Micah Tuivaiave, who loves playing outside on his scooter, swimming and getting lost in books, turns 6 in December. While many of his peers have already started school, he’s still at daycare, but not by choice. Micah has severe non-verbal autism which means he requires dedicated attention in a school setting. However, the majority of Read more
Posts Tagged ‘autism’
Down syndrome triathlete tells UN that faith inspires him
Thursday, March 23rd, 2023
Just before his first speaking engagement at the UN, a young Catholic triathlete spoke to a television news outlet about his faith. “I am Gabriel, God’s messenger,” 22-year old Gabriel Cobb told OSV News. Cobb, pictured with his parents just before going into the UN New York conference hall added: “My faith is the most Read more
Pope calls autistic teen who ‘corrected’ him on Sign of Peace
Monday, May 4th, 2020Last Wednesday Maria Teresa Baruffi, who lives in the northern Italian town of Caravaggio with her family, received a surprising phone call while standing in line at the supermarket: It was Pope Francis, asking to speak to her son, Andrea. Several days prior, Andrea, who is 18, had sent a letter to Pope Francis to Read more
School broke law when declining to enrol autistic boy
Monday, September 9th, 2019Sacred Heart College declined a place for an autistic boy. Initially, it cited “high numbers of applicants”. Later it changed its explanation and said the boy wasn’t offered a place because he was not Catholic enough. Read more
Down Syndrome woman’s passionate UN speech
Thursday, June 1st, 2017
A woman with Down Syndrome and autism received a five minute standing ovation after her passionate right to life speech to the Human Rights Committee at the United Nations (U.N). Charlotte (Charlie) Helene Fien, who is 21, wrote her speech after watching a television documentary called ‘A world without Down Syndrome’. The documentary discussed a Read more
Principal’s letter leaves family with autistic son speechless
Tuesday, November 8th, 2016A heartfelt letter from a small Otorohanga primary school principal has left a autistic student smiling and his parents speechless and emotional. The Maihiihi School principal, Glenn MacPherson, snuck a gift wrapped parcel and a letter into student Cam Uden’s school bag last Tuesday. His dad, Jason Uden, discovered it and shared the letter on Twitter as a show of thanks. Read the letter
Outcry after priest denies autistic girl Communion
Friday, June 24th, 2016
An Italian priest’s alleged refusal to allow a 10-year-old autistic girl to receive her first Communion has been criticised by an Italian politician. The girl’s parents were furious after the priest told them twice that their daughter was “not ready” to receive the sacrament. The priest, from Sicily, told the girl’s mother that her daughter Read more
Reflections on refusal of NZ residency for autistic boy
Friday, February 19th, 2016
It is largely an accident that the case of my autistic stepson Peter – refused residency in New Zealand on health grounds by the country’s immigration authorities – has become a cause celebre. We never planned it that way, and for personal reasons we do not intend to fight what we see as an invidious Read more
Pope embraces children with autism
Tuesday, November 25th, 2014Pope Francis tenderly embraced children with autism spectrum disorders, some of whom avoided meeting his gaze, during an audience Saturday aimed at offering solidarity to people living with the condition. The pope urged governments and institutions to respond to the needs of people with autism to help break “the isolation and, in many cases also Read more
The kids who beat autism
Tuesday, August 5th, 2014
At first, everything about L.’s baby boy seemed normal. He met every developmental milestone and delighted in every discovery. But at around 12 months, B. seemed to regress, and by age 2, he had fully retreated into his own world. He no longer made eye contact, no longer seemed to hear, no longer seemed to Read more