One of the ongoing challenges of helping children with autism thrive is understanding behaviors that can seem baffling. When they’re toddlers, they’re easily misdiagnosed if they don’t fit the stereotypes of kids on the spectrum — especially girls. Older kids can also struggle to have their needs met by even the most supportive parents and teachers when they aren’t able to communicate clearly. Read More

The advice in this piece is so basic, it’s hard to believe that anyone would really need it. What’s more revealing here are the statistics: 81 percent of recent college grads surveyed said that they wish they learned more life skills during their education. In another survey, Gen Z was the most likely demographic to not know how much they spent in the last month. Figuring out the skills your children are going to need if they are to live independently and contribute to a household of their own sets them up for early success, but it takes intentional conversation to figure out those knowledge gaps and address them. Your best bet is probably to ask teens to make a list of skills they want to learn and things they are nervous about doing on their own. Read More

The entertainment and legacy media present abortion as empowering, but that’s not the feeling that impelled one mother to agree to a medication abortion. “I was scared to death,” she told researchers. Even five later, the woman — who still describes herself as “pro-choice” — says she regrets her chemical abortion. “Now I wish I would’ve just faced it all and had my baby,” she said. “I regret it still to this day and probably still will for the rest of my life.”

“I regret it every day and cry about it often,” said another woman one year after deciding to oversee her abortion at home. Far from making her feel independent, she said the overwhelming emotion she felt — and still feels — is “helplessness.”Read More