Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
Autism is a wide spectrum (yes, I’m aware that some people do not like the spectrum image). The experience of autism can be radically different from person to person. Some autistic people have an “obvious” disability, perhaps because of a developmental disability or specific behaviours that outwardly seem atypical. But then there are other autistic … Read More “Why Might an Autistic Person Hide “In the Closet”?” »
My daughter brought home a number of books from her school library and I was pleased to see one was Fragile Bones: Harrison and Anna by Lorna Schultz Nicholson. This book revolved around two high school students involved in a Best Buddies program, which seeks to match neuro-typical students with those who are not. In this … Read More “Fragile Bones – Review” »
Someone recently asked me about people with Asperger’s Syndrome and the challenges of Christian faith. Asperger’s is now known simply as autism. I have heard people claim that people with autism struggle with faith. It is true that people with autism have brains that are wired differently. They may encounter faith in different ways. The … Read More “Autism and Faith” »
Before there was just an Autism Spectrum Disorder, there was also an Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). The simple definition of AS is that it is autism without the language deficits. However, AS has disappeared as a diagnosis and is now a part of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Michael John Carley, the executive director of the Global and … Read More “Asperger’s From the Inside Out – Review” »
My observation of churches is that there is an increase in awareness and compassion about autism. The media has really brought autism to the forefront and a variety of advocacy groups have promoted autism awareness. Many people in our churches are related to or at least know someone with autism. When a Family comes into … Read More “The Autism Opportunity Easily Missed by Churches” »
What do you think of when you think of autism? Nonverbal children rocking back and forth, perhaps banging their head? Autism includes that but also is so much more. What if I told you that autism includes that engineer, lawyer or stock broker who is married with children? There once was a diagnosis called Asperger’s … Read More “Marriage and Asperger’s Syndrome” »
I think that there has been some improvement in the church’s willingness to embrace and minister to people with autism and their families. But often the people with autism that the church has in mind are those on the severe end of the spectrum. What about those with mild autism? These are the people who … Read More “The Church and People With Mild Autism” »
What is it like to have autism? It is one thing to observe behaviours from the outside, it is another to get a firsthand account from someone about what it is like on the inside. One of the best books I have read on this is Pretending to Be Normal by Liane Holliday Willey. In … Read More “Pretending to Be Normal – Review” »
I have had a number of people find it hard to believe that I have been diagnosed with autism when I am so normal. There are two errors in this thinking. One is a misunderstanding of autism and the other is that I am normal. Close friends can see the latter more clearly. What people … Read More “How Can I Have Autism When I am So Normal?” »
I have been interested in and active in speaking about autism for some time. Two of our children (ages 14 & 12) have autism. It just makes sense that I would want to promote awareness about autism and provide resources on how to minister to families with autism. I now have a new perspective. Yesterday, … Read More “A New Perspective” »
It is time that I revealed something about myself that you did not know. It is something that makes me different from many other people. It is something that those who have known me personally for some time will understand as answering a lot of questions about my behaviour. Are your ready? I HAVE AUTISM. … Read More “Coming Out of the Closet” »
You will still often hear people being described as having Asperger’s Syndrome, which was considered a form of autism but without the communication difficulties. There are plenty of characters in popular entertainment portrayed as having Asperger’s. However, Asperger’s technically no longer exists as a diagnosis. Now there is only Autism Spectrum Disorder. This means people … Read More “What Happened to Asperger’s Syndrome?” »
In April (Autism Awareness Month), I had the privilege of being interviewed by Nick Peters on his Deeper Waters podcast. Nick is a great guy and we have a few things in common. One is a mutual interest in apologetics. Make sure to check out his website for plenty of good apologetics resources. We also … Read More “Going Deeper into Autism” »
It was so fun last night to watch the response to a mother’s plea for her son’s birthday. If you have not heard about Odin, you can get the basics here. Odin has Asperger’s and a local community and far beyond reached out to him with love on his birthday. It was extremely moving. As … Read More “What We Can Learn from Odin’s Birthday” »
A guest post by Ron Sandison. A Biblical Perspective to the Increase of Autism David, a young adult with autism and mute from birth, was admitted to the hospital for medication adjustment (Names and details have been changed). Two weeks earlier David’s parents had reluctantly placed him in a group home. They were unable, in … Read More “A Biblical Perspective to the Increase of Autism” »
As a parent of two children with autism, I encounter all sorts of attitudes toward autism. There are parents who want their children “cured” of autism and by that they mean every last hint of autistic behaviour is to be removed. There are others, often those with autism, who find the idea of a cure … Read More “Is Autism to Be Treated or Accepted?” »
