Recognising the early signs of autism

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurological disorder that can impact an individual’s ability to communicate, regulate their behaviour and interact socially. The symptoms typically appear in the first three years of life and can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations from mild to severe. Currently, ASD affects 1 in 58 children […]

5 things you might not know about a child with autism

I was in my teens when Dustin Hoffman starred as an autistic savant in the movie Rain Man. That was my first introduction to autism and about the extent of my understanding of it for the next 20 years or so. So when the autism word was first mentioned with regards to my young daughter, […]

Autism and parenting. School holiday blues? Not for me!

I have to admit, I did dread the school holidays because of those long days with no structured activities. Sometimes I took him to holiday therapy sessions for autistic kids, and then there was his anxiety about going somewhere new and meeting new kids and my worry about how to cover the bills.

A celebration of fatherhood – with a twist

Autism doesn’t announce itself in the delivery room. You can’t detect it from a blood test or any type of pre-natal screening. In fact, children with autism are typically born as healthy, bouncing babies with 10 fingers and 10 toes. Their parents take them home from the hospital and all is as it should be. A happy