I’m Autistic and Scared of Your Dog

Some of My Favorite Summer Places Feel Perilous When People Flout Leash Laws

Small and big dogs playing at a beach while a 'No Dogs Allowed' sign is visible on the left.

It’s a beautiful summer day in Venice, California, and everyone seems to be out enjoying the beach—except for me.

I am profoundly autistic. As a result, I may jump up and down at strange moments or laugh uncontrollably. I cannot speak at all except for a few rote phrases, though I can write with the aid of a letter board or electronic device. And I am profoundly afraid of the dogs off their leashes that seem to be everywhere, especially in summertime.

It does not matter how small or large the dog …

by Jason Jacoby Lee | August 29, 2024

Why Beethoven’s Loss of Hearing Added New Dimensions to His Music

As He Went Deaf, the Composer’s Disability Inspired a Novel Sonic Universe

by Robin Wallace | July 28, 2019

Ludwig van Beethoven occupies a larger-than-life place in our imaginations, all the more so because late in his life he accomplished the seemingly impossible: He continued to compose beautiful and …

Is My Disability the Most Interesting Thing About Me?

How I Learned to Write About Cerebral Palsy without Preaching, Selling Out, or Being Forced to Become a Beacon of Inspiration

by Carly Okyle | October 23, 2014

I’m awful at the art of the retort. My older brother tried his best to teach me about comebacks, but the lessons never stuck. Insults leave me stunned and silent. …

The Autism Job Club

Everyone Today Needs a Job Network. Especially Those On the Spectrum.

by Michael Bernick | October 15, 2012

On the first Saturday of each month, we of the Autism Job Club of the Bay Area gather at 10 a.m. at the Arc building at Howard and 11th Streets …

disabilities