Zoom Autism Magazine ZOOM Autism Issue 5 | Page 4

IN THIS ISSUE... COLUMN RETOUCH by David Finch . . . . . . 44 Releasing Gifted Kids into the Wild Congratulations! You Graduated High School! Now What? . . . . . .09 Discover the many post-secondary program options that offer training, certifications and support transitioning services to help autistic individuals succeed in living independent, meaningful lives! Of all the things he learned in his high school honors and advanced-placement classes, none of it had to do with functioning like an adult! REGULARS Letter from the Editor . . . . . . . . . . 06 Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Close Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Cummings & Goings . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 COVER STORY Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 “Living a Great, Wonderful and Happy Autistic Life!” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Exclusive Interviews with Owen and Ron Suskind Spotlight on Success . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Zoom In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Milestones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 When Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind started to talk as Disney characters to his autistic son Owen, new worlds opened up for both of them! Is It a Bird? Is It a Plane? NO! It’s an Autism Super Hero! . . . . . . . 47 FEATURES 14-year old autistic comic book connoisseur Jacob Fuentes interviews the talented and autistic creator of Face Value Comics, David Kot, and learns that heroes are not just found on comic book pages! Advice from Autistic College Students . . . . 42 If you could go back in time and give a piece of advice to your high school self, what would it be? Read the responses to this and other questions that college students offered on Dawn Marcotte’s survey. Creating Your Own College Transition Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 How to Have a SWEET Fuss-free School Morning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Learn how to increase your autistic loved one’s chances of a successful college experience by taking the reins and creating your own transition plan. In this SWEET little piece, Debi Taylor shares how she learned it was her EXPECTATIONS of her son that were causing the frustrations and meltdowns, not his behavior. GIVEAWAY When Small Talk Is a Big Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Sometimes the most trivial discussions can feel like elaborate obstacle courses – even when they go well. Win a Plush Huggable Bluebee Pal that talks, sings, re G2