We know that both nature and nurture have an impact on the way people grow. The social environment – parents, school, friends, community opportunities – has a big impact on the quality of a person’s life, and people with autism are no exception. This is a hopeful thing. Social environments can be changed. An article published this month in Pediatrics […]
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Cafe Scientifique is a series of seminars for the public, offered by the University of Manitoba at McNally Robinson Bookstore. In March, Cafe Scientifique presented a panel discussion on the neuroscience of autism. The event was recorded, and now the video is online for the community to enjoy and learn. Topics include what we know about the genetic basis of […]
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Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. Desmond Tutu Lately there has been a lot of online discussion about the challenges of parenting children with autism, and responses that raise concerns about the damage that can be done by parents who publicly focus on the struggle they have with their child. The […]
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ADAPT exists to help parents learn more about developmental therapies for supporting children with autism. This fall, Community Living Manitoba offered us a grant to do just that. ADAPT has used the opportunity to create two documents: A brochure for parents of newly diagnosed children, offering encouragement and perspective, with a little advice on how to keep the wellness of […]
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RDI Connect offers a podcast series exploring aspects of parenting and teaching children with autism. The following is an excerpt from a reflection of what autism awareness really needs to be, by Dr. Steven Gutstein. “There’s a lot more awareness that there is such a thing called autism, but there is not a great deal of awareness of what […]
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Just before April started, the website The Art of Autism posted a list of 84 or so favorite quotes about autism. Many of them were written by people with autism. It is a great list. I thought that in honor of autism acceptance, this might be an opportunity to play with one of the other things I’m interested in: sketchnoting. […]
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One of ADAPT’s key beliefs is that people are the expert of their own experiences. We advocate to government for a range of autism therapy options because we believe that parents know more about what their kids need than a one size fits all program possibly can – parents have an expertise regarding their children that government officials just can’t […]
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ADAPT is a small, informal organization, but our only limitation is the time and energy of the people who make things happen. Here are some ways you can help: Share Your Story We’re looking for stories about families who have benefited from RDI, DIR/Floortime, or any developmental approach. Are you willing to share how a therapy helped your child? We’d […]
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Last spring, some parents in the Winnipeg autism community participated in a study with an interesting question – how did they perceive the fit between the therapy and services offered them, and their family’s needs? The following is a summary of what the researchers found. Introduction: When working with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), occupational therapists most often use […]
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If you’re like me and you follow a number of autism websites, blogs, Twitter feeds and Facebook pages, you will have noticed there is a diversity of feelings and approaches to what is officially called World Autism Awareness Day. Awareness or acceptance? Light it up blue, red, or taupe? Focus on family struggles or on respecting the value of each […]
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