Asperger's Society of Ontario

Your Sunday morning smile! :D

"The collection [of videos and resources], released on September 21, stars Julia, the 4-year-old Sesame Street muppet with autism, and helps autistic kids work through difficult concepts like social distancing, disrupted routines and mask wearing." https://www.today.com//sesame-street-clip-helps-kids-autis

A piece by autistic self-advocate Christa Holmans on "Masking, Mental Health, & Burnout". "My most recent burnout has helped me to realize the value and necessity for self-care and forced me to look at myself with more self-compassion. I made my mental and physical health a priority and stopped spending time with people who need me to be the masked version of myself." https://neurodivergentrebel.com//an-autistic-perspective/

"These findings are striking because they fly in the face of orthodox views of autistic people that autistic people don’t want friends, have little social motivation and prefer a life of self-isolation. Our study shows that clearly this is not the case." https://www.spectrumnews.org//we-need-better-strategies-/

At 8pm ET tonight (October 20th), ASO board member, Shawn Avery, is participating in a FREE IG live event with Youth Speak. Shawn will be sharing his thoughts about "Thriving with Autism". This is a FREE event you can check out on Youth Speak’s Instagram account https://instagram.com/youthspeakcan.

A look at the impact COVID-19 has had on relationships in which one or both partners has an Asperger/autism profile. https://www.aane.org/considerations-neurodiverse-couples/

"The study explores how autism may manifest differently between sexes, with females who have autistic traits using behavioural camouflaging strategies so that they appear less autistic in social interactions, which can in turn lead to a delay in diagnosis." https://www.theguardian.com//autistic-girls-going-undiagno

Autistic burnout can happen at any age, including to young autistic people as they are faced with increases in demands or changes. Add to that risk reduced communication and the situation can become intensely distressing for the individual and for those caring for them. As this image shows, signs can include: * Intense meltdowns * Struggles with self care * Loss of executive functioning skills... * Unable to mask in social situations * Reduced memory capacity * Unable to speak/form words & sentences For a deeper dive including additional signs, causes & how to manage, please see: * Video: Amythest Schaber, Ask An Autistic: What is Autistic Burnout? www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZwfujkNBGk * An outstanding infographic (click here: bit.ly/2VpSLC4) from the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network Image credit: Super-Spectrum-Girl - @superspectrumgirl (instagram)

A group of young adults with autism explain some of the communication differences and challenges experienced by folks on the spectrum. https://bit.ly/3cdylGM

Some folks on the spectrum struggle with dyscalculia (difficulty in developing number sense and learning basic maths). Learn the common symptoms, indicators and find lots of helpful resources here: https://specialneedsprojecteec424.weebly.com/dyscalculia.ht

Learn more about autistic burnout in this publication. "According to the study, autistic adults say chronic life stress and a mismatch of expectations and abilities without adequate supports is very difficult. Autistic burnout had a negative impact on autistic adults health, capacity to live independently, and quality of life, including suicidal behaviour" https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases//mali-ab052120.php

Cosmic Kids Yoga is an amazing YouTube channel that combines yoga with storytelling for kids. There's even an episode that focuses on hand washing safety, which may come in handy at the moment... :D https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga

We know this year's Thanksgiving celebrations look a little different. We hope that you and your family are finding ways to celebrate together even though you may be apart. We still have so much to be thankful for! The ASO is thankful for our caring, supportive community! What are you thankful for?