SPECTRUM CONNECTION

By Kate Duffy
For many of our kids on the spectrum, schools are not always the friendliest of places. Often, high-functioning teens misbehave or tune out in high school because they get bored. So it’s especially important that you help your teen find a mentor in his interest area to keep him learning and plugged into life.
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Beijing, the service dog who helped our son with Asperger's syndrome.

By Diane McLean
There was a time that I hated the checkout line at the grocery store, but not for the reasons that mothers of neurotypical kids might suspect. For my son Daniel, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, the checkout line pushed his social anxieties through the roof. Daniel cringed and scowled if a friendly cashier greeted him, acknowledged him in any way, or even looked at him. Employees seemed confused when Daniel turned his back or even growled when they complimented his cool shoes or team jersey. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

That was before a 30-pound ball of fluff named Beijing entered our world.
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Gov. Jay Nixon marked Autism Awareness month by announcing his strong support last week for the passage of legislation that would require health insurance providers to cover treatments and therapies for Missourians afflicted with autism. Citing the growing number of autism diagnoses, Gov. Nixon called on the legislature to pass a bill that ensures Missourians with health care coverage have access to treatments for autism and related conditions.
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By Toni Lapp
Last spring about this time was one of the most difficult periods I’d experienced as a parent of a child on the spectrum. It was my son’s freshman year at high school, and the transition from middle school had been difficult. I won’t go into detail, but suffice to say that there had been disciplinary issues and we were grappling with the appropriate measures to take with a child for whom normal rewards and punishments didn’t seem to apply.

There were times when I hated the circumstances I found myself in, but, even worse, I couldn’t commiserate with others who I felt would judge me as an ineffective parent for not being in better control.

And then I met another mother at my workplace who also had a son with Asperger’s syndrome.
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By Toni Lapp
After years of operating independently of one another, the Autism Alliance of Greater Kansas City and the Autism Society of the Heartland (ASH) have announced their intention to merge.

The new organization will be called Autism Society of America – Heartland Alliance and will feature a joint board made up of representatives from the organizations’ respective boards.

The announcement was made by Robin Russell, a founding member of the Autism Alliance, at the 6th annual Autism Walk at Unity Village on April 18. Russell was among the group that launched the area’s first autism walk in 2003.

A merger had been rumored for months, and will likely be welcome news to the nonprofit sector. Both organizations are 501(c)3 nonprofits that are run by all-volunteer boards. Both have managed to organize major events that pull in thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dollars.
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By Julius Karash
As kids on the autism/asperger spectrum move into their teen years, transportation may become a limiting issue.

After all, learning to drive is considered such a critical rite of passage in American society. Most kids can hardly wait until they’re able to get behind the wheel, and quite a few youngsters on the spectrum feel the same way.
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By Sarah Smith Nessel

As the mother of a child on the autism spectrum, I’m becoming increasingly dismayed by the notion that children like my son are somehow deficient and need to be “cured.” I realize I’m stepping into a minefield here. A diagnosis of Autism or one of its related disorders can be a wrenching event for a family, particularly if the child is so severely affected that he or she is deemed unlikely to ever speak, laugh or connect with another person in any meaningful way.
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By Toni Lapp

We’ve all heard the saying “it takes a village.” Nowhere is this felt more strongly than in the autism community. I know I often feel like there is only so much I can do for my son. Like it or not, people in the community frequently become role models, particularly for teens.

So I was a little disappointed to hear about the indifference shown to one of Ryan’s classmates at Shawnee Mission East. Knowing how much her son enjoyed sports, Barbara Kimmel was keen to have Robbie placed as a “manager” of one of the athletic teams at the school. The arrangement might provide him a sense of inclusion and camaraderie that he hasn’t really experienced before, and the student athletes, in turn, would gain by knowing someone with special needs, Barbara thought.

Initially, her idea was met with disinterest; one of the athletic personnel suggested Robbie join the pep club. But Barbara persisted, asking the athletic director if he might find a place where Robbie could help out. She never heard back.

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