Dr. Sabrina Freeman, the Autism Pundit

Author of three books on Autism – Teach Me Language, Science for Sale in the Autism Wars, and The Complete Guide to Autism Treatments (2011) – and mother of a daughter with Autism, Dr. Sabrina Freeman writes regularly, and honestly, about all things Autism. Her vast knowledge and experience on the topic becomes evident in many of her entries as she challenges research and policies she finds. As her tag line puts it nicely “question everything, expect evidence…”

The Autism Pundit has covered things like Bruno Bettleheim and his Refrigerator Mothers theory, tips on dealing with a child who has issues with sleeping, and the use of technology for treating Autism.

One of my favorite entries was The Dignity of a Job.

“Once your child has graduated from high school, whether in the typical educational stream or in the special education stream, the next question you need to ask is: How is he or she going to make a living?

Some of you may be thinking: “Is this realistic?” Yes, it is. Whether your child has Asperger’s Syndrome and can be completely independent at work, or is very severely affected, this is a topic that is worth considering… there is dignity to completing a job and getting paid for it.“

Here in IL, where it’s been described that high school students with disabilities “fall off a cliff” when it comes to having support and employment opportunities after graduation, JJ’s List is working to fight that. We not only work with people with disabilities to build essential employment skills, but we also work with businesses to teach staff how to interact naturally and confidently with people with disabilities, all with the long-term goal of increasing their opportunities for employment. Because at the core, all of us, disability or not, want dignity, not dependence.

Thank you Dr. Freeman for The Autism Pundit, it’s a great resource for us all.

Related articles

• Autism Pundit’s Sound Advice for Autism Speaks (autisminnb.blogspot.com)
• Refrigerator Mothers – a documentary showing an intimate portrait of an entire generation of mothers by Kartemquin Films
• Does Special Needs Equal Medication Needs? (dswalkerauthor.com)