Mikal Britt, Behaviorist 10+ years I don’t normally write about or promote movies, but Pixar’s new Inside Out is a MUST SEE. I find it very honorable of these filmmakers to make a psychological movie for kids. Yes, it is also fascinating and entertaining for adults. But it’s ability to tell a story while also explaining the why and how the human brain and emotions work is truly a feat to behold. I think especially for children on the spectrum,…
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Linda Andron-Ostrow, Executive Director Art Linkletter reminds us that kids say the darndest things and we often find these very funny. While the general public finds this humorous and lighthearted, sometimes the kids many not understand the humor or the intentions of the general public. And as a result, sometimes when the kids are met with laughter, they may feel that the public is laughing at them, not with them. So how do we make sure we are laughing with…
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Mikal Britt, Behaviorist 10+ Years One of the things I have always loved about working with autism is the endless mystery it provides (that’s also one of the most frustrating things as well!). However, whether clinical or theoretical, autism provides a lot of thought provoking intrigue and brain-nourishing questions. This means things never get boring or mundane. There is always a new angle to consider and study.Recently, I have been listening to a book called “Busting Loose From the Money…
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An acrostic is something kids usually do at some point in elementary school. We’ve all seen them. But when’s the last time you played with one? I recommend parents take the word AUTISM and make an acrostic. Do it by yourself or with your child. It might end up being revealing. It might be empowering. Or it might be plain silly. Either way, I think it’s a fun way to explore autism and the wide variety of attributes it can…
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Linda Andron-Ostrow, CEO Normally, I’d like to share with you a positive holiday message to wrap up the year. However, this year, I have learned about an unfortunate story of isolation and autism. When you read about Neli, it is my hope that you will share my utter concern and will join the Autistic Self Advocacy Network action to support him. I will also share with you the story of Carly, who is an excellent example of breaking through isolation. I…
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Zoey Giesberg, FACT Intern & Future MSW There are many things people don’t seem to believe about me when I first meet them. Let me break it down into the most common comments I receive: 1.You’re born and raised in Los Angeles? No way! (Because an educated white girl and being a native Angeleno is apparently not possible?) 2.You’re 27? No way! You look so much younger! 3.You’re autistic? No way! You don’t seem like it at all! This last…
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Mikal Britt, Behaviorist for 10+ years Teaching social skills is challenging because of all the subtleties and grey zones; because social skills are all about nuance and abstract assumptions which are sometimes difficult to explain or verbalize. For example, I worked with a client about hugging. More specifically, not hugging. Because he wanted to hug everyone, teachers and students alike, male and female. He was not a threatening person. In fact, quite the opposite; he is charming and charismatic and…
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Linda Andron-Ostrow, CEO Gregory Hickok of the University of California at Irvine raises some very poignant questions for all of us to consider as we continue to seek what autism is and what it might not be… As brain research moves forward at a dizzying pace, we must always be ready to change the way we interact with those on the spectrum. Remember when we were set on “Theory of Mind” and some people even thought they had found a way…
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Zoey Giesberg, FACT Intern & Future MSW As the 2014-2015 school year begins, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the newest staff intern at FACT. Here are some basic facts (insert awkward laughing here) about me: I am 27 years old and a West Los Angeles native I am wrapping up my Masters of Social Work degree at the University of Southern California with an emphasis on community organizing, planning, and administration I got my…
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Ashley Greathead, MA, FACT Communications Consultant The history of cases of individuals with observed expressions analogous to ASD date back as far as 1806. At that time they were considered cases of insanity. The evolution of ASD (aka autism) began in 1943 – 1944 when two different researchers, Leo Kanner in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. and Hans Asperger in Vienna, Austria separately described cases of children who presented symptoms similar to those of schizophrenia. Both researchers identified the symptoms as “autism”…
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