by Jeanne Beard | Jun 13, 2017 | Blog
I don’t have a university issued PhD, although I often wish I did; sometimes I even beat myself up for not knowing more. Yet in many ways, I know so much more than those educated PhD’s, who have no idea (ok maybe they have theoretical knowledge, but no personally... by Jeanne Beard | Jun 1, 2017 | Blog
As our understanding of autism grows, we adapt our methods of relating and communicating to better suit our autistic loved one’s understanding of the world. Because those individuals with autism are not receiving and integrating social information like the rest of us,... by Jeanne Beard | May 23, 2017 | Blog
Autism takes many forms, and is very misunderstood in the general population. The old stereotype of a child, rocking in a corner, unable to speak or function still comes to mind for many. I see this in the faces of people when I tell them that my son is autistic.... by Jeanne Beard | May 12, 2017 | Blog
One of the biggest mistakes we make as parents of children on the autism spectrum is to cling to unrealistic beliefs about our child’s future. It is such a tightrope walk! On the one hand, lowering our expectations (along with revising our hopes and dreams for our... by Jeanne Beard | Apr 3, 2017 | Blog
As a parent, finding our way to acceptance of this invader in our life, autism, is a tricky path to walk. We tend to hold out hope that things will be better once… (fill in the blank with “…he gets through special kindergarten and can go to regular first grade…” or... by Jeanne Beard | Mar 24, 2017 | Blog
Being a parent of a child on the spectrum is a very emotional experience for most of us. Before the autism is diagnosed, we frantically try to make life work, and often find that we aggravated the pain and frustration more than calm it. None of us wants to push our... by Jeanne Beard | Mar 17, 2017 | Blog
Like most of you who have had a child diagnosed with ASD, our journey was a struggle. Before the diagnosis, I felt desperate and confused. One minute my son seemed so “normal” and the next minute he was melting down because he could not tie his shoes! I distinctly... by Jeanne Beard | Feb 3, 2017 | Blog
On the one hand, there is nothing more compassionate we can do than to understand our loved ones with autism and be compassionate about their struggles. If you are a parent and trying to “therapize” a child into being non-autistic, or into acting like someone who is... by Jeanne Beard | Jan 14, 2017 | Blog
I am so grateful and pleased by the outpouring of likes, shares and comments from our Facebook group to our Holiday message about honoring my son’s gifts. It became crystal clear to me that many of you feel the same way about your children and grandchildren that I... by Jeanne Beard | Jan 6, 2017 | Blog
The was a National Autism Academy FaceBook post from me on December 19th: I recently visited a school that only serves children on the autism spectrum. The woman who gave me the tour confirmed what I have seen in my own son so often. Our kids, especially if they are...