Author Archives: all about autism

Today is a special day at the Barber National Institute. We are celebrating Founder’s Day to commemorate the legacy of our founder, Dr. Gertrude A. Barber, and our enduring mission. Dr. Barber’s dream in 1952 was that children and adults … Continue reading →

As we enter our second week of school, I find myself a bit nostalgic as I think back to Ryan’s time in school. It’s hard to believe that it has been five years since he graduated high school! I truly … Continue reading →

It’s hard to believe that another school year is already here. Where does the time go? Last week was a sort of “soft start” to the year, as all our staff return for a week of inservices. We were excited … Continue reading →

Today’s blog was written by friend and colleague Luciana Randall, Executive Director of Autism Connection of PA in Pittsburgh. Lu started her career as an art education major and found many students with disabilities were included in her classrooms. Wanting … Continue reading →

As this past Sunday was Friendship Day in the US, I wanted to share a few of my thoughts about friendship. Friendship can be a challenge for children on the spectrum. From my personal experience, Ryan sadly had no friends … Continue reading →

It was July 26, 1990: At the invitation of President George H. Bush, Dr. Getrude Barber had traveled to Washington, DC to witness the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This was a momentous occasion for her because … Continue reading →

I recently read an article in which a young man with autism discussed what he’d like other people to know about autism. I wondered if I posed that question to Ryan, what would he say? What surprised me were his … Continue reading →