We’re taught from a young age that high self-esteem is something to be desired and attained, but self-esteem isn’t all we need. Although it’s not talked about nearly as much, self-acceptance is much more important when it comes to good mental health and overall happiness.
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How To Keep Your Older Child or Teen Safe Online
Many of us enjoy the benefits of being online. We connect with people from all over the world, we pursue our interests, we are entertained, and we can learn about any topic that we are interested in. Our autistic children and teens benefit as we do from the online world; however, our youngsters can be more vulnerable to cyber threats such as predators, pornography, and bullying if they do not understand the dangers, and if they do not establish and use internet safety skills.
Autism and Puberty: Do Sensory Challenges Make It Harder?
Puberty can be daunting for any young person. Puberty wafts into a teen’s or pre-teen’s life with physical changes, as well as changes that are unseen, such as increased cortisol levels that often lead to shifts in emotions and struggles with behavior regulation. An adolescent can switch from having a happy and low-stress day to crying within minutes. These changes can be even more difficult for autistic young people who typically deal with sensory challenges.
The Harm in Infantilizing Autism
Providing support for our autistic teen or adult is a necessary part of being a parent, and this is often one of our top concerns. But as we do so, we can unknowingly fall into a default mechanism that infantilizes the individual and treats them as if they are not capable of being their own person. We typically do this with the underlying belief that we are giving the best support, and that we have our teen or adult’s best interests in mind, however, infantilizing them is unnecessary, and innately dangerous.
Autism and Higher Education
How can RDI® provide real-world support for your child, teen, or young adult to prepare them for higher education, or a real-world job? In Dr. Steven Gutstein’s words, “Dynamic Intelligence is the mental ability that enables humans to successfully navigate the world and our relationships….and we have developed many resources to meet the mental challenges encountered in dynamic environments.”
Preparing Autistic Teens for Adulthood: Money Management
Even though this can look different for every autistic person, autistic individuals – especially children, commonly struggle with executive functioning. Individuals with executive dysfunction can lack acquired motivation to achieve goals and prepare for normal events in day-to-day life (i.e., money management), and they often experience difficulties picking up on skills such as organization, planning, and reasoning without guided learning experiences. Despite these challenges, autistic individuals can learn to manage money.
Adulthood Transitions, Housing, and Long-Term Care Support
When an individual ages out of traditional therapy for autism it can present daunting challenges for a young adult or teen, as well as their parents. Where do I go from here as I transition to adulthood? What resources are available for housing, employment, mental health counseling, and other supports long-term?
Autism and Depression – How it Can Present Differently in Neurodiverse Individuals
Millions of people in our population are diagnosed with depression every year. Most individuals are diagnosed based on common ‘by the book’ symptoms, but this can leave an entire segment of our population out. Depression often presents itself differently in neurodiverse individuals, which makes it much more difficult to pinpoint as an autistic, and to diagnose as a clinician.
5 Ways to Help an Autistic Teen Study
We all have different studying and learning styles – audio, visual, and in print. Our success with learning depends largely upon how we reflect on our past experiences with studying, and how we repeat what has worked for us. So, what are the best ways to help your autistic teen to study?
Screen Addiction and Autism
In the last year, we have seen a rise in screen addiction, especially among vulnerable populations, such as teens and children with autism. How can we help?
Why Is It Harder for Girls to Be Diagnosed with Autism?
Autism screening criteria are based on data collected mainly from the studies of autistic boys. Why? Historically, the diagnosis of autism has been more common in boys than girls, so scientists have focused their research on boys–and now girls with autism are being overlooked.
Helping Autistic Adults Find and Keep Employment
Why do so many autistic adults struggle with finding and keeping a job? The world simply isn’t built for neurodivergent people–but there are things employers can do to remedy that.
Transitioning to Independence: 5 Online Resources to Help Neurodivergent Young Adults Find Jobs & Job Skills
85% of adults with autism are unemployed or underemployed, yet 60% of them have cognitive abilities at or above those of neurotypical individuals. So what is the problem?
Spotting Signs of Anxiety in Autistic Children
Children with autism often express anxiety and stress like neurotypical individuals, however, autistic children can experience anxiety more intensely and more often than other children which typically prompts a regression in behaviors.
How RDI®️️ and Dynamic Intelligence Lead to Quality of Life for Adults on the Spectrum
Dynamic growth is a key function of dynamic intelligence. With this, your child’s mental resources are improved. Your child constructs and continuously builds a library of personal knowledge that they can retrieve from as needed.
A Brother Talks About Flourishing With an Autistic Sister
A common worry of parents who have children on the spectrum is whether autism might negatively impact their other child. Last Friday I had the opportunity to interview the brother of an autistic...
Treating Your Autistic Child with Respect
How to Treat Your Autistic Child Respectfully and Create a Better Family Life
What Makes Individuals with Autism Feel Stressed?
Why is your child acting out? Is it stress?
Engagement Activities to Guide Your Teenager
Unlike many other autism treatments available today, we believe that there is no age limit to the brain's ability to continue changing! We see a many families come into the program with teenagers...
4 Simple Steps to Build Life Skills in Your Child
Dynamic focuses on problem solving, thinking, flexibility, where there are several solutions to a single problem.
The Hope of Happiness for Those with Autism
An RDI® Guide to Happiness
Letters Between a Non Speaking Autistic and Apraxic Boy and His Neurotypical Therapist
Alfonso is non-speaking, but he has a lot to say. The world needs to listen and learn from this young man’s wise and whole-hearted way of living.
What Nobody Ever Tells Us About Meltdowns
This blog post was originally published on saiconnections blog. You can read the original article here. “I don’t know what sets him off. He suddenly gets into meltdowns and attacks his father and...
How Autism Transformed Our Family
I found Mohit and more importantly, he found himself.
Beyond Awareness: Week 2
Autism is neither good nor bad. It just exists, and it’s up to us…
Autism Advocacy: Beyond Awareness
So…once they have your attention, then what?
Making Decisions
Decisions like this are often made irrationally, only using the emotional aspect of the brain…
My Teenage Son
The following was shared by RDI mom, Bernadette Z. who works with consultant, Paulette Cormier I first met our RDI consultant when I was feeling somewhat lost with how to help my 16-year-old son...
One Guy’s Opinion: What it feels like to have autism as an adult
Ever wondered what it feels like to have autism? One guy shares his opinion on what it feels like to have autism as an adult.
RDI Program for Adults
I think that is where my stumbling block lies …preparing the proper time and space for successful work.
Help Teens Navigate Social Relations
How can you help your autistic teen build healthy social relationships? Dr. Kim Isaac tells us all about it.