Helpful Resources

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Autism
Navigating Love and Autism
From the NY Times, this article describes a young couple negotiating the complications of a romantic relationship though the lens of autism.

Learning Social Rules
Temple Grandin, the self-described "anthropologist from Mars," is a writer, teacher, speaker, and engineer with autism.  She created these four categories of social rules in order to help her understand the strange ways of her fellow earthlings.

Excerpt from the book, Parenting Your Asperger Child
There is no single "look" or presentation for a child with autism.  The author describes autism "subtypes" related to how kids experience and deal with anxiety.

Sleep and Autism
This article describes difficulties and strategies related to forming healthy sleep habits.

Lying and Autism: A Cognitive Milestone
Effective lying requires social perspective taking, so when a child with autism pulls one over on you, you might (quietly) celebrate!

Autism and Science Fiction
A man with autism describes why he and so many other people on the spectrum seem drawn to this genre.

Is it Autism or ADHD?
Symptoms of these conditions often overlap, and "higher functioning" kids especially might be diagnosed with ADHD before receiving an Autism diagnosis. ​

​Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Benefit of ADHD
This list is framed and posted in my waiting room.  Many people have asked for copies!

Excerpt from the book, The Gift of ADHD
I particularly appreciate the sections titled, "Goofing off is not giving up," and "On the importance of being confused."

The Upside of ADHD
ADHD is a "context disorder," engendering traits that are as helpful in some situations as they are difficult in others.  

"Can't" and "Won't": often it's not one or the other.
A cute anecdote: just because the author is incentivized to sit still for awhile, doesn't meet she can choose to do so forever.    

ADHD and The Adolescent Driver: A Guide to Promoting Safety Behind the Wheel
Teenager + Attention Deficit... yikes!

Treating Patient With Complicated ADHD
Many people diagnosed with ADHD experience other psychiatric issues as well.  This article discusses three of those issues--aggression, anxiety, and depression--with a special focus on medication management.  

How to ADHD
An engaging and distracting (in a good way) "ADHD toolbox," mostly in video form.  

Comedy video, How To Know If You Have ADHD, by Youtuber Ryan Higa,
is a humorous peek inside the brain of someone with ADHD.

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COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
News As Medication
Information is like medicine for anxiety - the correct type in the correct dose can be helpful.  But beware: opportunities to overdose on bad information abound.
Outcome Bias
Outcome bias—aka the I Told You So error—happens when we evaluate decisions and behaviors after the fact, based on how things turned out. Even if you or someone close to you contracts COVID-19, you are probably still doing the best you can. 
Stress and Control
COVID-19 presents a smorgasbord of stressors, all laid out daily and vaguely on an uncertain timeline. While pandemic is unprecedented for us, COVID-19 is not the modern world’s first pandemic or extended trauma, and our predecessors help provide guidance for us to adapt.  Each of us has power to influence the likelihood that we and those around us stay healthy!
Exercise and Movement
While our prehistoric brains are encouraging us to "conserve energy" sheltering at home, our bodies and minds need movement in order to feel good, focused, primed for productivity, and sleeping soundly. 

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Other Topics of Interest
'Coming Out' as Anxious
From the NY Times, the author describes his ongoing process of managing anxiety--paradoxically--by embracing it. 

Video Gaming and the Internet Feels Really Good
One theory of motivation that seems to explain why gaming and the internet can so easily pull us in and push out other activities.  (Pardon my scribbles in the margins.)

Old-Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills
Turns out play is not just for fun or to pass the time; rather, it is essential to kids's cognitive and emotional development. 

Mental Health: What's Normal, What's Not
When does unusual behavior become a diagnosis?  The answer does not involve perfect math, but a logical system exists.

Why Adolescence Is More Brutal For Parents Then Teenagers
From New York Magazine: “Most adolescents seem to be going through life in a very pleasant haze... If you look at the narrative, it’s ‘My teenager who’s driving me crazy.'"

www.KidsHealth.org
Good, reliable and easy to search articles on mental health (and physical health too), with separate sections for kids, teens and parents.