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<channel><title><![CDATA[Mocha Autism Network - Blog]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog]]></link><description><![CDATA[Blog]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 09:11:37 -0700</pubDate><generator>Weebly</generator><item><title><![CDATA[MOCHA AUTISM NETWORK LAUNCHES 3RD ANNUAL "ROYAL BLUE FOR AUTISM AWARENESS" CAMPAIGN]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/mocha-autism-network-launches-3rd-annual-royal-blue-for-autism-awareness-campaign]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/mocha-autism-network-launches-3rd-annual-royal-blue-for-autism-awareness-campaign#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Mon, 07 Mar 2016 14:44:10 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/mocha-autism-network-launches-3rd-annual-royal-blue-for-autism-awareness-campaign</guid><description><![CDATA[MOCHA AUTISM NETWORK LAUNCHES 3RD ANNUAL "ROYAL BLUE FOR AUTISM AWARENESS"&nbsp;CAMPAIGN&ldquo;Royal Blue for Autism Awareness&rdquo; campaign to use social media to provide information to&nbsp;underrepresented communities.Oakland, CA:&nbsp;To address the information gap regarding Autism in Areas in need, the Mocha &nbsp;Autism Network has decided to take to Social Media to increase awareness. Called the &ldquo;Royal&nbsp;Blue for Autism Awareness,&rdquo; the Oakland organization has teamed up w [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2 class="wsite-content-title" style="text-align:left;"><font color="#2a2a2a" size="4">MOCHA AUTISM NETWORK LAUNCHES 3RD ANNUAL "ROYAL BLUE FOR AUTISM AWARENESS"&nbsp;CAMPAIGN<br /><br />&ldquo;Royal Blue for Autism Awareness&rdquo; campaign to use social media to provide information to&nbsp;underrepresented communities.<br /><br /><strong>Oakland, CA:&nbsp;</strong>To address the information gap regarding Autism in Areas in need, the Mocha &nbsp;Autism Network has decided to take to Social Media to increase awareness. Called the &ldquo;Royal&nbsp;Blue for Autism Awareness,&rdquo; the Oakland organization has teamed up with THE Cooperative Federal Credit Union as well as the Omega Kappa&nbsp;Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated to provide information on Autism Spectrum&nbsp;traits and resources to underrepresented communities.<br /><br />The number of children diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum, Studies are on the rise due to new identification techniques. However, people in underrepresented areas are diagnosed last. The goal of this campaign is for supporters to utilize their Electronic Footprint of our to be used to serve the community.&rdquo; states Monika Brooks,&nbsp;Executive Director of the Mocha Autism Network.<br /><br />Per the Centers for Disease Control, children or adults on the autism spectrum may:<br />avoid eye contact and want to be alone<br /><br />~ have trouble understanding other people&rsquo;s feelings or talking about their own feelings<br /><br />~ prefer not to be held or cuddled, or might cuddle only when they want to<br /><br />~ appear to be unaware when people talk to them, but respond to other sounds<br /><br />&nbsp;~ be very interested in people, but not know how to talk, play, or relate to them<br /><br />~ repeat or echo words or phrases said to them, or repeat words or phrases in place of&nbsp;<br />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;normal language<br /><br />~ have trouble expressing their needs using typical words or motions<br /><br />For More information, please go to&nbsp;<a href="http://royalblueforautismawareness.com/">royalblueforautismawareness.com</a>&nbsp;<br /><br />Established in 2013, the goal of the Mocha Autism Network is to provide awareness, promote&nbsp;advocacy and form alliances among the Autism communities in underrepresented&nbsp;</font><font color="#2a2a2a"><font size="4">communities.</font></font></h2>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Didn't Your Mother Ever Teach You Not to Stare? by Krysten Cooper]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/didnt-your-mother-ever-teach-you-not-to-stare-by-krysten-cooper]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/didnt-your-mother-ever-teach-you-not-to-stare-by-krysten-cooper#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Fri, 11 Dec 2015 04:06:50 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/didnt-your-mother-ever-teach-you-not-to-stare-by-krysten-cooper</guid><description><![CDATA[ A few weeks ago the kid and I were walking into the grocery store and this woman stared us down. At first I thought she was trying to figure out our relationship. The kid is a tall, Mexican/White teen and I&rsquo;m a short, Black woman. Then I realized she was staring at the kid the hardest. He had on his headphones and was scripting. We walked into the store only to receive more stares from people in the aisles. One was so busy watching us they nearly ran into the tower of oranges!I use to let [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<span class='imgPusher' style='float:left;height:0px'></span><span style='display: table;width:100%;position:relative;float:left;max-width:243px;;clear:left;margin-top:0px;*margin-top:0px'><a><img src="http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/uploads/6/0/7/6/6076117/827011308.jpg" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; border-width:1px;padding:3px; max-width:100%" alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" /></a><span style="display: table-caption; caption-side: bottom; font-size: 90%; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;" class="wsite-caption"></span></span> <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:justify;display:block;"><font size="3" color="#2a2a2a"><br />A few weeks ago the kid and I were walking into the grocery store and this woman stared us down. At first I thought she was trying to figure out our relationship. The kid is a tall, Mexican/White teen and I&rsquo;m a short, Black woman. Then I realized she was staring at the kid the hardest. He had on his headphones and was scripting. We walked into the store only to receive more stares from people in the aisles. One was so busy watching us they nearly ran into the tower of oranges!<br /><br /><br />I use to let the stares bother me. After a while I began to meet a person&rsquo;s gaze, smile (usually), and say hello. One person was bold enough to ask what was wrong with him. I replied &ldquo;nothing&rdquo; and kept walking.<br /><br />As a caregiver and/or&nbsp;parent, it&rsquo;s important to protect and defend our kids but, not lose our minds in doing so. Here are a few things I&rsquo;ve learned on how to keep my cool and defend the kid at the same time.</font><ul><li><font size="3" color="#2a2a2a"><strong>Grow Thick Skin</strong></font><ul><li><font size="3" color="#2a2a2a"><font size="3" color="#2a2a2a">People are going to stare. Ignore them.&nbsp; Maybe they&rsquo;ll run into the oranges!</font></font></li></ul></li></ul><font size="3" color="#2a2a2a">&nbsp;</font><ul><li><strong><span><font size="3">If someone&rsquo;s bold enough to question you, keep a few comebacks in mind</font></span></strong><ul><li>&#8203;<span><font size="3" color="#2a2a2a">If asked &ldquo;what&rsquo;s wrong with her?&rdquo; reply &ldquo;Huh?&rdquo; with a quizzical look on your face.&nbsp;</font></span></li><li><font size="3" color="#2a2a2a">Engage the person in conversation and ask them to donate to an disability and/or special education organization</font>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul></li></ul><br /><ul><li><font size="3" color="#2a2a2a"><font size="3" color="#2a2a2a"><strong>Remember that you&rsquo;re AWESOME</strong>.</font></font><ul><li><font size="3" color="#2a2a2a">Taking care of a child who is differently-abled can be tough at times. But, you do it with class, care, and a whole lot of coffee (or wine).</font></li></ul></li></ul><br /><br /><em><strong>Krysten Cooper</strong> is an Administrative Coordinator at a day program for adults with Developmental Disabilities and a caregiver. She's been working in the disability field for over 10 years. In addition, she provides virtual administrative assistance to families of children with disabilities. She is a member of&nbsp;<font color="#000ffb">Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated</font>&nbsp;and she&nbsp;blogs at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.krystencooper.org/" target="_blank">www.KrystenCooper.org</a>. Krysten resides in the Los Angeles area and you can find her tweets at <a href="https://twitter.com/krystenc06" target="_blank">@krystenc06</a>.</em>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;</div> <hr style="width:100%;clear:both;visibility:hidden;"></hr>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Special Needs and the Church by Krysten Cooper]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/special-needs-and-the-church-by-krysten-cooper]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/special-needs-and-the-church-by-krysten-cooper#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Fri, 17 Jul 2015 05:05:47 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/special-needs-and-the-church-by-krysten-cooper</guid><description><![CDATA[ With awareness and advocacy of the disability world growing it is important for the church to get on board and prepare. Often times we have people with special needs sitting in our pews and don&rsquo;t even know it. Does your church have a special needs ministry? Are your ushers prepared to serve people with special needs? If so, great! If not, here are some tips to get you started.  1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Be yourself!  Treat your special needs guests with the same love you woul [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<span class='imgPusher' style='float:left;height:0px'></span><span style='display: table;z-index:10;width:261px;position:relative;float:left;max-width:100%;;clear:left;margin-top:1px;*margin-top:2px'><a href='http://krystencooper.com'><img src="http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/uploads/6/0/7/6/6076117/659244566.jpg?243" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; border-width:0; max-width:100%" alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" /></a><span style="display: table-caption; caption-side: bottom; font-size: 90%; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;" class="wsite-caption"></span></span> <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:justify;display:block;"><br /><br /><font size="3"><span style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">With awareness and advocacy of the disability world growing it is important for the church to get on board and prepare. Often times we have people with special needs sitting in our pews and don&rsquo;t even know it. Does your church have a special needs ministry? Are your ushers prepared to serve people with special needs? If so, great! If not, here are some tips to get you started.</span><br /></font><br /><br /><br /><font size="3"><br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span><strong>  1.<span style="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Be yourself!</strong><br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span>  Treat your special needs guests with the same love you would anyone else.<br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span><strong>  2.<span style="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Be careful of seating.</strong><br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span>  Is the person in a wheelchair? Are the aisles easy to navigate? Ask the person where they&rsquo;d like to sit. Don&rsquo;t just assume they&rsquo;d like to sit in the overflow area. If there are seats available in the main seating area, offer them.<br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span><strong>  3.<span style="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Use people first language.</strong><br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span>  &ldquo;Sam has a disability&rdquo; not &ldquo;Sam is disabled.&rdquo; <br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span><strong>  4.<span style="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Be compassionate</strong><br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span>  Remember, most people with disabilities have Developmental Disabilities, meaning they were either born with it or it onset before age 18. Having the disability is outside of their control just like your height.<br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span><strong>  You cannot catch the disability!</strong> I&rsquo;ve come across so many people who act like disabilities are contagious. THEY&rsquo;RE NOT!! <br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span>  I hope these tips are helpful. People with disabilities are just that, people. They have feelings and love the Lord just like you and me.&nbsp;</font><br /><br /><strong>About the Author:&nbsp;</strong><br /><br /><em style=""><span style="">Krysten Cooper is an Administrative Coordinator at a day program for adults with Developmental Disabilities and a caregiver. She's been working in the disability field for over 10 years. In addition, she provides virtual administrative assistance to families of children with disabilities. She is a member of&nbsp;<font color="#000ffb">Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated</font>&nbsp;and she&nbsp;blogs at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.krystencooper.org/" target="_blank" style="" title="">www.KrystenCooper.org</a>. Krysten resides in the Los Angeles area.</span></em><br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span></div> <hr style="width:100%;clear:both;visibility:hidden;"></hr>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[PRESS RELEASE: MOCHA AUTISM NETWORK Joins the National #GivingTuesday Movement To Encourage Spending With A Purpose]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/press-release-mocha-autism-network-joins-the-national-givingtuesday-movement-to-encourage-spending-with-a-purpose]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/press-release-mocha-autism-network-joins-the-national-givingtuesday-movement-to-encourage-spending-with-a-purpose#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2014 05:32:39 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/press-release-mocha-autism-network-joins-the-national-givingtuesday-movement-to-encourage-spending-with-a-purpose</guid><description><![CDATA[ Contact:&nbsp;Monika L Brooks  Mocha Autism Networkadmin@mochaautismnetwork.com MOCHA AUTISM NETWORK Joins the National #GivingTuesday Movement To Encourage Spending With A Purpose  Oakland, California - November 19, 2014 &ndash; Mocha Autism Network has joined #GivingTuesday, a first of its kind effort that will harness the collective power of a unique blend of partners&mdash;charities, families,&nbsp;businesses and individuals&mdash;to transform how people think about, talk about and particip [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<span class='imgPusher' style='float:left;height:0px'></span><span style='display: table;z-index:10;width:auto;position:relative;float:left;max-width:100%;;clear:left;margin-top:0px;*margin-top:0px'><a><img src="http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/uploads/6/0/7/6/6076117/4285974_orig.jpg" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; border-width:0; max-width:100%" alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" /></a><span style="display: table-caption; caption-side: bottom; font-size: 90%; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;" class="wsite-caption"></span></span> <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:justify;display:block;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">Contact:&nbsp;</span><br /><font size="3">Monika L Brooks<br /><span style=""></span>  Mocha Autism Network<br /><a href="mailto:admin@mochaautismnetwork.com" style="" title="">admin@mochaautismnetwork.com</a> <br /><span style=""></span><br /><br /><br /></font><font size="3"><strong style="">MOCHA AUTISM NETWORK</strong> Joins the National #GivingTuesday Movement To Encourage Spending With A Purpose<br /><br /><span style=""></span>  <strong style="">Oakland, California - November 19, 2014</strong> &ndash; Mocha Autism Network has joined #GivingTuesday, a first of its kind effort that will harness the collective power of a unique blend of partners&mdash;charities, families,&nbsp;businesses and individuals&mdash;to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season. Coinciding with the Thanksgiving Holiday and the kickoff of the holiday shopping season, <br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span>  <span style="">#GivingTuesday will inspire people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities; to give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they celebrate and help create a better world.</span> Taking place December 2, 2014 &ndash; the Tuesday after Thanksgiving &ndash; #GivingTuesday will harness the power of social media to create a national moment around the holidays dedicated to giving, similar to how Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become days that are, today, synonymous with holiday shopping. <br /><span style=""></span><br />The goals of the Mocha Autism Network are to expand its outreach to underrepresented areas in the Bay Areas. Goals include: <br /><span style=""></span><br /></font><ul><li><span style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;"><font size="3">Establishing Parent Groups for affected Families</font></span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;"><font size="3">Creation of a training series for Parents, Teachers and religious organizations</font></span></li><li><font size="3"><span style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">Creation of literature for Bay Area Parents&nbsp;</span><br /></font></li></ul><font size="3"><span style=""></span><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span>    &ldquo;We are proud to be part of the #GivingTuesday movement to promote philanthropy in the area of&nbsp;&nbsp; underrepresented areas. This initiative provides an opportunity for communities to be a part of its own progress in Autism Awareness,&rdquo; stated Monika Brooks, Executive Director of the Mocha Autism Network. <br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span>    <strong style="">About Mocha Autism Network </strong><br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span>  Mocha Autism Network is an organization motivated by love and fueled by our beautiful children on the Autism Spectrum. Organized in 2013, the Mocha Autism Network was created to increase information in underrepresented communities.&nbsp; As the identity of people on the Autism Spectrum becomes more recognizable and divers, it becomes clear that if our children are to be properly taken care of, it is up to us to stand up and be noticed on our own. <br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span>    Website: <a href="http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/" style="" title="">www.mochaautismnetwork.com</a> <br /><span style=""></span>  Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/BayAreaMochaAutismNetwork" style="" title="">www.facebook.com/BayAreaMochaAutismNetwork</a><br />Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/MochaAutismNTWK" style="" title="">www.twitter.com/MochaAutismNTWK</a><br /><br /><span style=""></span>  <strong style="">About #GivingTuesday </strong><br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span>    #GivingTuesday is a movement to celebrate and provide incentives to give. It will culminate with a global day of giving on December 2, 2014.&nbsp; This effort harnesses the collective power of a unique blend of partners&mdash; charities, families, businesses and individuals&mdash;to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season.&nbsp; #GivingTuesday will inspire people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they celebrate and help create a better world. #GivingTuesday will harness the power of social media to create a global moment that is dedicated to giving around the world.&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span>    To learn more about #GivingTuesday participants and activities or to join the celebration of giving, please visit: <br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span>  Website: <a href="http://www.givingtuesday.org/" style="" title="">www.givingtuesday.org</a><br />Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday" style="" title="">www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday</a>&nbsp;<br />Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/GivingTues" style="" title="">www.twitter.com/GivingTues</a><br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span>    <span "font-size:9.0pt;font-family:&quot;helvetica&quot;,sans-serif;="" color:#3e454c;background:#f7f7f7"="" style="">&nbsp;</span><br /></font><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""></span></div> <hr style="width:100%;clear:both;visibility:hidden;"></hr>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Toni Braxton Didn’t Cause Her Son’s Autism & Neither Did You by Nadine Finigan-Carr]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/toni-braxton-didnt-cause-her-sons-autism-neither-did-you-by-nadine-finigan-carr]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/toni-braxton-didnt-cause-her-sons-autism-neither-did-you-by-nadine-finigan-carr#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Wed, 21 May 2014 13:08:03 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[#autismfamiliesofcolor]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/toni-braxton-didnt-cause-her-sons-autism-neither-did-you-by-nadine-finigan-carr</guid><description><![CDATA[ &nbsp;The Statements of Toni Braxton garnered a lot of reactions.&nbsp;Nadine Finigan- Carr has written about the issue. Please comment and share. Thanks so much.&nbsp;So Toni Braxton has been promoting her memoirs, Unbreak My Heart. As a result, she has been&nbsp;granting interviews and doing the talk show circuit to sell her book. I have always loved Ms. Braxton&rsquo;s&nbsp;music. I was sorry to hear of her financial difficulties a few years back. I&rsquo;m glad that she has been able&nbsp;t [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<span class='imgPusher' style='float:left;height:0px'></span><span style='z-index:10;position:relative;float:left;max-width:100%;;clear:left;margin-top:0px;*margin-top:0px'><a><img src="http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/uploads/6/0/7/6/6076117/659927295.jpg" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; border-width:0;" alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" /></a><span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;" class="wsite-caption"></span></span> <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:left;display:block;">&nbsp;<br /><br /><em>The Statements of Toni Braxton garnered a lot of reactions.&nbsp;Nadine Finigan- Carr has written about the issue. Please comment and share. Thanks so much.&nbsp;</em><br /><br /><br /><font size="3">So Toni Braxton has been promoting her memoirs, </font><u style="font-size: medium;">Unbreak My Heart</u><font size="3">. As a result, she has been&nbsp;granting interviews and doing the talk show circuit to sell her book. I have always loved Ms. Braxton&rsquo;s&nbsp;music. I was sorry to hear of her financial difficulties a few years back. I&rsquo;m glad that she has been able&nbsp;to move past that phase in her life; and, I originally hoped that her book would sell and help her to&nbsp;continue to do so. Now that I have read a few of the articles from the interviews and seen her on Good&nbsp;Morning America, I am not sure if I want to read the book.&nbsp;</font><br /><br /><br /><font size="3"><br /><br />You see, Toni Braxton&rsquo;s son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Her family is an&nbsp;<font color="#8d5024">#AutismFamilyofColor</font>. The fact that the media is spotlighting one of us should bring us joy. The part of&nbsp;her story that continues to be highlighted in interviews is what she originally thought was the cause of&nbsp;autism. She believed God was punishing her for an abortion she had in 2001 by &ldquo;giving her son autism.&rdquo;&nbsp;In fact, on Good Morning America today she stated at one point &ndash; &ldquo;I thought that it was God&rsquo;s&nbsp;punishment &nbsp;<span style="line-height: 1.5;">(Source: h</span><span style="line-height: 1.5;">ttp://gma.yahoo.com/video/toni-braxton-reveals-details-her-131945370.html</span><span style="line-height: 1.5;">).&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></font><span style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.5;">Headlines in major newspapers like the Washington Post &ldquo;Toni Braxton laments son&rsquo;s autism as &lsquo;God&rsquo;s&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.5;">payback&rsquo; for abortion&rdquo; abound. Ms. Braxton no longer believes this to be the case but this is what the&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.5;">media keeps highlighting because controversy and drama nets more readers and viewers.&nbsp;</span><br /><font size="3"><br />Many people question why they were blessed with a child on the Autism Spectrum when first&nbsp;<br />diagnosed. There is truly a mourning period for the child one thought you would have. This is&nbsp;<br />understandable and acceptable. Many of the parents in the survey I conducted last month had grief and&nbsp;mourning as a part of their narrative. A feeling of &lsquo;what did we/I do wrong&rsquo; which you have to work&nbsp;through. One of the most poignant of the responses describes how one mom felt when she found out&nbsp;about her child&rsquo;s diagnosis and the grief she manifested...</font></div> <hr style="width:100%;clear:both;visibility:hidden;"></hr>  <div>  <!--BLOG_SUMMARY_END--></div>  <blockquote style="text-align:left;"><font size="3"><font color="#8d5024">&nbsp;&ldquo;&hellip;there was silence in the room my heart was cracked open I was crying I was upset I was crushed and I was confused I felt as if I couldn't breathe. I was in so much pain I couldn't even stay there to finish hearing the rest&rdquo;&nbsp;</font><br /><font color="#8d5024">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</font><font color="#2a2a2a">&ndash; African American mom, aged 29 with 3 &frac12; year old son on the Autism Spectrum.</font></font></blockquote>  <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:left;"><font size="3">As Autism Mamas, we do tend to question what we did wrong to cause our child&rsquo;s diagnosis. But most of us don&rsquo;t have a national platform to play out our grief, mourning, and eventual acceptance of it. Ms. Toni Braxton has that platform. Although she appears to have gotten to the point of acceptance, media outlets are highlighting her Abortion-Autism link which sets us back instead of moving us forward. I just want to set the record straight with this post &ndash; you didn&rsquo;t CAUSE your child to be autistic! Ms. Braxton&rsquo;s abortion did not cause it. Vaccinating your child did not cause it. Breastfeeding did not cause it. Starting solid food too early or too late did not cause it. The sooner we understand that we DID NOT cause our child to be on the Autism Spectrum, the sooner we can focus on helping our child to develop into the best person they could be. Isn&rsquo;t that what we all want as parents &ndash; for our children to grow up to be the best person they can be?<br /></font><br /><font size="3">That being said, what are the causes of autism? The short answer is scientists aren&rsquo;t sure. It is believed to be the result of both genetics and the environment. A number of genes have been found to be associated with the Autism Spectrum Disorder. Other studies have shown association between brain development during pregnancy and the disorder. However, association DOES NOT equal cause. One thing that has definitely been disproved is the theory that parental practices cause the disorder&nbsp;</font><br /><font size="2">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; (Source: <a href="http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm#259233082" target="_blank">http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm#259233082</a>).&nbsp;</font><br /><br /><font size="3"><em>Let me say this again &ndash; Science has proved that NOTHING YOU DID AS A PARENT CAUSED YOUR CHILD TO BE AUTISTIC!</em></font><br /><font size="3"><br />As an <font color="#8d5024">#AutismFamilyofColor</font>, there are things you can do to not only help your child now but to improve the lives of other families with children on the Autism Spectrum in the future. Among these steps are the great advocacy and treatment work that many of you are already doing. My additional charge to you is to find a way to participate in Autism Research. I know that as a community, we shy away from research of all kinds. There are many of us who cite past inhumanities such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment as reasons to avoid research. However, one of the reasons there is very little known about us and our experiences living with a child on the Spectrum is because there are very few of us who take part in studies about children on the Spectrum. So few of us participate in research that it came to light recently that some researchers stopped reporting on the race or ethnicity of participants in autism research studies.<br /><br />Lack of participation -&gt; Lack of reporting -&gt; Lack of knowledge about <font color="#8d5024">#AutismFamiliesofColo</font><font color="#8d5024">r</font><br /><br />It&rsquo;s a nefarious cycle that we can break by participating more in Autism Research. The National Institutes of Health have a number of research studies in which you may consider participating. This research covers many domains interventions, diagnosis, genetics, neurobiology, and services. Check them out at <a href="http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd/nih-initiatives/index.shtml" target="_blank" title="">http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd/nih-initiatives/index.shtml</a>.<br /><br />Let&rsquo;s not let the only discussion of #AutismFamiliesofColor be one of misinformation. Let&rsquo;s use this as an opportunity to keep getting our stories out there.</font></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Autism Awareness and Reality TV:  Thank you Meelah & Musiq of #RnBDivasATL ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/autism-awareness-and-reality-tv-thank-you-meelah-and-musiq-ofrnbdivasatl]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/autism-awareness-and-reality-tv-thank-you-meelah-and-musiq-ofrnbdivasatl#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2014 23:08:30 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[autism spectrum]]></category><category><![CDATA[awareness]]></category><category><![CDATA[social media]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/autism-awareness-and-reality-tv-thank-you-meelah-and-musiq-ofrnbdivasatl</guid><description><![CDATA[ So... Remember the LAST Time we had to talk about Autism Awareness and Reality TV? &nbsp;When we talked about how Rapper Saigon did 5 out of 6 things NOT to do when discussing the possibility of autism with the other parent? If you didn't, you can check it out on the&nbsp;Classy, Black Girl site.&nbsp;When I heard that there was another child on the Autism Spectrum to be discussed on a reality I was ready to be mad. Seriously... I was all warmed up from the "Royal Blue for Autism Awareness" cam [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<span class='imgPusher' style='float:left;height:0px'></span><span style='z-index:10;position:relative;float:left;max-width:100%;;clear:left;margin-top:0px;*margin-top:0px'><a><img src="http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/uploads/6/0/7/6/6076117/9307917.jpg?316" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; border-width:0;" alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" /></a><span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;" class="wsite-caption"></span></span> <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:left;display:block;"><font size="3"><br />So... Remember the LAST Time we had to talk about Autism Awareness and Reality TV? &nbsp;When we talked about how Rapper Saigon did 5 out of 6 things NOT to do when discussing the possibility of autism with the other parent? If you didn't, you can check it out on the&nbsp;<a href="http://classyblackgirl.com/autism-awareness-and-reality-tv-love-and-hip-hop-edition-2/" target="_blank" style="" title="">Classy, Black Girl site</a>.&nbsp;<br /><br />When I heard that there was another child on the Autism Spectrum to be discussed on a reality I was ready to be mad. Seriously... I was all warmed up from the "Royal Blue for Autism Awareness" campaign and raring to go.<br /><br />And in walks co-parenting couple Meelah Williams and Musiq Soulchild on <a href="http://tvone.tv/shows/randb-divas.html" target="_blank" title="">RnB Divas Atlanta</a>.&nbsp;</font><br /><br /><br /><font size="3">And they are awesome!</font><br /><br /><br /><font size="3">They are showing that with active listening, co-parenting CAN indeed happen. Yes, there will be some hard days... There are anyway. But to know that each parent is listened to and their opinions respected, that totally makes a different.&nbsp;<br /><br />So let's use examples shown by Meelah and Musiq to talk about great tips for co-parenting a child on the spectrum:&nbsp;</font><br /><br /><br /><ul><li><font size="3"><strong>Communication is Key: </strong>. Sometimes it just takes being calmly listened to to take the tension away. When you are listened to, ideas can flow and solutions can be agreed on.&nbsp;</font></li><li><font size="3"><strong>Value Each Other:&nbsp;</strong>The best moment, I think, is when Musiq told Meelah, "That's your maternal instinct, I never want to get in the way of that" Listen...As a parent, you just want to know that you and your opinion are being valued. When you value the words of others, it calms the environment and shows everyone (including your child) that the focus is on making the best life.&nbsp;</font></li><li><font size="3"><strong>Be Present: </strong>&nbsp;To actually "Be There." to be around when the insecurities come (and they will) and plans need to be made, to be there for each other is so important.&nbsp;</font></li><li><font size="3"><strong>Take Care of Yourself First:</strong>&nbsp;When you communicate and value each other and are there for each other. You feel better about Self-Care and taking care of your needs no matter how small. You know when you get airplane instructions and they tell you to put the mask on yourself first? Well when you feel like you are getting help, you feel more secure in your situation to do things for you. You are important too.&nbsp;</font></li></ul><br /><font size="3"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></font><br /><font size="3"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Meelah Williams can be found on twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/itsMeelah" target="_blank" title="">@ItsMeelah</a> and doing great things for the Atlanta Area. Please give both her and Musiq (<a href="https://twitter.com/MusiqSoulchild" target="_blank" title="">@MusiqSoulchild</a>) support and love on this Journey.<br /></span></font></div> <hr style="width:100%;clear:both;visibility:hidden;"></hr>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[30 Days of Lighting it Up Blue: Few Brown Faces Illuminated by Nadine Finigan Carr ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/30-days-of-lighting-it-up-blue-few-brown-faces-illuminated-by-nadine-finigan-carr]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/30-days-of-lighting-it-up-blue-few-brown-faces-illuminated-by-nadine-finigan-carr#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2014 16:42:47 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/30-days-of-lighting-it-up-blue-few-brown-faces-illuminated-by-nadine-finigan-carr</guid><description><![CDATA[ Today is the last day of Autism Awareness Month. For the past 30 days, there have been articles, feature stories, and blog posts about autism. Every time I read one, I hoped that it would mention families like mine. But each time, I was disappointed. It appears as though Autism is only seen as having an effect on white families with means. But I know that is not true. My son is on the autism spectrum. We&rsquo;re not white. We make do financially. So I decided to reach out to families like mine [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<span class='imgPusher' style='float:left;height:0px'></span><span style='z-index:10;position:relative;float:left;max-width:100%;;clear:left;margin-top:0px;*margin-top:0px'><a><img src="http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/uploads/6/0/7/6/6076117/783394127.jpg?356" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; border-width:0;" alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" /></a><span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;" class="wsite-caption"></span></span> <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:left;display:block;"><font size="3">Today is the last day of Autism Awareness Month. For the past 30 days, there have been articles, feature stories, and blog posts about autism. Every time I read one, I hoped that it would mention families like mine. But each time, I was disappointed. It appears as though Autism is only seen as having an effect on white families with means. But I know that is not true. My son is on the autism spectrum. We&rsquo;re not white. We make do financially. So I decided to reach out to families like mine so that I could share our stories.</font><br /><font size="3"><br />In March, I posted a survey to ask Moms of Color (Dads, too!) about their experiences raising a child on the spectrum. I&rsquo;m a scientist by training so surveys are my go-to for capturing data. I posted the survey on social media venues and asked people to share in their networks. It&rsquo;s a snowball sample not random, not population-based, not scientific research &ndash; just a mom who happens to be a scientist asking other moms questions. I received 16 responses from moms all over the country in a two-week period. I originally planned to follow-up with those who gave me permission in an email and get their pictures but I&rsquo;m an autism mama and life got in my way.</font><br /><font size="3"><br />The responses I received were poignant, touching, wonderful stories of experiences along the road of families living with autism. These moms and dads had been through the wringer trying to get their children diagnosed and treated appropriately. People who did not consider themselves advocates in any way, shape, or form before autism touched their lives became advocates for their children. One mom said &ldquo;before children I went along to get along but now I don&rsquo;t care whose feathers I ruffle, as long as my son gets the help he needs!&rdquo; Another has been led to a new career as a special educator because of her experiences.</font><br /><font size="3"><br />Current statistics from the CDC put the prevalence of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at 14.7 per 1000 children or roughly 1 in 68 children. On average, children with ASD are not diagnosed until after age 4, even though children can be diagnosed as early as age 2 (Source: <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html" target="_blank">http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html</a>). Most of the families of color here were diagnosed between 18 months and 4 years old. However, a few were not diagnosed until elementary school age and one wasn&rsquo;t diagnosed until age 16. Every parent knew that something was wrong but couldn&rsquo;t quite put their finger on what it may be until the diagnosis was finalized. Many were told by pediatricians not to worry and to wait until the next check-up for evaluation.</font><br /></div> <hr style="width:100%;clear:both;visibility:hidden;"></hr>  <div>  <!--BLOG_SUMMARY_END--></div>  <span class='imgPusher' style='float:right;height:0px'></span><span style='z-index:10;position:relative;float:right;max-width:100%;;clear:right;margin-top:0px;*margin-top:0px'><a><img src="http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/uploads/6/0/7/6/6076117/273026404.jpg" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; border-width:0;" alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" /></a><span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;" class="wsite-caption"></span></span> <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:left;display:block;"><font size="3"><em>At around 18 months, I realized that not only did she not seem to have enough language, but things she used to say, she stopped saying them. When I asked our pediatrician at her 18 month appointment, she told me not to worry, that second children talked later, to wait until her age 2 birthday. However, I went on the internet and after doing some digging, called Birth to Three. Luckily, we lived in Howard County, MD at the time, and they literally had someone at our house within 3 days for an evaluation.</em> &ndash; African American mom age 45 with a daughter who has PDD-NOS</font><br /><font size="3"><br /><em>I suspected that he was on the spectrum at 15 months. He missed many developmental milestones. His doctor originally blew me off and accused me of comparing him to my older daughter. At 18 months she agreed that he needed to be evaluated</em>. &ndash; African American mom age 33 with a son who has ASD</font><br /><font size="3"><br /><em>I have a friend who has a son about a year older &amp; I realized my son was not hitting some of the same milestones.. My biggest concern was his speech.. Pediatrician says he was just being a boy<br />finally we got a referral to neurologist at the age of two he was classified as being on the spectrum&hellip;</em> - African American mom age 29 with a son who has PDD-NOS</font><br /><font size="3"><br /><em>He'd been slipping with his milestones starting at 9 months. I was getting seriously concerned by 18 months, but kept getting brushed off by white male doctors. Finally, when I got to see an Asian woman doctor when he was 3, I finally had medical professionals who were hearing what I was saying. From there, it was less than 6 months until he was officially diagnosed. </em>&ndash; African American mom age 34 with a son who has ASD</font><br /><font size="3"><br />This really supports one of my theories that the reason you don&rsquo;t hear much about families of color living with autism is because we are diagnosed less. In fact, there is evidence of socioeconomic and racial/ethnic inequalities in the prevalence of ASD due to what is referred to as diagnostic bias (Source: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20634960" target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20634960</a>). This diagnostic bias leads to disparities in access to services for children with autism. Many of the families spoke of struggles with the school system, medical professionals, and other programs to obtain services for their children.</font><br /><font size="3"><br /><em>I'm having a very hard tine getting behavior therapy as our insurance does not cover it &amp; it's the most needed... Also he may lose speech therapy because he is hitting all his goals &amp; NJ is making cuts in education </em>- African American mom age 29 with a son who has PDD-NOS</font><br /><font size="3"><br /><em>School has been a nightmare. I'm so burnt out arguing with the Alameda school district to educate my son. As a parent if a special needs child you have to become a teacher to make sure the district is setting appropriate he reaching goals for your child. Seems everyone wants to do the bare minimum. They don't understand that their decisions greatly affect my son's future&nbsp;</em>&ndash; African American mom age 38 with a son who has ASD</font><br /><font size="3"><br /><em>It was difficult getting the right evaluations for my son initially, but once the ball got rolling, he got medications, school-based therapy in a school for children with special needs, and behavioral intervention for sleep and feeding issues.&nbsp;</em></font><span style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.5;">- African American mom age 34 with a son who has ASD</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.5;"><br /></span><br /><font size="3"><em>School based was a total nightmare in North Carolina. I was the school nurse, had to quit, due to the conflict, hired an attorney and won during mediation. After that school year, we moved to New Jersey were he thrived without difficulty. I sincerely love his school district.</em> &ndash; African American mom age 45 with a son who has Asperger&rsquo;s.</font><br /><font size="3"><br />Most of the families were not members of Autism Support groups. The few who were only contacted the groups when they had questions or needed recommendations. Reasons for not participating regularly were because of inconvenient meeting times, lack of other families of color, and other members being depressing or sad. Despite the fact that they had been struggling to get their child services and had limited specific support groups, most moms shared joy in being an autism mama.</font><br /><font size="3"><br />I help him understand the things he needs and the wants and he depends on him and looks up to me. I have learned more about myself than I can ever teach him. He teaches me patience, thinking outside of the box and to enjoy the simple things. My son brings me joy every day. He's funny, brave, and affectionate. She and I sharing a special language from the beginning and watching her blossom. Her excitement is contagious! Its hard to call it a favorite, but I love discovering how she has developed alternate skills to make up for the ones she struggles with due to her autism. The mature, intelligent conversations. I love to share my son's successes with the village that supports us. I never knew I had the&nbsp;</font><span style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.5;">strength... I love the fact that I'm my child's biggest advocate.. &amp; I get the chance to spread awareness &amp; acceptance. Progress is exhilarating and always worth celebrating. Nothing is taken for granted. My son has a huge heart. He always makes sure I'm ok and hugs me and kisses me whenever I look sad. He is so amazing and smart. He is an outstanding unbelivable artist. The pride he shows after an accomplishment, no matter how small it is/was. To see him smile!</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.5;"><br /></span><br /><font size="3"><em>Are you a family of color with a child on the Autism Spectrum? Show us your joy! Let&rsquo;s see those smiles! On your social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.), post a picture of your family with the hashtag <font color="#000fbb">#AutismFamilyofColor</font>. Let&rsquo;s illuminate our Brown faces &ndash; today and every day!</em><br /><br /><br />- Nadine Finigan-Carr (<a href="http://twitter.com/@doctornayaka" target="_blank">@doctornayaka</a>) , Proud Mama of a 14 year old boy who has PDD-NOS</font></div> <hr style="width:100%;clear:both;visibility:hidden;"></hr>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[#RoyalBlueForAutismAwareness:  Check out our Favorite Websites]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/royalblueforautismawareness-check-out-our-favorite-websites]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/royalblueforautismawareness-check-out-our-favorite-websites#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2014 16:16:53 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/royalblueforautismawareness-check-out-our-favorite-websites</guid><description><![CDATA[ Wake Up For AutismInformation, BlogStandout post: "Autism ISN'T for Dummies"&nbsp;Spearheaded by Jodi Gomes, Wake Up For Autism is a great, informative site for parents and professionals alike.&nbsp;    Hope-Love-Autism.com&nbsp;BlogStandout Post: "A Little Kindness"&nbsp;&nbsp;Pam Malhi's Goal is to increase Autism Awarenes in the Asian/Asian American Community&nbsp;    Special Needs Network&nbsp;Advocacy, Training, PhilanthropyStandout Post: "The Autism Journey"Special Needs Network&rsquo;s&n [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<span class='imgPusher' style='float:left;height:0px'></span><span style='z-index:10;position:relative;float:left;max-width:100%;;clear:left;margin-top:0px;*margin-top:0px'><a><img src="http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/uploads/6/0/7/6/6076117/424915078.jpg?293" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; none;" alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" /></a><span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;" class="wsite-caption"></span></span> <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:left;display:block;"><font size="3"><strong><a href="http://wakeupforautism.com" target="_blank" title="">Wake Up For Autism</a></strong><br /><em>Information, Blog</em></font><br /><font size="3"><br /><em>Standout post: <a href="http://wakeupforautism.com/autism-isnt-for-dummies/" target="_blank" title="">"Autism ISN'T for Dummies"&nbsp;</a><br /></em><br /><br />Spearheaded by Jodi Gomes, <strong>Wake Up For Autism</strong> is a great, informative site for parents and professionals alike.&nbsp;</font><br /></div> <hr style="width:100%;clear:both;visibility:hidden;"></hr>  <span class='imgPusher' style='float:right;height:0px'></span><span style='z-index:10;position:relative;float:right;max-width:100%;;clear:right;margin-top:0px;*margin-top:0px'><a><img src="http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/uploads/6/0/7/6/6076117/966156565.jpeg?418" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; border-width:0;" alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" /></a><span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;" class="wsite-caption"></span></span> <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:right;display:block;"><font size="3"><strong><a href="http://hope-love-autism.com/" target="_blank" title="">Hope-Love-Autism.com&nbsp;</a></strong><br /><em>Blog</em></font><br /><font size="3"><br /><em>Standout Post: <a href="http://hope-love-autism.com/2014/04/29/a-little-kindness/" target="_blank" title="">"A Little Kindness"&nbsp;</a><br /></em>&nbsp;<br /><strong>Pam Malhi's</strong> Goal is to increase Autism Awarenes in the Asian/Asian American Community</font>&nbsp;</div> <hr style="width:100%;clear:both;visibility:hidden;"></hr>  <span class='imgPusher' style='float:left;height:0px'></span><span style='z-index:10;position:relative;float:left;max-width:100%;;clear:left;margin-top:0px;*margin-top:0px'><a><img src="http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/uploads/6/0/7/6/6076117/920736214.jpg" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; border-width:0;" alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" /></a><span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;" class="wsite-caption"></span></span> <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:left;display:block;"><strong><a href="http://snnla.org/" target="_blank" title=""><font size="3">Special Needs Network&nbsp;</font></a></strong><br /><em><font size="3">Advocacy, Training, Philanthropy</font></em><br /><font size="3"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span><em>Standout Post:<a href="http://snnla.org/?p=1151" target="_blank" title=""> "The Autism Journey"</a></em><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></font><br /><br /><font size="3"><strong style="">Special Needs Network&rsquo;s</strong>&nbsp;mission is to raise public awareness of developmental disabilities and to impact public policy, while providing education and resources to families, children and adults.</font><br /></div> <hr style="width:100%;clear:both;visibility:hidden;"></hr>  <span class='imgPusher' style='float:right;height:0px'></span><span style='z-index:10;position:relative;float:right;max-width:100%;;clear:right;margin-top:0px;*margin-top:0px'><a><img src="http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/uploads/6/0/7/6/6076117/1398874203.jpg" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; border-width:0;" alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" /></a><span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;" class="wsite-caption"></span></span> <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:right;display:block;"><font size="3"><strong>Divorcing Autism&nbsp;</strong><br /><em>Blo</em></font><em style="font-size: medium;">g</em><br /><font size="3"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>Standout Post: "<a href="http://divorcingautism.wordpress.com/2014/03/07/where-im-at-this-weekend-and-how-i-keep-up-with-the-boy-his-staff-remotely/" title="">Where I&rsquo;m At This Weekend (And How I Keep Up With The Boy &amp; His Staff&nbsp;Remotely)</a>"</font><br /><br /><br /><font size="3"><br /><strong>Gloria Perez Stewart</strong> utilizes her blog to discuss how to be an Advocate, Law Student and Mother. All while working through Autism as a blended family.</font><br /><br />&nbsp;</div> <hr style="width:100%;clear:both;visibility:hidden;"></hr>  <span class='imgPusher' style='float:left;height:0px'></span><span style='z-index:10;position:relative;float:left;max-width:100%;;clear:left;margin-top:0px;*margin-top:0px'><a><img src="http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/uploads/6/0/7/6/6076117/374858605.png?283" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; border-width:0;" alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" /></a><span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;" class="wsite-caption"></span></span> <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:left;display:block;"><font size="3"><strong><a href="http://sailingautisticseas.com/" target="_blank" title="">Sailing Autistic Seas&nbsp;</a></strong><br /><em>Advocacy, Blog, Information&nbsp;</em></font><br /><font size="3"><em><br />Standout Post <a href="http://sailingautisticseas.com/autism-awareness-early-intervention-experience/" target="_blank" title="">"Autism Awareness: My Early Intervention Experience"</a></em></font><em>&nbsp;</em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><font size="3"><strong>Ms KP</strong> is without apology one of our favorites. She provides information as well as her own personal experiences.&nbsp;</font></div> <hr style="width:100%;clear:both;visibility:hidden;"></hr>  <span class='imgPusher' style='float:right;height:0px'></span><span style='z-index:10;position:relative;float:right;max-width:100%;;clear:right;margin-top:0px;*margin-top:0px'><a><img src="http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/uploads/6/0/7/6/6076117/535190014.jpg" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; border-width:0;" alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" /></a><span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;" class="wsite-caption"></span></span> <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:right;display:block;"><font size="3"><a href="http://special-ism.com/" target="_blank">Special-Ism</a><br /><em>Information, Resources, Blog<br /><br />Standout Post: <a href="http://special-ism.com/social-skills-groups-101/" target="_blank">&nbsp;"Social Skills Groups 101"</a></em></font><br /><br /><br /><font size="3"><strong>Special-Ism</strong> is an online publishing source chock full of professional blogs addressing the &lsquo;Isms&rsquo; impacting children at home and in the classroom.&nbsp; Each and every article we publish features an &lsquo;ism&rsquo; accompanied by professionally recommended solutions.</font>&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;</div> <hr style="width:100%;clear:both;visibility:hidden;"></hr>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[April 18th: Our Twitter Favorites]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/april-18th-our-twitter-favorites]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/april-18th-our-twitter-favorites#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Tue, 22 Apr 2014 02:42:22 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/april-18th-our-twitter-favorites</guid><description><![CDATA[ The Coffee Klatch&nbsp;Excellence in broadcasting for the special needs community. Empowering parents and educators with world renowned mental health and autism expert. &nbsp;Website:&nbsp;thecoffeeklatch.com    Paul Siebenthal (Aspienaut)Writer, Speaker, Advocate and Mentor. I work for NASA - New Autism Spectrum Awareness! Aspienaut - Wired Differently!Website:&nbsp;aspienaut.tumblr.com&nbsp;    Pam Malhi_Raising awareness &amp; acceptance for autism esp within the asian community Lets get tal [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<span class='imgPusher' style='float:left;height:0px'></span><span style='z-index:10;position:relative;float:left;max-width:100%;;clear:left;margin-top:0px;*margin-top:0px'><a href='https://twitter.com/thecoffeeklatch' target='_blank'><img src="http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/uploads/6/0/7/6/6076117/104105089.jpg" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; border-width:1px;padding:3px;" alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" /></a><span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;" class="wsite-caption"></span></span> <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:left;display:block;"><a href="https://twitter.com/thecoffeeklatch" target="_blank" title=""><font size="3"><strong>The Coffee Klatch&nbsp;</strong></font></a><br /><br /><br /><font size="3">Excellence in broadcasting for the special needs community. Empowering parents and educators with world renowned mental health and autism expert. &nbsp;</font><br /><br /><font size="3">Website:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://t.co/ytp2DO2yrY">thecoffeeklatch.com</a></font><br /><span></span><br /><span></span></div> <hr style="width:100%;clear:both;visibility:hidden;"></hr>  <span class='imgPusher' style='float:right;height:0px'></span><span style='z-index:10;position:relative;float:right;max-width:100%;;clear:right;margin-top:0px;*margin-top:0px'><a><img src="http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/uploads/6/0/7/6/6076117/158790102.png" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; border-width:0;" alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" /></a><span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;" class="wsite-caption"></span></span> <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:left;display:block;"><a href="https://twitter.com/Aspienaut" target="_blank"><font size="3"><strong>Paul Siebenthal (Aspienaut)</strong></font></a><br /><br /><br /><font size="3">Writer, Speaker, Advocate and Mentor. I work for NASA - New Autism Spectrum Awareness! Aspienaut - Wired Differently!<br /><span></span><br />Website:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://t.co/yiFh32qAxS">aspienaut.tumblr.com</a><a href="https://twitter.com/Aspienaut" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></font></div> <hr style="width:100%;clear:both;visibility:hidden;"></hr>  <span class='imgPusher' style='float:left;height:0px'></span><span style='z-index:10;position:relative;float:left;max-width:100%;;clear:left;margin-top:0px;*margin-top:0px'><a><img src="http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/uploads/6/0/7/6/6076117/760104921.jpeg?418" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; border-width:1px;padding:3px;" alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" /></a><span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;" class="wsite-caption"></span></span> <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:left;display:block;"><a href="https://twitter.com/pammi74" target="_blank"><font size="3"><strong>Pam Malhi</strong></font></a><br /><br /><font size="3"><a href="https://twitter.com/pammi74" target="_blank">_</a>Raising awareness &amp; acceptance for autism esp within the asian community Lets get talking about these issues &amp; help others understand. &nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23autism&amp;src=hash">#autism</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23asian&amp;src=hash">#asian</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23awareness&amp;src=hash">#awareness</a><br /><span></span><br />Website:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://t.co/wNi4SHjuPC" style="">hope-love-autism.com</a></font><br /><span></span><br /><span></span></div> <hr style="width:100%;clear:both;visibility:hidden;"></hr>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Thu, Apr 17, 2014: The Day to Day life]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/thu-apr-17-2014-the-day-to-day-life]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/thu-apr-17-2014-the-day-to-day-life#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Fri, 18 Apr 2014 02:28:54 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/blog/thu-apr-17-2014-the-day-to-day-life</guid><description><![CDATA[ Tips to Make Mornings EasierMost families&mdash;especially those with children who have learning and&nbsp;attention issues&mdash;have trouble moving from home to school and other activities first thing in the morning. These tips can help you streamline your morning routines.    Ways to Address Low Self Esteem in TeensAdolescence is a trying time under the best of circumstances. For teens with learning disabilities, the daily and life-long struggles of coping with their disability-related sympto [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<span class='imgPusher' style='float:left;height:0px'></span><span style='z-index:10;position:relative;float:left;max-width:100%;;clear:left;margin-top:0px;*margin-top:0px'><a><img src="http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/uploads/6/0/7/6/6076117/415855973.jpg?207" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; border-width:0;" alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" /></a><span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;" class="wsite-caption"></span></span> <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:left;display:block;"><a href="http://ncld.org/parents-child-disabilities/family-coping-ld/tips-to-make-mornings-easier" target="_blank"><font size="3"><strong>Tips to Make Mornings Easier</strong></font></a><br /><br /><br /><font size="3">Most families&mdash;especially those with children who have learning and&nbsp;attention issues&mdash;have trouble moving from home to school and other activities first thing in the morning. These tips can help you streamline your morning routines.</font><br /></div> <hr style="width:100%;clear:both;visibility:hidden;"></hr>  <span class='imgPusher' style='float:right;height:0px'></span><span style='z-index:10;position:relative;float:right;max-width:100%;;clear:right;margin-top:0px;*margin-top:0px'><a href='http://www.ncld.org/parents-child-disabilities/social-emotional-skills/low-self-esteem' target='_blank'><img src="http://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/uploads/6/0/7/6/6076117/770572861.jpg?227" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; border-width:0;" alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" /></a><span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;" class="wsite-caption"></span></span> <div class="paragraph" style="text-align:left;display:block;"><a href="http://www.ncld.org/parents-child-disabilities/social-emotional-skills/low-self-esteem" target="_blank"><font size="3"><strong>Ways to Address Low Self Esteem in Teens</strong></font></a><br /><br /><br /><font size="3">Adolescence is a trying time under the best of circumstances. For teens with learning disabilities, the daily and life-long struggles of coping with their disability-related symptoms can be wearing and dispiriting.</font><br /></div> <hr style="width:100%;clear:both;visibility:hidden;"></hr>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>