You may have seen the video or read the blog post on Huffington Post:

So often we assume that people with autism don't understand or appreciate human emotion the way the rest of us do.  We tell ourselves that they're not really interested in connecting with others. 

I believe people with autism have the same wants and desires to connect with others that we all do, but that there is something getting in the way.  Perhaps it's difficulty understanding body language and facial expression, especially when the world expects an (almost) immediate and accurate response.  Perhaps it's the extra time needed to organize a response.

Think of navigating in a country where you don't understand the language or customs.  When you come across someone who is willing to take the time and reach out to you, it makes a huge impact. 

The beautiful reaction of Justin Timberlake, the crowd of concert goers, his family, and this young man show us the power of emotion to touch all of our lives and make us all more complete humans.

Happy Birthday, indeed.

I recently spoke with a friend about the change in her 5 year old son's behavior.  He had been having temper tantrums, and becoming upset more easily than other kids his age, although he has a very sweet personality and gets along well with his brother and classmates. 

The family recently decided to take the radical step of limiting their son's outside activities to no more than two per week, the rest of his time was spent in play with his brother, friends, or alone.  The result?  Tantrums gone.  More exploration and creative play that was driven by his interests.  An emphasis on cooperative and creative play.

Amazingly, the family has encountered some criticism, even though it has had an immediate positive impact on all their lives.  Other parents have said that his intellectual growth will be stunted, that the kids are missing out, etc. 

The effects of hurrying children are negative, earlier is NOT better.

Learn more at Mothering.com

This is a great article from Atlantic magazine which talks about the importance of having unstructured time to play.

Unstructured play not only builds motor coordination and social interaction skills, it enhances executive functioning which is essential for being able to focus, solve problems, read social situations and respond accordingly, and to learn.

The article also talks about unsupervised play, something many parents may be uncomfortable with.  Yet unsupervised play can mean that parents or trusted adults are available, yet not directing the activity. Children can, and should, have opportunities to figure things out.

As adults, we have to ask ourselves what our purpose is when we try to structure every activity our children do.  We want to provide them with enriching activities, yet one of the most enriching activities - the opportunity to learn and explore for oneself - is increasingly rare.  It's time to build in free time, for ourselves as well as our kids.