September 21, 2010Adoption and Fostering

Lisa Jo Rudy On Beyond Therapy: How to Get Started in the Community with Your Child on the Autism Spectrum

“Kids with autism spectrum disorders get an awful lot of therapy…[all] in support of a single goal. In the long run, we hope, kids with autism will grow up to be adults who enjoy their lives and achieve to their fullest potential. In an ideal world, we hope they’ll learn to navigate interpersonal relationships, build friendships or even romances, work in a job of their choosing, and operate as independently as a typically developing child.

The truth is, though, that neither school nor a therapist’s office is an ideal setting for meeting new people, exercising new skills, finding shared interests, or just having fun in the world…”

August 20, 2010Autism

Article by Jan Greenman on life with her son Luke, who has ADHD and Asperger Syndrome

Jan Greenman is the author of Life at the Edge and Beyond: Living with ADHD and Asperger Syndrome – a searingly honest account of bringing up…

July 22, 2010Autism

Sarita Freedman on Developing College Skills in Students with Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome

“…it’s challenging for students with ASD to participate in “non-preferred” tasks. As such, parents of students who go away for college worry that their student will spend most of his time playing video games, rather than focusing on college studies. Sadly, the risk of this happening is quite high. However, students can learn strategies to manage and balance their time, provided the student receives adequate programming throughout his life.”

July 2, 2010May 8, 2017Mental health

What the Chinese approach to drinking tea can teach Westerners about health and peace of mind

By Solala Towler, author of Cha Dao: The Way of Tea, Tea as a Way of Life. No matter what cultural differences exist between people,…

June 30, 2010Dementia

Bob Woods on the importance of family involvement in care homes for people with dementia

“Then came the opportunity to plan a new style of dementia care home, right in the heart of the catchment area, and the positive effects on relatives’ guilt and strain were palpable. [Relatives] visited more often and felt considerably more involved. But there were tensions too; relatives were often dissatisfied with staff, and staff felt that relatives were more of a problem than the residents. It became clear that the relationship between staff and relatives needed just as much attention as that between staff and residents.”

June 24, 2010Arts therapies

Andrew Nelson on the positive effects of Role Play in the lives of young people with autism and their families

“I never assume that I know exactly how individuals with autism think, feel, sense, or experience the world. My main goal when using role play with parents, para-professionals, and teachers is to get people thinking about things from a different angle and to encourage them to walk in the shoes of the people they support.”

June 1, 2010Autism

Inmate to Artist: Jeanette Purkis’ Misadventures with Asperger Syndrome

“When I was young, I had no self-esteem and figured the difficulties my Asperger’s caused made it impossible for me to achieve anything. I gave up on myself and the world. Now that I am older, I realise that Asperger’s is probably the main reason that I have been able to achieve so much…”

May 27, 2010May 8, 2017Counselling

Jill Manthorpe on Depression in Older People

“Everyone who works with older people in social services or social care will encounter people with depression. The impact of depression among older people and those supporting them can be profound. This may be particularly so because depression is under-recognised and there are pessimistic views of the potential for response.”

May 5, 2010Counselling

Danuta Lipinska on person-centred counselling for people with dementia

“They considered it helpful in their quest to ‘make sense of Self’ within the context of their lives as affected by living with dementia. Making sense of Self and the world around us is an endeavour we all undertake in our own unique ways, Sometimes people will seek out the impartial, empathic listening of a professional counsellor to support them in this quest.”

April 27, 2010Autism

Jude Welton on Asperger Syndrome, metaphors and literal thinking

“Since children with Asperger Syndrome are literal thinkers, some parents and professionals try to avoid metaphorical language, so as not to confuse or distress – but this can’t prepare the child for the real world. And non-literal language can be fun! If metaphors are explained and explored in a relaxed, playful way, they can enrich children’s understanding of language and the world, and help them to use language in a less formal and more ‘natural’ sounding way.”