Tag: Autism

As your child grows into adulthood, independence in daily life becomes more important, including the ability to make balanced food choices. But if your young adult with autism has a limited diet or strong food preferences, getting them to try something new can feel like an uphill battle. Food isn’t…

As a parent of a child with autism, you know that emotional regulation can be one of the biggest daily challenges. Whether it’s frustration over a change in routine, sensory overload, or difficulty expressing feelings, big emotions can take over fast. We have a lot of tools we use at…

Teaching good hygiene habits is an important part of supporting your autistic young adult’s growth and self-sufficiency. However, personal care routines can often feel overwhelming due to sensory sensitivities, executive functioning challenges, or difficulty with task-switching. For many autistic individuals, hygiene tasks involve multiple steps that require motor planning, body…

Parenting a child with autism is an extraordinary journey filled with love, learning, and growth. Yet, it also comes with unique challenges that often feel overwhelming. Balancing therapy appointments, advocating for your child, and managing daily life can leave little space for personal care. This leaves many parents with the…

“Will my child be okay on their own?” “Are they really ready to take on these responsibilities?” “How can I best prepare them for what lies ahead?” It’s true–the journey to self-sufficiency for young adults is not without its trials.There will be moments of doubt, setbacks, and situations that test…

If you have been at Gersh Academy for any amount of time, you already know we are more than just a school; we are a community deeply committed to providing a nurturing and inclusive environment tailored to the unique needs of each student.  Every child’s educational journey is personal, filled…

Parenting an autistic child means endless questions, like “Is this autism, or is this developmental?” One thing many parents find themselves questioning is whether their child’s sensory sensitivities are a typical aspect of autism, or signs of SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder). Sensory Processing Disorder is characterized by the brain’s difficulty…

As our children grow, so much time is spent focused on their education, wondering if they will have satisfactory employment and if they will be able to live on their own. Yet, the ability to self-advocate is what most determines the quality of a person’s life.  Self-advocacy is the ability…

Most parents will never know the difficulty of trying to communicate with a child who struggles to speak. If you have a non-speaking or primarily non-speaking child, you are all too familiar with the endless desire to simply understand what your child wants at any given moment. As a parent…

Between therapies, groups, and specialists, when you have a child on the autism spectrum, you probably feel as if your schedule is always booked solid. Beyond that, keeping up with all of this, and making the most of your resources, is a feat all on its own. A care map…