Fun Q&A with My Autistic Son (S6E48)

Answering Random Listener Questions with My Autistic SOn

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November 17, 2023

#Autism Discussions / Vaccines

Watch John Oliver’s powerful and informative advice on #vaccines

Watch the brave John Oliver's powerful advice on #vaccinesI'm a huge fan of John Oliver's Last Week Tonight. Not only is he funny, but he takes on real life topics and does so in a way that presents the facts. He's brought about actual change as a result of some of the topics he's taken on. While his topics tend to be political on nature, they range from anything coal mining to standardized testing. This past Sunday however, he took on a subject that not only impacts the Autism community, but also the rest of society in general. Watch the video below and see how John Oliver takes on the topic of vaccines. The benefits of vaccines far outweigh the minuscule risks, but some parents still question their safety. John Oliver…

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June 27, 2017

#Autism Discussions / My thoughts

#Trumpcare and Special Needs families

This is a really quick post because I'm very much concerned about the repeal of a Obamacare. This has nothing to do with politics, and I frankly don't care who you voted for, because that's your personal business. I know there are plenty of programs with the current health care system, but are we heading in the right direction? Here's a side by side comparison by the LA Times. What I want to know is, are you concerned about how the repeal of Obamacare, and implementation of the current form of Trumpcare? Many special needs kids families are on some form of Medicaid, and with the proposed $834 billion cuts to Medicaid, Americans most vulnerable will be hit hard. If you are on Medicaid, are you worried about this impacting…

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May 26, 2017

#Autism Discussions / My thoughts

How has #Autism impacted your life today

It's incredibly important we talk about how Autism can impact a family. This isn't about blaming a child or hating Autism. This is about dealing with the reality of what is very likely, a difficult situation. It's important for people to understand the ways that raising a child with Autism can impact the family unit. It's sadly taboo for a parent to be honest about the challenges they face while raising a child with Autism. I've called bullshit on that for the last eight or nine years that I've been a public figure in the Autism community. Reality isn't always pleasant and it's certainly not always pretty. The reality when it comes to Autism, exemplifies the above sentence. How can we expect the people around us to better understand Autism…

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May 3, 2017

#Autism Discussions / My thoughts

I’ve noticed something interesting about my kids with #Autism

My kids can say some crazy shit sometimes. That's got nothing to do with Autism, it's just their cheeky personalities. ☺ That being said, I have noticed something that seems to be a common phrase between my kids, in one particular situation and I don't think they're doing it on purpose. Whenever they are encouraged to try something new, maybe a new food, a different TV show, rather than just saying no, they say something else. My kids will almost always use the phrase I'm not used to this...... It could be I'm not used to these chicken nuggets or I'm not used to this show. What they mean is they don't want it or don't like it. Do your kids say anything like that?

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April 20, 2017

#Autism Discussions / Autism Parenting Woes / Feeding Problems / My thoughts / Sensory

Can you relate to this 1 major challenge of #Autism Parenting?

I find it incredibly difficult to ensure that my kids with Autism maintain a balanced diet. For that matter, I have such a hard time simply getting my kids to eat anything. We are very much a sensory oriented family and that presents many obstacles for me as a parent. The biggest being how unbelievably sensitive my two youngest are when it comes to things like texture, smell, color, presentation, shape and yes, even packaging. When there is literally only a handful of things your child will eat, aiming for a balanced diet becomes a pipe dream. How many of you can relate to my experience? Please share examples of your challenges with feeding issues in the comments below...

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January 29, 2017

#Autism Discussions / My thoughts

Can you identify the 2 reasons we experienced massive meltdowns this week?

While I feel as though we had a pretty good week, there were two things that I can pinpoint that triggered meltdowns from my youngest of three with Autism. Meltdowns are a very dynamic phenomenon because while it's common for kids with Autism to experience them, the triggers, duration and severity of the meltdowns can and will vary from person to person. As parents, I feel like we're always on the lookout for things that will trigger a meltdown and then do whatever we can to avoid those triggers. Sometimes triggers are obvious and other times, not so much. There are times when our kids will have meltdowns and we never know what's triggered it. Typically speaking, we're usually looking at sensory issues as the trigger to many, if not…

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January 19, 2017