There was a humongous opportunity I took this year! The opportunity to speak at an elementary school in Kirkland, Washington! I was so excited about it! One of the first times in a long time of speaking in person in front of people and not in front of a camera. Especially when children are involved, then I was really looking forward to speaking at the event! Wanted it to be near perfect for the kids.

The topic that the teachers wanted me to focus on talking about was all about acceptance, community, and never dissing your ability. Completed the outline, practiced, and was off to the races! This was also the very first time I have done a keynote event without anyone with me. Normally, I would be accompanied by either my dad or my mom, but on that day, it had to be me; Everyone else was occupied. Population: ONE! Literally!

Was not as bad as I thought it would be. I now want more of it! Check in at the motel, get settled, explore a bit, enjoy some recreational activities, and be ready...

I hated getting on the bus.

I LOVE going on the bus!

Little bit of elementary lesson there about past tense and present tense. Class dismissed!

The school bus is a humongous breakthrough for me. Perhaps the bus can be yours too. Here is how the bus system works in the topic of autism.

I had to go to school. Being dropped off by my parents was not much of an option back then. Off to the bus whether I liked it or otherwise.

It would be easy to say something on the lines of:

• "I got used to the bus after a few hundred times of riding it."

True, many things become much better over time, but there is a bit more to it than just time. You see, I didn't take the BIG bus to go to school, I took a much smaller bus going to school. A bus so small it can carry around ten students at a time. We call it: The Little Bus. That little bus was not so noisy; Only about four students that ride it including me, and it would always be a quiet ride the whole way to the school and back home.

I...

Alternative title: What I have learned from Baseball during Elementary School

Still in the topic of autism, no worries here.

Baseball has been one of my favorite sports. I used to watch Ken Griffey Jr. on the television when I was very little when he played for the Seattle Mariners. Never really was in a team during school, but I sure do loved playing that game whenever we would have recces or when the P.E. teacher lets us.

Main reason why I wanted to talk a little bit about baseball is because to me, it has become a major breakthrough. A breakthrough in understanding a number of things.

• Fun
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Friendship
• Humor

How to have fun, how to communicate, what teamwork means, how to develop a mutual friendship with others, and what does humor mean? Developing a sense of humor was made possible partially by playing baseball.

You know the old banter. "We want a batter, not a broken ladder!" Yeah, that can get a cheap chuckle, the part that made me laugh with a lot...

Working with Your School to Help your Child with Autism

Your child with autism can be rapidly integrated into a mainstream classroom by working with your school to help your child with autism. You can do this by making sure you have an IEP in place. An Individualized Education Plan documents what services your child will receive when in school.

These services can include para educator support, occupational therapy, speech therapy, modified work plans, communication devices, and many other types of therapies and support systems. Your child will spend many hours at school.

Developing a good relationship with your school district is essential for the long term success of your child with autism.

Tyler's Notes:

First transition from the house. School! I have had so many great stories relating to school; It was one of the best things that has happened to me. The environment, the teachers, even the kids; Lots of times, I would feel very excited to go to school. There were the...

By Melanie Sandidge

The very necessity of having a meeting to develop an individualized education plan (or IEP) can be stressful. Walking into a room full of educated professionals can be intimidating. If you believe your child’s needs are at odds with whatever cost efficient solution being offered, preparation is mandatory. These meetings are not designed to make it easy for you to be an effective advocate.

Over the years, I have learned what works for my child, how to create effective partnerships with educators, administrators, and support staff, how to empower my child and increase his investment in his education, the crucial elements to a successful IEP and how the laws pertaining to special education function. Here is what you need to know.

Information is power

There is no copy and paste answer for helping your child have a beneficial educational experience. Inclusivity is amazing, when the climate and culture of the typically developing children in your child’s...

Tyler's School Presentation Video

My first professional public speaking engagement was in a middle school. Kopachuck warmly welcomed me to their event in which they have hired me to give some incite in autism and to share some motivation for the summer.

I can spend hours looking back and feeling down about how I have handled everything there, such as my movements after the speech and the way I styled my hair; not the most skilled hairstylist back then. But I would rather talk about good things about the event, and plus, it was my first professional public speaking event in which I was hired to speak and sell some books!

My dad told me that middle school students are one of the hardest groups to speak in front of. Couldn’t really figure out why that is, but I knew that I have do something to entertain and educate these kids. So I got on it with the outline and Dad coached me on how to use the outline well. Part of the outline contained some fun entertaining information about the...

In my final days of high school, I have discovered the processes I call the End School Crises.

For those who don’t know what the End School Crises (ESC) is, let my tell you what it’s about.

I have been in school for a really really long time. About 15 years I’d say including preschool twice and kindergarten. Throughout those years I was so used to the whole routine of getting up in the morning and going to school. I see familiar faces all around teachers, students, para-pros, and other staff members in the schools. I had the ESC in Elementary, Intermediate, and Middle school. But in High School, it’s big… very big.

Signs of ESC include:

• Doing unexpected things
• Acting crazy
• Making a fool out of yourself
• Adrenalin Rush
• Strong sensible emotions such as sad, or mad
• Do as much things as fast as possible
• Get in trouble usually
• Feeling lost
• Strong fear of leaving school

These are certain signs of ESC. It’s easy to remember the acronym by the far left...