Dream a Little Dream
On December 18th, 2013, I signed the closing papers for my new house. It has taken me a long time to be able to afford to purchase a home and the experience has been exhausting, yet wonderful.
Housing
As we know, people without disabilities live in all types of homes: single family, cooperatives and condominiums, multi-family, mobile and manufactured, foster, group and room and board homes. The picture for many people on the autism spectrum is quite different. As we know people who are un-employed or under-employed have limited housing options. And people who require assistance or accessible dwellings have even fewer options.
Helping Individuals with Disabilities during Emergency Situations
Individuals with autism and other disabilities may act differently in an emergency situation due to sensory challenges; therefore, their behavior should not be interpreted as threatening.
Safety
Unfortunately, we’re learning though a number of reports and studies that people living with autism and other intellectual/developmental disabilities face more unsafe situations compared with their non-disabled peers. Ignoring discussions about safety issues will not serve us well.
Top Technology Companies Coming to Convention
Verizon and Microsoft will be joining The Arc at our National Convention August 3-5 in Bellevue, Washington for a program focused on technology, innovation and Achieving Momentum in the movement for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
National Convention Preconference Dedicated to Self Advocacy
The Arc’s annual National Convention kicks off August 3, 2013 with a preconference dedicated to fostering self-advocacy among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
From the Director: Welcome to the Family
Greetings to everyone in the Autism NOW Center family. My name is Karen Wolf-Branigin and I recently joined The Arc of the U.S. as the Director of the Autism NOW Center. It has been my pleasure to meet the people that make the Autism NOW Center a leading, national autism resource and information center and share with you about what we have planned for the future.
Living My Dream: A Panel Discussion
If Thomas Edison had given up on his dream, where would we be? Answer: In the dark. He tried 350 different ways to make the light bulb work. It’s not a failure; it’s just another way that doesn’t work. Try, try, and try again until you succeed. It just takes time and patience because it doesn’t happen overnight.
Bullying: Then and Now (A Personal Perspective)
Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Do it your way in your own time on your terms. Remember you can be anything you want to be, you may just have to do it a little differently in order to fulfill your dreams. Dream big and let the sky be the limit.
My Definition of Autism
I am who I am and there is no changing me. Accept me for who I am and you will see autism in a whole new light.
