Banner
That Shouldn't Happen: The Just World Fallacy and Autism

Everyday, we hear about tragedies, some that hit too close to home for comfort, and our reactions...

Heaviness: Euthanasia For Expediency

It's all over the internet now, the story of the twin brothers in Belgium who were deaf and going...

What's the Harm: When Reality and Wishful Thinking Clash

I'm digging around for posts people have written on what to say/what not to say to autistic people...

Facilitated Communication: Same As It Ever Was (Same As It Ever Was)

In the past couple years, I’ve written over a dozen articles examining facilitated communication...

User picture.
picture for Robert H Olleypicture for Helen Barrattpicture for Gerhard Adampicture for Mark Bermanpicture for Vikki Cvichieepicture for David Andrews
Kim WomblesRSS Feed of this column.

Instructor of English and psychology and mother to three on the autism spectrum.

Writer of the site countering.us (where most of these articles will have first appeared) and co-administrator

... Read More »

 Blogroll
Eileen Riley-Hall’s Parenting Girls On The Autism Spectrum

Eileen Riley-Hall’s Parenting Girls On The Autism Spectrum

Apr 08 2012 | comment(s)


As almost every parent of an autistic child knows, there is no shortage of books out there on autism, but true gems are rare. Eileen Riley-Hall’s new book Parenting Girls on the Autism Spectrum is just that, though, a true gem and a must-have book for anyone with daughters on the spectrum.
Parenting Girls on the Autism Spectrum
World Autism Awareness Day 2012

World Autism Awareness Day 2012

Apr 02 2012 | comment(s)

Autism Speaks wants us to go blue. I sit here in my 2011 WAAD tee, all in blue, from hair to shoes. I am blue. Blue to celebrate today. Celebrate seems a weird word, doesn't it--what are we celebrating? That the UN declared April 2 World Autism Awareness Day? What does that even mean?
"Hey, everybody, autism exists"--celebrate that you know that? Celebrate autism, a condition that for at least a third of those diagnosed on the spectrum involves crippling disability? "Hey, you can't talk, can't write, can't take of yourself and self-injure!" Yay for that? 


I'm not sure what the celebration is really meant to be, as the aims are contradictory: 
Autism Awareness Month: As Many Perspectives on it as There are People in the Community

Autism Awareness Month: As Many Perspectives on it as There are People in the Community

Apr 01 2012 | comment(s)

The Autism Blogs Directory has approximately 1,000 blogs, websites, and forums representing autistic bloggers, family members, professionals, and other disability-related bloggers. It's grown so large that as blogs move up on the feed with new posts, I'm often surprised by a new-to-me blog (yes, Kathleen and I add them all manually, but I don't always get to read everyone and there's no way I could read every blogger anymore). Our directory continues to grow, with a handful of blogs being added each week.
No More

No More "Yeah, But": A Failure to be Accountable

Mar 31 2012 | comment(s)

I hear "yeah, but" all day long. I hear it from students at school. I hear it from my children. I read it and see it all over the internet; from autism-land to politics, we have become a nation of YeahButs. And it's enough. "Yeah, but" is ALWAYS an excuse for avoiding accountability, and it's not okay.

It's not okay for students to fail to show up prepared for class or with late work and offer me a "yeah, but" as to why they didn't take the course seriously and in an attempt to avoid the very real consequences that happen when work isn't done.

It's absolutely not okay for my children to ever think "yeah, but" will let the buck pass them by. Accountability for one's actions is a fundamental part of being an equal partner in social contracts.
New Autism Numbers: Ho-hum or Scary?

New Autism Numbers: Ho-hum or Scary?

Mar 30 2012 | comment(s)

Yesterday morning, I wrote that the The Canary Party's Ginger Taylor broke the embargo(courtesy LBRB) and revealed the new 1 in 88 rate that the CDC released later that morning.
Saturday Morning Conundrums on Support and Opposition for Autism Organizations

Saturday Morning Conundrums on Support and Opposition for Autism Organizations

Mar 24 2012 | comment(s)

The sounds of mowers (ours among the others) can be heard from where I sit inside in my recliner, hiding behind my laptop, trying to ignore the chaos that surrounds me. The kids have gone quiet in their rooms; I can no longer hear peals of laughter, squeals of delight and the rush of their running feet as they run from room to room, wrapped in their play. I've separated them each to their various rooms to clean, and doors have slammed shut, hiding any noise of electronics I failed to confiscate before demanding they de-tornado their rooms.