In these snippets from the archives, my daughter accuses me of being echolalic, and she desperately needs some increased sensory input after I pull her out of her regular routine. September 1, 2006: As A. and I were walking up the stairs to our apartment this evening, she slipped her hand beneath my arm and ever-so-gently grasped my elbow. It ...

To be fair, my daughter's overall reclusive nature and tendency to avoid conversations with her parental figures has, I believe, more to do now with the fact she's quickly approaching 14 years of age than it does with the fact she's autistic, but that doesn't mean I appreciate the conversations we *do* have any less. I still revel in any moment my ...

The Fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) is set to be released May 18 during the APA's annual meeting in San Francisco. In the days leading up to the official announcement of the changes, controversy began brewing. ADVANCE has reported on the changes coming to ...

I have a new app find that I'm excited to share with you! The App is ''TURN TAKER'' by Touch Autism.  Since I discovered it (for $4.99) at the app store, I have used it with many students. First, I show the kids the social story. It uses simple language and pictures to teach about playing games, taking turns, deciding who should go ...

In this entry from the archives, my daughter becomes obsessed with the idea of creating a perfect Mother's Day for me... in the middle of August. August 30, 2006: Tonight, my daughter became suddenly obsessed with the concept of Mother’s Day. She told me that she wanted to make me a big, delicious breakfast of chocolate milk, juice, cereal, ...

My daughter teaches me so many important lessons, especially when I take a moment to pause, and listen.This weekend, my daughter taught me a few important lessons in driving. It's amusing, because I'd had a dream Friday night that I was trying to teach A. how to drive, and then the rest of the weekend, she was, in reality, giving me these ...

A. wanders through the house, talking loudly to herself, performing skits in her head, sometimes even yelling and shouting the parts, using strange squeaky voices for the different characters in whatever playlet she is enacting. If you ask her what she's doing, she may say she's quoting something, or practicing voice acting, or she'll simply ...

In this entry from the archives, A. and I wrap up our last days in Germany, and prepare to ''return to English.'' July 28th, 2006: Well, I have about 36 hours left to spend in Germany. Despite the lack of air conditioning, I am really going to miss it. I will have to come back. It's just one of those places for me, like New York City. And here I ...

In this entry from the archives, as we continued our summer trip to Germany, A. and I explored many different cities, and she even made a fast friend despite the language barrier. July 16th, 2006: I'm totally behind in relating my adventures, so I don't imagine I will come anywhere close to doing the last week justice. You'll just have to settle ...

Recently, it seems as if A. has matured a great deal on an emotional level. The other day, as we were pulling out of the driveway to go to school, she realized that she'd forgotten to pack her drawing notebook. In the past, such a realization would lead to a meltdown -- or, at the very least, high-pitched squealing -- and a desperate plea to let ...