What Happened at Bouncy World — And Why It Mattered
On April 7, 2024, WeBearish hosted an Autism Acceptance Week event. Here is what it looked like, and…
Read →The Words We Use Around Autism — What Helps and What Hurts
Language is not just communication. It shapes how we think. And the words most commonly used around …
Read →The ABA Debate: What Parents of Autistic Children Need to Know
Applied Behavior Analysis is the most widely covered autism therapy in the US. It is also one of the…
Read →What Is Neurodiversity — And Why It Changes Everything
Neurodiversity is not a buzzword. It is a framework that shifts autism from a disorder to be fixed i…
Read →Sensory Processing: What It Actually Feels Like From the Inside
Most people understand that autistic individuals can be sensitive to sensory input. Fewer understand…
Read →How to Talk to Your Child's School About Autism Acceptance
Navigating schools as an autism parent requires strategy, documentation, and knowing your rights. He…
Read →Stimming: What It Is, Why It Happens, and Why You Should Leave It Alone
Stimming is one of the most commonly misunderstood autistic behaviors. It is also one of the most im…
Read →Meltdowns vs. Tantrums: They Are Not the Same Thing
Parents of autistic children know the difference. But the rest of the world often does not — and the…
Read →Finding Your Community as an Autism Parent
The isolation of raising an autistic child in a world that does not understand them is real. Finding…
Read →The History of Autism: From Pathology to Pride
The understanding of autism has changed dramatically over the last 80 years. Understanding that hist…
Read →What Autistic Adults Wish People Knew About Their Childhood
The most important voices in autism advocacy are often the quietest in the room: autistic adults ref…
Read →Sensory-Friendly Spaces: What They Are and How to Create Them
A sensory-friendly space is not a special room in a building. It is a set of choices about design, n…
Read →The Puzzle Piece Symbol: Why the Autism Community Moved On
The puzzle piece has been the symbol of autism for over 50 years. It is also one of the most contest…
Read →How Schools Are Getting Autism Wrong — And What Would Actually Help
Despite decades of inclusion policy, most public schools are still fundamentally designed for neurot…
Read →Why Your Autistic Child May Not Look Autistic to You
Many parents are told their child cannot be autistic because they make eye contact, or have friends,…
Read →Masking: The Hidden Cost of Fitting In
Masking — suppressing autistic traits to appear neurotypical — is one of the most damaging and least…
Read →Co-occurring Conditions: Autism and ADHD, Anxiety, and More
Autism rarely arrives alone. Understanding the conditions that frequently co-occur with autism helps…
Read →Building a Sensory-Friendly Home Without Breaking the Bank
You do not need to renovate. Here are the practical, affordable changes that make a real difference …
Read →The Double Empathy Problem: Rethinking Social Difficulties in Autism
For decades, autism was defined by its social deficits. A 2012 theory turned that understanding insi…
Read →Why Autistic Girls Are Diagnosed Later — And Why That Matters
The diagnostic criteria for autism were developed primarily from studies of autistic boys. The resul…
Read →Special Interests: Not a Symptom, a Superpower
The intense, specific interests that many autistic people develop are often treated as something to …
Read →How to Talk to Other Kids About a Sibling's Autism
Siblings of autistic children have their own set of experiences, questions, and needs. Here is how t…
Read →Navigating the Healthcare System as an Autism Family
From diagnosis to ongoing care, the healthcare system is difficult to navigate for autism families. …
Read →What Autism Looks Like at Different Ages
Autism does not look the same at two as it does at twelve or twenty-five. Understanding how autistic…
Read →Building a Support Network When You Feel Completely Alone
The isolation of autism parenting is real. Here is how to build a network that actually sustains you…
Read →The First Year After Diagnosis: What No One Tells You
Getting an autism diagnosis for your child is the beginning of a journey that is nothing like you ex…
Read →ABA Therapy: What Parents Need to Know Before Saying Yes
Applied Behavior Analysis is the most commonly recommended autism therapy — and the most contested. …
Read →What Is Masking? The Invisible Work Autistic People Do Every Day
Masking is when autistic people suppress their natural behaviors to appear neurotypical. It works — …
Read →Getting Diagnosed With Autism as an Adult: What Happens Next
Thousands of people are diagnosed with autism as adults — in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond. The re…
Read →Sensory Overload: A Survival Guide for Parents and Autistic People
Sensory overload is not a tantrum. It is not a behavior problem. It is a neurological event. Here is…
Read →How to Walk Into an IEP Meeting and Not Get Steamrolled
The IEP process is designed to advocate for your child — but it only works if you know how it works.…
Read →Why Autism in Girls and Women Is Chronically Underdiagnosed
The diagnostic criteria for autism were developed studying white boys. Girls, women, and people assi…
Read →Parents Push for ABA Paraprofessionals at Clark County Schools — What It Means
A parent-driven bill aimed at adding ABA paraprofessionals at CCSD for students on the spectrum is a…
Read →The Neurodiversity Movement: Where It Came From and Where It Is Going
Neurodiversity is not a buzzword. It is a framework with a history, a community, and a body of resea…
Read →Acceptance vs. Awareness: What the Difference Actually Looks Like in Practice
Everyone talks about the difference between autism awareness and autism acceptance. Here is what tha…
Read →Stimming: What It Is, Why Autistic People Do It, and Why You Should Leave It Alone
Stimming — repetitive movements and sounds — is a natural self-regulatory behavior. Here is the scie…
Read →How to Find Your People: Building Community as a Parent of an Autistic Child
Parenting an autistic child can be isolating. The right community changes everything. Here is where …
Read →Autism in Black Families: The Diagnosis Gap No One Talks About Enough
Black children are diagnosed with autism later, less often, and with more misdiagnoses than white ch…
Read →Designing an Autism-Friendly Home: Small Changes, Real Difference
You do not need to renovate. You need to pay attention. Here are practical, affordable changes that …
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