# data[].attributes.body
How are you increasing users exposure to other users successful with their AT?
We mentioned these:

Roll with Cole and Charisma

Lotsacomptons

Lost Voice Guy

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
How are you teaching it?  This article talks about breaking up our big goals into smaller achievable steps toward self advocacy.  While it's not about AT, the same strategies can be applied.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If the address matches an existing account you will receive an email with instructions to reset your password.

# data[].attributes.body
We are using newsletters to reach more families.  We use this platform?  How are connecting with families?https://www.smore.com/?utm_source=google_ads&utm_campaign=own_brand&utm_content=smore_newsletter&utm_term=professional

# data[].attributes.headline
Great resource from a speaker from CTG 2020

# data[].attributes.subject
Great resource from a speaker from CTG 2020

# data[].attributes.body
We are using a modified version of the 3 Columun Feature Chart found on this webpage (in section 4 under AT consideration), to foster team discussion immediately after a referral.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Activity/Task Analysis Identify the activity/task that is difficult to do. Analyze the task-demands of the activity. Determine which specific task-demands are difficult for the student. Consider AT (specific tools for specific tasks) Use a consideration guide to find AT features that could

# data[].attributes.headline
Question from today's presentation: how do you involve young ones who have complex communication needs in AT decision making?

# data[].attributes.subject
Question from today's presentation: how do you involve young ones who have complex communication needs in AT decision making?

# data[].attributes.headline
How do get your users, involved in their own decision making for AT?

# data[].attributes.subject
How do get your users, involved in their own decision making for AT?

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Framing the Future of Learning with Technology

# data[].attributes.headline
Our district is developing more inclusive technology practices through our participation in CITES

# data[].attributes.subject
Our district is developing more inclusive technology practices through our participation in CITES

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems (CITES) aims to empower school districts to build and maintain technology systems that include every student, particularly children and youth with disabilities who require assistive technology and accessible materials. The CITES Framework is a helpful guide that encourages positive change within a district. It works alongside technology and instructional efforts already in place, bringing together experts and coaches at various levels to assist local teams in making and maintaining inclusive technology systems.

What's New?

The alphabet soup of acronyms can be confusing. Using a shared language is an essential step in coordinating systems. Our glossary of terms can help!

The CITES framework offers districts a step-by-step process for identifying and removing systemic barriers to implementation of inclusive technology.

Explore concepts, strategies, and tools that promote inclusive teaching and learning opportunities for both youth and adult learners.

Technology supports access to learning.

The CITES Framework offers district leaders the opportunity to collaborate so that all learners with disabilities have the supports, scaffolds, and tools to be and feel successful.

Learn more about our Community of Practice

Featured CITES Events

Search all CITES Events

Critical Considerations: Inclusive Technology Practices for All Learners

This free webinar hosted by CoSN will provide an overview of critical inclusive considerations including device capacity, the management and interoperability of devices, the accessibility of technology tools and resources, and the security of inclusive technology infrastructure systems.

Access the archive

Top of Page

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
CITES - Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems: Framing the Future of Learning with Technology

# data[].attributes.headline
Are you participating in any great online community groups for AT or AAC?

# data[].attributes.subject
Are you participating in any great online community groups for AT or AAC?

# data[].attributes.headline
Does anyone have care team meetings in the medical setting or private practice?

# data[].attributes.subject
Does anyone have care team meetings in the medical setting or private practice?

# data[].attributes.body
Love this video to show the power of teaching core vocab. It really hits home for parents and teams that we need to think about long-term communication skills and self-advocacy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Power of Core Vocabulary: Life Saving!

# data[].attributes.headline
There is a CTG on demand session by Kirsten Kohlmeyer: 

# data[].attributes.subject
There is a CTG on demand session by Kirsten Kohlmeyer: 

# data[].attributes.body
"Parent Education to Facilitate use of Assistive Technology Tools across Educational Transitions: Results of a Pilot" that covers ways to provide and measure outcomes of parent education

# data[].attributes.headline
Written resources on advocacy skills, communication channels, and local, district, and state resources are helpful as well

# data[].attributes.subject
Written resources on advocacy skills, communication channels, and local, district, and state resources are helpful as well

# data[].attributes.body
This is a PBS show all about science hosted by Stephen Hawking. It shows Stephen using his device and using his chair. For one of my students (who LOVED science) it was really powerful for him to see someone who looked like him doing an interesting activity. (The show isn't about Stephen or his disability. He's hosting it.)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
About the Episodes

Can We Time Travel? In this mind-bending episode: Can three volunteers work out if time travel is possible? Hawking leads us on a fascinating journey of discovery, featuring DeLoreans, clocks, a giant black hole and a large swathe of New York City. It seems as if nothing is beyond his imagination. Without any mathematics or equations, he effortlessly manages to get three non-scientists to grasp 4 dimensional space and time travel.

Are We Alone? The task is to work out the likelihood of alien life out there in the universe. Cue an extraordinary journey of discovery, involving tons of sand, huge machinery, some straightforward thinking and several amazing, head-exploding reveals.

Why Are We Here? This episode is truly mind-bending - can they work out why they exist at all? Featuring smashed glasses, spooky castles and a truly freaky flash-mob illustration of multiple universes, Why Are We Here? takes the subjects down a rabbit hole of deeply profound realizations.

Where Did the Universe Come From? Can we work out where the universe comes from? With the help of racing cars, ice-skaters, balloons and running tracks, Hawking leads his three intrepid souls to a deeper understanding of the evolution of the universe than the average physics major.

What Are We? A new set of volunteers explore self-assembling machines, light-up bacteria and the world's first physical demonstration of evolution in action conspire to totally revolutionize their view of life. We discover not only that our bodies are machines of incredible complexity, but how they came to exist and how long it took for our lives to come about.

Where Are We? Volunteers use a helicopter, a boat and a powerful laser, can to prove the earth is round - and even measure it. Next they head off to the iconic Black Rock Desert to try and get a grip on the massive scale of the solar system.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Can We Time Travel? In this mind-bending episode: Can three volunteers work out if time travel is possible? Hawking leads us on a fascinating journey of discovery, featuring DeLoreans, clocks, a giant black hole and a large swathe of New York City. It seems as if nothing is beyond his imagination.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Let's find your place. Your place for coffee, for lunch, for quality time with friends & family.

Sociability helps disabled people find accessible places. Whatever you're looking for - get detailed, reliable & accurate accessibility information in the palm of your hand.

We know you know best. We don't use vague labels like 'accessible' or 'inaccessible' - because accessibility is personal. Instead, we give you the details you need to decide if a place is accessible for yourself - no matter where, why or with whom you're going.

Many hands make light work. Our Sociability community is always looking out for each other - finding, tagging and sharing accessible places so that others can enjoy them too. But we're not there yet. We need your help to grow this movement - so, please spread the Sociability word and like, share, comment & follow!

That's it! What are you waiting for!? Download the Sociability app on iOS or Android right now, for free.
Are you ready to make the world a more Sociable place?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Let's find your place. Your place for coffee, for lunch, for quality time with friends & family. Sociability helps disabled people find accessible places. Whatever you're looking for - get detailed, reliable & accurate accessibility information in the palm of your hand. We know you know best.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The world isn't designed for everyone in mind. Millions of places all around the world are still inaccessible to people with disabilities. That's why we're building a movement that celebrates access by connecting people to inclusive, welcoming places for all.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
AccessNow - pin-pointing accessibility worldwide

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The world isn't designed for everyone in mind. Millions of places all around the world are still inaccessible to people with disabilities. That's why we're building a movement that celebrates access by connecting people to inclusive, welcoming places for all.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Introducing Accessible Places on Google Maps

# data[].attributes.body
In this show, Zoe's dad's speech is affected.  In some episodes he uses a game buzzer to communicate yes/no answers and he and the family quickly get frustrated.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist - Premieres Sunday, February 16 at 8/7c. A woman starts to hear people's innermost desires through songs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Mitchell, who has acted in Hollywood since 1990, was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident in 2001.

Audiences see actor Daryl "Chill" Mitchell in his wheelchair on shows like " NCIS: New Orleans" or " Fear the Walking Dead " and assume he is playing a part. It's easy to see why, as Mitchell, who has been acting in Hollywood since 1990, was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident in 2001 and his roles from before his accident are still in heavy rotation on television. But being an able-bodied performer set a precedent for Mitchell, and allowed him to be one of the few late-in-life disabled actors to transition into an equally successful career post-accident.

In the immediate aftermath of his accident there certainly was hesitation about whether Hollywood would keep Mitchell. He recounted how just four months after his accident he was back on national television on the series "Ed." "I sat down to meet with the producers; they were nervous to even meet with me because they were like, 'What are we gonna say to him?'" Mitchell told IndieWire. "I just started explaining some of the funny things that have happened to me since I was in a chair [and] it was like 'Man, you got the job.'"

Mitchell understands his privilege when it comes to being a formerly able-bodied actor. There's certainly a distance between people with disabilities like him and those who were born disabled. "A lot of times when I speak on behalf of the disabled community it's like I'm feeling, 'Man, you ain't been disabled long enough to be the speaker," he said, but that compelled him more to utilize his platform to advocate for disability rights in general - and his voice is necessary.

Considering the lack of disabled people, especially people of color with disabilities, Mitchell's success is indicative of the need for more disabled stories. For Mitchell, to lose a role to a skilled actor just because of stairs isn't just a loss for the performer, but for the production as a whole. "One time I asked them [the producers] to come downstairs. I didn't get the job, but I set a precedent," he said.

"I still do things to make things accessible for myself and that's because being Black in the business I've already faced adversity. There were a lot of things I had to dance around to make things work with me," he said. Mitchell has his own Winnebago, complete with ramp, to allow him a place to relax. He also travels with his two sons, who can help with any physical handling. But, more importantly, Mitchell crafts a set that is understanding of disability.

©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection

On the "NCIS: New Orleans" set Mitchell explains that every crew member understands how to work with him and have absolutely no qualms with aiding in everything from transferring to creating accessible chairs and other tools to help with his performance. "Why can't they [the industry] make this for everyone else?" he said. Mitchell explains that accessibility that he utilizes ends up benefiting the rest of the production, like with those on set that use push cameras, carts, and other wheeled items. In the end, though, what Mitchell is asking for with regards to his disability shouldn't be controversial in the grand scheme of things. "[Hollywood] pays all this money to get certain actors out of jail or put them in rehab but if I'm asking for a simple ramp you won't give me a problem," he said.

Mitchell explained that much of the conversations we're now having with regards to disability aren't very different from the discussions about Black inclusion in Hollywood. Disability "is something that's unusual that they don't normally have to deal with," he said. "The conversation you and I are having is still the same about race in America." Mitchell said it's up to showrunners and others in power to work alongside disabled performers, to talk to each other and say that working with a disabled performer is no different than any other actor.

"It's your job and campaign and make somebody else feel easy. Or at least plant that seed in their mind," he said. "If Steven Spielberg worked with me and he tells some other big producer they're gonna be like, 'Well, Steven worked with him and I'm gonna give him a shot. What's the worst that can happen?'"

Mitchell said that it's definitely the beginning of a new era with regards to actors with disabilities. In the case of "NCIS: New Orleans," the show works with a large pool of disabled performers - but there's still a ways to go. Mitchell understands that, for many people, him being in one of the two most prominent franchise series on television means audiences might be exposed to a disabled performer for the first time. "I'm honored to be the first one that they see. What I don't like is being the only one that they continue to see," he said.

Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'Fear the Walking Dead' Star Daryl Mitchell Says Fans Don't Believe He's Disabled

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Mitchell, who has acted in Hollywood since 1990, was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident in 2001. Audiences see actor Daryl "Chill" Mitchell in his wheelchair on shows like " NCIS: New Orleans" or " Fear the Walking Dead " and assume he is playing a part.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In the summer of 2020, the Crip Camp Impact Campaign hosted a 15 week virtual camp experience that featured trailblazing speakers from the disability community. With nearly 10,000 participants, Crip Camp 2020 showed the power of committing to accessibility for all.

# data[].attributes.body
Janet Peters session: "Families as Partners in Technology Implementation"

# data[].attributes.body
Denna Morrow, Heather Prenovost, Micaela Smith session: "Starting sooner: AAC Skills for Success in the Real World"
St. Paul school district staff discuss programs used in their Transition Program including safety and self-advocacy, communication and travel, and wellness and sexuality.

# data[].attributes.body
The model of service our district uses is to be out in the building regularly. I serve 10 buildings. I make bi-weekly times to be out in the buildings. I then ask specialists to team on those days. Consulting, training staff and/or students, assessing, implementing, delivering equipment, and troubleshooting.

# data[].attributes.body
Keri Huddleston session: "But what if the Teachers won't do it?" Tips for successful School-based AT Services.

# data[].attributes.body
Link from today's presentation.  We are using it in short 2-5 minute trainings that include the teacher and assistants, and modeling with the student.  How are you using this resource in your district?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Looking for a quick, easy-to-read resource to supplement your AAC trainings with colleagues and families? In today's post we share a flipbook-style handout that might come in handy. It covers basic tips under these headings:

AAC Near Me (See me, see my AAC)

Speak AAC (Aided language input)

Speaking Style (Descriptive talking)

Expectations (Setting the bar high)

Support (AAC facilitation strategies)

FAQs (Q & A about implementation)

You can download the file here.

Edited: This was translated into Spanish as part of the Hablando PráctiCAAmente project, coordinated by Deanna Wagner. Dianna Angeles was the translator and Claudia Marimón assisted with the editing. You can access the Spanish edition here.

Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking

This post was written by Carole Zangari

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
PrAACtical Resources: AAC 101 Flipbook Handout

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Looking for a quick, easy-to-read resource to supplement your AAC trainings with colleagues and families? In today's post we share a flipbook-style handout that might come in handy.

# data[].attributes.headline
TV shows with Characters with Disabilities

# data[].attributes.subject
TV shows with Characters with Disabilities

# data[].attributes.body
Link from today's presentation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A big part of raising awareness and acceptance for people with disabilities is making their stories part of popular culture. Check out our list of TV series that have had regularly featured characters or performers with special needs. Be sure to check out reviews before watching because they aren't all kid-friendly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
TV Series Featuring Characters or Performers With Disabilities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A big part of raising awareness and acceptance for people with disabilities is making their stories part of popular culture. Check out our list of TV series that have had regularly featured characters or performers with special needs. Be sure to check out reviews before watching because they aren't all kid-friendly.

# data[].attributes.body
Link from today's presentation

# data[].attributes.body
Link from today's presentation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

# data[].attributes.body
Link from today's presentation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's a beautiful Sunday in July. We've already taken our son Finn to CVS to buy him his favorite Tic Tacs, and now we're at Trader Joe's. On the usual Sunday line at either store, he'll rock from one leg to the other, bounce in place, or stim, flapping his wrists up and down. He has autism spectrum disorder, and patiently waiting isn't a skill he's mastered, even though he's almost 12 years old. He's rocking now, further agitated by the level of activity and noise. His behavior draws curious stares, but I'm used to these, and am frankly past the point of caring what others think. Nevertheless, I'm on guard, my senses at attention. I've had enough outings with Finn to know what's possible. While I'm unloading the grocery cart he might suddenly bolt to the back of the store or out the front door, forcing me to abandon my spot in line in order to chase him. He might vigorously open and close his bent arms at chest level, how he communicates "all done," a desire which if not immediately met may prompt sudden aggression, as it did last Sunday, when he hit me in the face, knocking off my glasses and cutting the bridge of my nose.

Today we're okay. Our cashier sees his impatience, the way he keeps touching the cart ahead of ours, and when it's our turn she lets him help scan the items and load them into the cart, activities that ground and calm him. Nevertheless, I know where we're going next. It's the only place where all of us-my husband, our neurotypical daughter, our dog, and I-can truly relax as a family: our local park, Fresh Pond.

When Finn was still very small, I spent more time taking him to public places-cafes, restaurants, open-air concerts, stores. He didn't walk until he was 2, and when he was in a stroller, I could always wheel him out if the environment prompted a tantrum or a fit. "Bad" behavior also seemed more publicly acceptable coming from a toddler or small child. (Kids will be kids, right?)

But as Finn got bigger and louder, and faster and stronger-and he's all of these now-our choices for safe public outings narrowed. One time in Target, I turned my back and he was gone. He'd run so far, so fast that it took three floor reps on walkie-talkies to locate him. Another time, we were at Petsi Pies, a favorite local bakery, waiting for a pie I'd ordered in advance. On this day, the cafe was loud and crowded. One moment Finn was with me at the counter and the next he'd overturned a glass of water at someone's table. I rushed over, offering explanations and apologies, before I took him out of the cafe as fast as I could.

The park is an environment where a range of sensory input is available but is not overwhelming; it's something children with sensory disorders can manage on their own. My son's unusual movement, his noise, his yelping, all can be as loud or as wild or as strange as he'd like. My son is rarely the spectacle he would be in other spaces, even playgrounds. The openness of this mixed-use space simply surrounds us.

When we think about making public spaces accessible to disabled people, we usually think about making those spaces accessible to people with physical disabilities. But the fact is that for many families like mine-with members who are on the spectrum or have other sensory or mental disorders-parks and playgrounds are vitally important, an affordable mixed-use space that can be valuable for every member of the family.

Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires that all public spaces, including public parks and playgrounds, be accessible to all people with disabilities. But in Massachusetts, where I live, the Architectural Access Boards (AAB) regulations contain only a limited number of sections on playgrounds. These require "an accessible route to all play equipment" and nothing more. For families with children on the spectrum, safety is a prime concern that isn't addressed in the ADA language. Those children need enclosed spaces where they can be seen by caregivers. And given how closely people on the spectrum may interact with the materials and plants in parks and playgrounds, those spaces should be free of toxic plants, thorny plants, or rash-causing plants.

"Usually in a park, there are things for every level of capability," explains Susan Gilroy, director of Autism Support Center in Danvers, Massachusetts. "Whether it's playing in the dirt or swimming or going on a slide. Whatever the activities are. It's endless what kids can do." She says that while special-needs families are often fearful of participating in community activities because they're concerned about disrupting the community or attracting unwanted attention, that time is really what's best for parents and children alike.

And for struggling families-families who can't afford residential schools, endless nannies, bigger apartments, or backyards-public parks and playgrounds are an oasis of relief, the only affordable and safe space where they can take their disabled child without having to be constantly on guard.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average cost of raising a child to adulthood is roughly $240,000. Autism Speaks estimates that the lifetime cost for an individual with autism and/or intellectual disability is $1.4 million to $2.4 million. Special equipment, occupational therapy, at-home therapies, specialized caregivers, and one-on-one aids all add to the cost. Some expenses are covered by insurance. Many are not. Available social services also vary widely state by state. On top of that, often a parent will have to forgo career opportunities in order to dedicate themselves to care or advocacy for their child.

Tina Winsett has a 22-year-old daughter with autism who still lives with her in their Texas home. Unlike Massachusetts, where I live, Texas doesn't offer much in the way of public services for children and adults with special needs. "For her level of disability, there's just so little," Winsett says. "For the foreseeable future, she will be home with me." Her daughter Brooke is on a waiting list for a two-day-a-week program, but needs 24/7 attention. As a result, Winsett's job opportunities are limited to activities she can do with her daughter inside their home: catering and sewing.

Having a park, Winsett says, is a "godsend," especially when Brooke starts going "stir crazy" in the house. "She'll start going to the front door, bringing me my purse and my keys. There have been days that she stood at the front door for two hours. If it's raining, I have to redirect her." Like many people on the autism spectrum, Brooke is soothed by routine and the familiar, and she's "really comfortable" at the park, where she can go off on her own. For Brooke, who's too big for the equipment at the local playground, the public park is a great alternative, and a way to safely exercise.

"The good thing with the neighborhood parks," explains Winsett, "is that people get us and we don't have to be stared at, or have to explain." Parks are not only safe spaces for children, but because they are often bordered by landscaping or fencing, they can also be safe spaces for parents. "Normally, you never can let your guard down," says Winsett. "You never know when she might spot something across the street that catches her attention. It's really such a nice thing to be able to take a breath, to grab a cup of water."

Chaka Gordon found local playgrounds and parks absolutely necessary for her youngest child, who was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 5 and anxiety and sensory processing disorder (SPD) at 7. Living in Portland, Maine, and then Asheville, North Carolina, she took her daughter to the park every single day. "She was a crazy cat in my house. She was always stomping. Climbing everywhere and climbing everything."

Because Gordon was car-free while living in Portland, she relied on the parks within walking distance of her house, strapping her daughter to her body to keep her safe as they walked there. But she had to make sure that the park was fenced. "Otherwise, she'd just run off."

Gordon's daughter wasn't diagnosed until age 5, so she wasn't eligible for the early-intervention services provided by the community that so many families depend on. Her daughter's severe anxiety often kept her home. Like Winsett, Gordon, who is divorced, has had to look for jobs where she could either bring her daughter or work from home. She's worked as a house cleaner, an after-school teacher, and a freelance writer and editor.

The playground was a great place for Gordon, not only because it allowed her daughter to work off her considerable energy, but also because she could be her "loud self" without Gordon having to worry about neighbors. "Trying to control her to meet social norms and expectations, I started being embarrassed. I had to learn how to see her differently. It was good for her to get her needs met, and for me to be someplace where it didn't stress me out."

The fact that parks and playgrounds work well for people with autism and other sensory issues is often an accident, not the result of city planning committee efforts.

"When the children become older, their peers start to notice more," explains Gilroy. "A 3-year-old doesn't notice, but an 8- or 9-year-old will notice any subtle difference. It does fall on the families or the adults around to facilitate, to be interpreters for their children, both interpreting the outside world for their child or interpreting their child for the outside world." Parks can offer a respite.

Winsett and Gordon both benefit from local parks, but not everyone can access well-maintained public green space, especially in cities. The Trust for Public Land maintains a database evaluating park access and quality in the 100 largest U.S. cities. Adrian Benepe, the Trust for Public Land's director of national programs, says that while "the majority of public parks in America are funded with public funds," many communities don't invest in local parks, even if they have the funds to do so. "Some cities don't pay for parks because they have no money. Other cities don't spend money on parks because they are tax averse. They don't adequately fund the public sector."

The fact that parks and playgrounds work well for people with autism and other sensory issues is often an accident, not the result of city planning committee efforts. But in the United Kingdom, there's a growing interest in designing spaces with autistic people in mind. According to Katie Guirdon, a designer working with the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design who co-authored a research paper called "Green Spaces: Outdoor Environments for Adults with Autism," in the United Kingdom, autism is more widely considered "another way of being," not a "disease that can be cured." It's not unusual in England to find mainstream supermarkets with certain hours that are neurodiversity friendly, along with sensory rooms in sports stadiums and police officers trained in recognizing and dealing with people on the autism spectrum.

The aim of Guirdon's paper, part of a series developed with the support of the Kingwood Trust, was to research and design "housing for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through better understanding of their needs, aspirations and the physical environment."

Matthew S. Goodwin, one of the experts Guirdon consulted on her paper, and associate professor at the Bouve College of Health Science and the Khoury College of Computer Science at Northeastern University, lauds the U.K.'s emphasis on inclusion and thinks a change of cultural attitudes would go a long way in the United States. "We've not done as good a job educating society as we've done educating people with autism," he says. "When we keep autistic children and adults hidden away, society never encounters them. But if we see them in the community, we learn they're atypical but not dangerous. Society can only become more accommodating through exposure."

But few public spaces are truly welcoming and accessible to autistic people. "It's really hard to write guidelines for people with sensory issues," says Denise Arnold, a Chicago-based designer, founder of the nonprofit Architecture for Autism, and mother of a 17-year-old on the autism spectrum. "It's really easy to prove a threshold greater than an inch to a half-inch [which impacts wheelchair access], but there's nothing in the ADA that says you can't have glare issues higher than X lumen. There's no study about the impact of high volume."

Even playgrounds are designed for kids up to age 15, or up to age 5. "My guy is attracted to the little-kid stuff. But he's just too big to be in there. It doesn't mean he doesn't need that swinging, that vestibular input," says Arnold. "We need to think about open-space planning for life."

If requirements are not built into the ADAG (Americans with Disability Act Accessibility Guidelines), budgets for public spaces vary widely from community to community. "If it costs more than a basic playground," says Arnold, who's worked with the mayor's office in Chicago, "Then there's no park district that can afford it."

Even though the United States isn't where it could be with regards to making public spaces truly inclusive to all disabled people, progress is being made. Pittsburgh International Airport recently opened a suite of sensory rooms to help travelers with sensory issues. It's the fifth international airport in the U.S. to have such a space for travelers. And this summer, Showcase Cinemas launched a Sensory Sensitive Movie Program, joining Regal Cinemas and AMC Theaters in offering autism-friendly screenings at select theaters across the country.

Past the parking lot and the bike paths, deep into the bowl of the park, where dogs play fetch and wrestle each other into submission, my son Finn can finally freely explore. He might run in circles, delighting in the sound of the dogs barking, or wander into a cluster of high grass. Fencing prevents him from leaving my sight, yet allows him enough space to run off his energy.

I follow him up the path from the parking lot to the hill overlooking the pond that gives this park its name. As we walk, Finn pulls leaves from the nearest bushes and runs them along the fence, delighting in the sound and rhythmic sensation. In the fall and early spring, Finn's favorite thing to do is to grab big armfuls of dead leaves and lift them up for the wind to blow back into his face. I never tire of this activity, because the laughter it prompts exceeds anything we could produce elsewhere.

At the top of the hill we see Ranger Jean checking dog registration with some nearby owners. Jean has a reputation for being tough, but she softens when she sees Finn approaching her ranger cart. He's rocking with excitement. She calls out his name and invites him to sit beside her. After he's settled and gives her a thumbs up, she rides him around the bowl. From the distance I can see his wide smile. He doesn't even know how lucky he is.

There's something to being truly seen as we are-a special-needs family-in the outside world, and yet accepted. It's because of moments like these that I know our family belongs in Fresh Pond. We are known here. This is our community park.
This essay was supported by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's a beautiful Sunday in July. We've already taken our son Finn to CVS to buy him his favorite Tic Tacs, and now we're at Trader Joe's. On the usual Sunday line at either store, he'll rock from one leg to the other, bounce in place, or stim, flapping his wrists up and down.