Ran across a story today that just blew me away… not only is this an organization in Florida that I’ve worked with before, but they are truly living out philanthropy at its finest.  You can see the full story here, but in a nutshell, Madden, a branding and marketing company in Lakeland started at Noon [...]

Could it be that those diagnosed with autism actually have heavier brains and more neurons than those without the condition?  This could be just the tip of the iceberg into determining causes and treatments to help some very special people!  Read here to learn more… you decide.

A few weeks ago, I alluded to the fact that I’m not much of a reader, but I have found that once a good book gets in your blood, the interest in more good books sort of just keeps flowing.  When my husband suggested we go browse the Clearance racks at our local bookstore after [...]

This weekend was the start of college football.  Growing up in the south, I have loved this time of year since I wore my first Tennessee Volunteers cheerleading outfit as a two-year-old.  I like all sorts of sports, but there’s just something special about college football for me.
There were a few games over Labor Day [...]

I have friends and relatives alike who all of a sudden seemed to get on this “gluten-free diet” kick. over the past year or so  It seemed to have come out of nowhere, and I was pretty shocked and amazed when they would make such a big deal out of it.  If you don’t know, [...]

I’ll be honest.  I don’t really like to read that much.  Maybe it’s because I got so burned out in graduate school having to read so many books cover to cover that weren’t that interesting to me?  Maybe it’s because I enjoyed watching Sesame Street and Electric Company better than reading Nancy Drew as a [...]

My sister is developmentally disabled.  She is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, mental retardation and autism, but the last of these diagnoses has not always been a part of her life—something I only came to remember in the past few weeks.  Here’s my autism story.
It was late in the 1980s when the movie, Rain Man, came [...]

In recent weeks I’ve seen national and state stories in the news referencing some of the most horrific crimes against those with disabilities.  Whether young or old, given a chance at life or living life only to have it cut short, it’s amazing to me that people who have never had the chance to know [...]

Over a decade ago when autism was rarely talked about except among parent circles with like-minded children, educators at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee started a new project with the autistic child of a Lee alum in Florida.  In 1999, Lee students traveled 500+ miles to interact and help the child and family, who eventually [...]

OK I’m going to say it.  John Travolta and Kelly Preston are just like me.  They call Marion County, Florida home, and so do I.  O.K. we aren’t neighbors (have you seen the layout of their house in Jumbolair?), and I haven’t seen them in Starbucks or Cold Stone Creamery or Target like I’ve heard [...]

We in “the business” of serving and working with the developmentally disabled have gotten ourselves into a quandary.  While we strive for political correctness, as nearly everyone in this present age attempts to do, we’ve caused much confusion in our terminology and lingo among people of all ages.  Often when I’m speaking to people and [...]