“Dear Abby” has been “corrected” by readers who find her “way off base” for misclassifying autism. In a prior column, she had called it a “mental-health disorder.” Now she accepts that she was mistaken.

We like to see people beat the odds.  But how do you choose which dreams to chase?  When is chasing the "impossible dream" foolhardy vs. visionary?  

Warm and engaging, Augusten Burroughs' older brother John Elder Robison's memoir Look Me In The Eye: My Life With Asperger's is at once heartbreaking, inspiring and funny. 

I recently corresponded with James Williams, a college student and Elementary/Special Education major. James is the president of the Council for Exceptional Children at his university, a member of the Kappa Delta Pi Education Honor Society, and a member of his university’s Dean’s List. He also has Asperger’s Syndrome. James shared with me some strategies, resources, and tips to help students with Autism prepare for college and independent living.

A friend of mine recently sent me an article from New York Magazine that discusses the neurodiversity movement, which believes that society should accept autism as "another way of wiring the brain." This is a topic that I am often faced with as a researcher trying to understand the neural basis of autism with the long-term goal of developing more effective treatments. Here is the ethical dilemma...

Would you be able to recognize the difference between autistic behavior and the symptoms of abuse? The future of a child could depend on it.

Parents of children with autism can put great pressure on themselves to "fix" their children. How do you find the balance between helping the child function, and accepting their limitations?

The Autism community has been buzzing this week about a Kindergarten teacher who held a class vote to decide whether a child, who was in the process of being evaluated for an Autism Spectrum Disorder, should be voted out of the class. Was this an example of emotional abuse or a valid teaching strategy?

Children with autism are frequently diagnosed with mental retardation based on results from common IQ tests. But are these results always accurate?

The deficits caused by autism can set the stage for terrible misunderstandings with law enforcement. How can we prevent these unfortunate situations before they happen?

Many parents of children with autism choose to restrict their child's diet to eliminate Gluten (wheat protein) and Casein (milk protein). Claims have also been made that once a child has been put on this restrictive diet, their autism has been "cured", so is there any truth to this?

In a 2001 research paper, Simon Baron-Cohen describes Theory of Mind as "...being able to infer the full range of mental states (beliefs, desires, intentions, imagination, emotions, etc.) that cause action. In brief, having a theory of mind is to be able to reflect on the contents of one's own and other's minds." 

For many of those with autism or Asperger's, mindblindness, or lack of Theory of Mind creates major barriers to communication and closeness.  These barriers often lead to those nearest to the individual feel, whether real or perceived, a lack of empathy from the individual. 

But is that really the case?

 Why should we be positive about Autism?

 As a special education teacher, I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to teach many students with autism. During the course of my career, and my graduate studies in autism, I have encountered many articles, books, and news reports that portray autism in a very negative light. Having seen the unique personalities, sheer determination, and of course, great potential in my students...

Navigating in the "normal" world, for a person with Asperger's, can be difficult, if not downright painful.  The most difficult area for me to handle, personally, is rejection.  While some people with autism or Asperger's report a reduced desire for human attachment, the reality for many of us is to want it very much, but struggle to achieve it. 

In her recent post The Art of Neurodiversity, fellow PT blogger Cathy Malchiodi discusses the work of Stephen Wiltshire, an artist with autism known for his remarkable talent for duplicating scenes with photographic accuracy.

Ms. Malchiodi asks the very real question - should any type of diagnosis, psychological or neurological, come into play when looking at art, or is art just art?

Artist with autism Stephen Wiltshire has an uncanny gift for capturing any scene on paper with photographic accuracy. But is it the result of a mental aberration, the mind of a savant, or the work of an outsider artist? Or perhaps it’s neurodiversity.

Presuppositions. We all know what they are -- but what part do they play in our interactions?

Any member of a minority group will tell you stories in which they felt that they have been unfairly stereotyped - in which the other person made a presupposition about their character dependent on certain criteria - be it age, gender, race, or some other factor.

These are obvious cases of presuppositions impacting our social interaction. But are there situations in which presuppositions more subtly impact interactions?