Maureen Bennie curates a news blog for Autism Calgary called "What in The World is Going On About Autism". Her blog often mines and expands on the articles and events that she has detailed in that news feed, as well as looking at current best autism resources, news stories, and events on a variety of topics about autism and ASD.
The term “flow” was first introduced in 1990 by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Csikszentmihalyi described it as “the experience of complete absorption in the present moment” (Nakamura and Csikszentmihalyi, 2009). Flow describes a mental state during which an individual is fully absorbed in what they are doing, losing awareness of time and feeling intrinsically motivated by the activity itself. Although flow…
All behavior is viewed through a judgmental lens. This lens is influenced by several things: Our past experience – how our parents disciplined us, how we parent our own children, the culture/environment we were raised in Our beliefs – Do we believe that children should act and react in a certain way? Our knowledge and understanding – of neurological differences,…
Caregiving has its rewards and challenges. While caregiving is a labor of love, it also has another side to it that affects employment, physical/mental health, relationships, and well-being. As we age, we also have to assess how feasible is it to provide support long-term because of retirement, health, and the reality of aging. Caregiving can be all consuming at times,…
Restraint collapse, a phenomenon that is becoming more recognized in the neurodivergent community, happens when individuals who have been concealing or suppressing their neurodivergent characteristics for an extended period of time suddenly experience a significant breakdown in their ability to regulate emotions and cope with stressors. It may present as emotional outbursts, shutdowns, meltdowns, withdrawing, or physical symptoms like fatigue…
The definition of communication is the exchange of thoughts, opinions or information by speech, writing or nonverbal expression. Communication skills are important for everyone because they help a person learn, understand the world, connect with others, and express their thoughts and feelings. Autistic individuals often have a different way way of communicating and a range of communication skills and abilities…
Autistic meltdowns, often confused with tantrums, is a reaction to intense feelings of being overwhelmed, distressed, or dysregulated. Tantrums are different because they are goal-oriented and typically stem from the frustration of not getting what a person wants in that moment. A meltdown is never a contrived or pre-meditated act, nor does it have a goal. They can be a…
The Christmas season is a time of giving and receiving – gift exchanges at school or work, Secret Santa, sharing gifts with family and friends. Gift giving and receiving can be stressful for autistic individuals. Some autistic children find presents overwhelming. Tearing off wrapping paper can be hard for people with fine motor issues. Others might feel anxious about not…
Research estimates that about 90% of autistic individuals have sensory processing disorder (SPD). Sensory issues are included as part of the diagnostic criteria for autism in the DSM-V. Having these difficulties can affect communication, social skills, and behavior. Every autistic person is unique and so are their sensory sensitivities. Here are some of the common sensory sensitives around the eight…
Therapists such as occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, physiotherapists, psychologists and other specialists can be a big part of an autistic individual’s life. In order for sessions to work well, the therapist has to build a trusting, respectful relationship with the person and understand who they are. Because each person is an individual, one strategy won’t fit all nor will…
I attended an excellent and thought provoking Chamberfest West concert. Narrated by CBC’s Tom Allen, “The Music of Talk” explored the connection between music and speech. I was fascinated to hear music’s relationship to speech and language development, and the affect of music on the brain’s amygdala. Music stimulates the amygdala in a similar way to faces, smells and other…
From the moment we get up in the morning, we begin making choices: shower or brush teeth first, coffee or tea, what to eat for breakfast, what to wear, and what’s on the agenda for the day. Not only do we have choices to make throughout each day, there are even bigger ones to think about such as where to…
Back in 1996, Martha Leary and David Hill began doing research on the types of challenges that autistic individuals have in regards to communication, challenging behaviors, and in the inability to control one’s movements. They called these challenges movement differences. Their definition: Movement difference is a difference, interference, or shift in efficient and effective use of movement. A disruption in…
September is a month of transitions – we move from summer to fall, the days grown shorter, the nights get longer, vacation time ends and school starts again. All of these changes mean altered schedules, dressing in warmer clothes, starting new activities or getting back into old ones, maybe starting a new school, meeting new classmates, and working with different…
According to Journal of Neurolinguistics, over half of the world’s population is bilingual (people who utilize two languages daily) if not multilingual, speaking 3 or more languages. Some statistics say 43% of the global population is bilingual, 40% is monolingual speaking only one language, and 17% are multilingual speaking several languages. There have been many studies and articles citing the…
The arrival of summer and good weather allows for more time outdoors and being on the go. The school break means changes in the day’s structure and routine and more free time. Summer camps and activities, field trips, a family vacation, and visitors fill the day. Autistic individuals can find these changes and different demands challenging, even if they are…