Parents ask me about this all the time. Their child can have a long, detailed conversation with an adult about weather systems, trains, sea creatures, or Minecraft strategies. They may sound thoughtful, funny, even incredibly […]

There is a moment many parents know well. A child becomes overwhelmed, and everything suddenly escalates. Screaming, crying, running, hitting, and collapsing to the floor. Instinctively, adults move into problem-solving mode. We try to reason. […]

You ask your child a question. They don’t look at you. Their gaze drifts to the corner of the room, or the floor, or somewhere just past your shoulder. You wonder if they are listening […]

There is a moment many families recognize. A question is asked or a conversation begins, and then there is silence. Not the silence of disengagement, but the silence of a child who is listening, processing, and […]

Most people picture autism as a behavioral condition. Rocking. Repetitive routines. Meltdowns in the grocery store. Those things can be part of the picture, but they tend to show up later. What researchers and clinicians […]

Every parent who has watched another child talk in full sentences while their own toddler stays quiet has felt that particular anxiety. The answer depends less on how many words a child is using and […]

The first few days after an autism diagnosis can feel overwhelming for any family. The paperwork is new, the language is clinical, but the child sitting across the room is the same as they were […]

When a parent brings a child in for a developmental evaluation, the goal is not simply to answer “autism or not.” The clinician’s role is to understand the child’s developmental profile, identify the factors contributing to […]

A child who does not follow directions can look, from the outside, like a child who is choosing not to. The instruction was given. The child heard it. Nothing happened. And so the moment is […]