Musings and What-not

I don't use Twitter so I can obsess over the number of followers I have... or don't have. I don't use Twitter so I can obsess over my grade . I don't use Twitter so I can obsess over my Twitterank . I don't use Twitter so I can obsess over my Twinfluence . I don't use Twitter so I can freak out over my latest Qwitter . I don't use Twitter because I want to be part of the Twitter Elite . In a nutshell, I don't invest a lot of my time obsessing over my TwitterStats . So, why do I use Twitter ? I use Twitter because I can quickly broadcast the URL to my latest blog post, the URL to an interesting article (usually about autism), or the URL to a great site I want folks to check out. With a 140-character limit, I can't afford to be long-winded which is why Twitter works for me. One of the things I don't understand about my fellow Twitters is how touchy some of them are.  If you don't follow them back, you receive a Qwitter notice tellin...

[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="section" _builder_version="3.22" custom_padding="7px|||||"][et_pb_row admin_label="row" _builder_version="3.25" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="3.25" custom_padding="|||" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" _builder_version="3.27.4" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat"] Something's amiss down under. One news report spoke of over-diagnosis, now another speaks of misdiagnosis. What is going on? According to ABC Local Radio , Experts say diagnosis of the condition in Australia is patchy, because doctors here don't apply the internationally accepted diagnostic criteria. Some patients are diagnosed as au...

Came across an interesting article that mentioned the concerns of over-diagnosis.  Queensland Australia's Education Minister, Dean Wells said, Some paediatricians are giving false diagnoses at the urging of parents so students receive more resources from the Education Department. "More important for me is making sure that we are not falsely labelling students and thereby consigning them to a lifetime of misdiagnosis." Healing… Through the Eyes of Autism. › Create New Post — WordPress Savage thinks there's a problem with over-diagnosis. Leary does too. The criteria for autism is broader nowadays, but I don't believes doctors are out there handing out the autism card like its Halloween candy. Autism's definitely not the end of the world, but I don't think people would intentionally ask for the diagnosis as Wells suggests. At least, I hope that's not what's happening. I came across a post interestingly titled Is Autism the New Gay? You may know the...

A few months ago, I did a post, on another site, similar to this one.  That post encouraged parents to think about the health of their child(ren) car seat. Tonight's post continues that thought process by encouraging the parent to further their thinking by considering the health of their car . This post stems from my recent car buying experience. I found it fascinating that a salesperson can tell me all about the engine's environmental features and gadgets, but yet they remain clueless when it comes to the safety of the interior. I'm not talking about the side safety curtain or front/side airbags. I'm talking about the fabric, the dash, etc. Lately, I've been really concerned about VOCs and their effect on my family which is why buying a new car has been more of a chore than the pleasant experience it should be. However, I'm incredibly grateful that I have assistance when it comes to selecting the healthiest car for us. HealthyCar.org is a great place for a co...

It appears that more and more adults are being diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome these days. Although, there are several organizations geared towards children on the spectrum, finding help can prove to be quite challenging for a newly diagnosed adult on the spectrum. So, where is one to go? The following is a short list of sites that offer resources, education, and support. Aspergers Association of New England offers information on adult diagnosis , assistance , and intervention . Amazon.com offers a slew of titles to help you further educate yourself. Amazon.com forum for Aspie adults.. Aspires (Aspergers Syndrome Partners & Individuals Resources, Encouragement & Support) Great blog with helpful information on living with AS. Interesting articles by a woman diagnosed with AS at age 40. AutismHelp.org offers helpful information for adult life with AS. Book on cognitive-behavioral therapy information for adults with AS. The National Autist...

Eating out can be a struggle when you have diet restrictions.  And I'm not referring to those restrictions you place on yourself when you want to lose wait. I'm talking about restrictions due to food senstivities. When you're out and about and you just so happen to be allergic to dairy, nuts, soy, wheat, seafood, gluten or some other food group, what are your choices? For those of you not in the know, Romano's Macaroni Grill is the place to go. At Romano's, you'll find menu choices for most common allergens. Romano's is the first restaurant that I know of that offers a menu sensitive to all its partons' needs. Here are the suggested menu options for those sensitive to Wheat and Gluten: INSALATA (SALADS): Caesar della Casa – No Croutons Garden della Casa – No Croutons Mozzarella alla Caprese SALAD DRESSINGS: Caesar Creamy Italian Balsamic Vinaigrette Garlic Lemon Vinaigrette Honey Mustard Sweet Italian Vinaigrette AMORE DE LE GRILL: (All Listed Without...

"Deep Breath In... Long Breath Out." Thanks, Sunshine !   I really needed that advice... especially for this post. The tragedy of autism is compounded by one fact that makes desperate parents wish they could turn back the hands of time: symptoms of the neurodevelopmental disorder typically show up when a child is 2 or 3 or even older, but by then it may be too late to prevent or reverse whatever glitches in brain development (still pretty much a mystery) underlie the disease. It is even on the late side for getting a child the behavioral interventions and special education that might mitigate some of the worst symptoms. The tragedy of autism? Tragedy? Desperate parents wishing they could turn back the hands of time? Desperate? 2 or 3 years old may be too old for intervention? Too old? Newsweek's Sharon Begley has me on edge right now. I can literally feel the blood in my veins boiling, and at any moment, I could spontaneously combust. To open an article with such a de...