Jay Newman - Spectrum Parents

Parent reviewing papers at a kitchen table after a child’s autism diagnosis, with a notebook, folder, calendar, and child’s drawing nearby.

First 30 Days After an Autism Diagnosis

The first month is for orientation, not solutions. Here is a calm, week-by-week path through it, and permission to leave the rest for later.

Parent sitting with a young child at a kitchen table, reviewing notes while the child draws in a calm home setting.

Newly Diagnosed With Autism: A Parent Guide

The diagnosis hands you a new word for your child. It does not change who they are, and you do not have to understand all of it this week.

Parent gently supporting a young child beside a busy holiday family gathering at home.

Handling Holidays and Big Gatherings

The goal is not to make your child fit the celebration. It is to shape the celebration around your child. Here is how to make the season calmer.

A child smiles at a tablet screen in a calm, softly lit room, showing screen time as part of a predictable daily routine.

Screen Time and Practical Boundaries

The goal was never to ban the tablet. It was to give screens a calm, predictable place in the day, so turning them off stopped being a battle.

Parent and young child using a simple visual schedule together at a kitchen table with picture cards and daily routine items.

Visual Schedules for Daily Life: Autism Parent Guide

A visual schedule turns “I already told you three times” into something your child can simply look at. Here is how to build one that actually gets used.

Two children playing calmly with blocks and a puzzle during a supervised playdate at home.

Autism and Playdates: Helping Your Child Feel Comfortable

A good playdate is not measured in hours or in how much they played together. It is measured in whether your child felt safe. Here is how to set one up.

Parent supporting a young child in a calm sensory-friendly corner at home.

Understanding Sensory Processing Challenges

Why everyday sounds, lights, and textures can overwhelm an autistic child, what hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity look like, and how to spot the signs.

Young autistic man sitting at a table with his father in a calm home setting, with headphones and a sensory toy nearby.

Autism in Adults: A Parent’s Guide

Autism does not end at 18. A parent-to-parent look at what shifts when your autistic child becomes an adult, what stays, and the road ahead.

Parent and teacher having a supportive school meeting at a table with a notebook, folder, and classroom materials nearby.

Understanding IEPs: A Parent’s Guide

An IEP can look intimidating on paper, but underneath it answers one question: what does your child need to learn and feel supported at school?