Tuesday, September 29, 2015

My son is a boy’s boy, but he plays with dolls

Melissa Sohm, mother to 2-year-old Ryder, believes that gender differences are innate; and that the division between ‘girl stuff’ and ‘boy stuff’ seems arbitrary. She also thinks that holding on too tightly to gender roles is a disservice to ourselves and to the children. From her experiences and observations (such as during playtime), girls and […]

My son is a boy’s boy, but he plays with dolls was originally published on My Sibling Dolls Doll Blog

Monday, September 28, 2015

Meet the First Couple to Have an All-Autism Wedding: ‘Autistic Children Can Grow Up and Have a Happy Life,’ Says the Bride

Soon-to-be-married couple Anita Lesko and Abraham Nielson, who are both on the autism spectrum themselves, will be joined by people who also identify as autistic on their special day. This will be the first-ever wedding where everyone on the wedding party (including the ring bearer, harpist, wedding cake baker, groomsman, usher and more) is an […]

Meet the First Couple to Have an All-Autism Wedding: ‘Autistic Children Can Grow Up and Have a Happy Life,’ Says the Bride See more on: http://www.mysiblingdolls.com

Rutgers scientist with autism uses experience in lab

Jason Lunden, a scientist who has high-functioning autism (or what was previously known as Asperger’s syndrome), works as a postdoc with Emanuel DiCiccio-Bloom who is one of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School’s top autism researchers. Lunden has earned his PhD in neurobiology from Temple University in Philadelphia. He want to devote his scientific career […]

Rutgers scientist with autism uses experience in lab See more on: My Sibling Dolls

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

When kids play across gender lines

Britain’s biggest department store, Harrod’s, reopened its 26,000 square foot “Toy Kingdom” which has been broken into six interactive “worlds” instead of separating its aisles as pink for girls and blue for boys. It’s one small step in the right direction toward breaking down gender divide that starts at an early age through playtime according […]

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Employers Take Note: People with Autism Ideally Suited to Fill Critical STEM Jobs

Recently, the rampant increase in cyber breaches across many major companies have exposed highly sensitive customer information (like social security numbers, bank accounts and other vital identifying information) to fraud and other cyber crimes. This has prompted a lot of people to question these companies and to demand a huge improvement of the safety of […]

See More Here: Employers Take Note: People with Autism Ideally Suited to Fill Critical STEM Jobs

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Boys can play with dolls, too

Abi Bechtel used the power of social media to call the attention of retail giant Target regarding their gender-based signs on toys, and she definitely got their attention. While shopping at one of their stores on June 1, she noticed an aisle that differentiated between “building sets” and ‘girls’ building sets” and decided to snap […]

Read Full Article Here: Boys can play with dolls, too

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

#MOMday – Can Boys Play with Dolls?

A mom, who is an avid listener to Fresh Radio 95.3 in California, sent an email on their #MOMday asking for some helpful advice on a tough choice she has to make soon. Her 3-year-old son (whose birthday is coming up) wants to get a dollhouse for his birthday gift but her mother-in-law is adamantly […]

See More Here: #MOMday – Can Boys Play with Dolls?

My Kid in the Closet: 5 Things I’ve Learned About My Autistic Child

When her son (who has brain damage from a birth injury) was also diagnosed with autism a few months ago at the age of four, Meredith Masony felt that having a diagnosis frankly hasn’t made her feel any better, or that putting a label on his condition hasn’t given her some peace as she thought […]

See More Here: My Kid in the Closet: 5 Things I’ve Learned About My Autistic Child

‘Girl Meets World’ Is Taking On Autism In A Very Special Episode That’s Bound To Be Emotional

It’s not everyday that we see teen shows tackling serious stuff, but popular TV sitcom “Girl Meets World” is about to take on some real-world issues like autism in its upcoming episodes. In one story development that will air this Friday (Sept 11), Farkle (one of the show’s main characters) thinks he has Asperger’s Syndrome– […]

Article Source Here: ‘Girl Meets World’ Is Taking On Autism In A Very Special Episode That’s Bound To Be Emotional

Friday, September 11, 2015

Boys are born to prefer dolls over masculine toys like cars

A study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology that was conducted by Paola Escudero of the University of Western Sydney in collaboration with the University of California used eye-tracking technology on children aged 3½ months to five months to determine their preferred object or toy, and came to the conclusion that the preference […]

Read More Here: Boys are born to prefer dolls over masculine toys like cars

Swedish toymaker publishes ‘gender-neutral’ children’s Christmas catalogue

Top Toy, one of the largest toy chains in Sweden, has published a gender-neutral Christmas catalogue featuring photos of boys playing with dolls and girls holding toy machine guns– and it has sparked another round of debates about views on gender roles in the country. Basically, the company produced identical Christmas catalogues for both Toys […]

Article Source Here: Swedish toymaker publishes ‘gender-neutral’ children’s Christmas catalogue

Friday, September 4, 2015

“Mummy. Why can’t I just be normal?”

Brooke Lumsden’s heart sometimes breaks when she finds her 9-year-old son crying and wishing he was “normal” just like everybody else and often questioning himself about his interest in “girl’s toys”. At a young age, Brooke tried to make him understand that if he tries to make others happy by doing only the things they […]

See More Here: “Mummy. Why can’t I just be normal?”

Boys Playing with Dolls! Oh No!

The stereotyping of toys has caused a multitude of traumatic experiences for many young children. When a boy is caught playing with dolls by other boys, he would feel embarrassed and out of place. This prompts the boy to either lie or deny or run away. But the fact is, there is no reason why […]

Post Source Here: Boys Playing with Dolls! Oh No!

How Genetic Tests Could Help Parents Better Understand Their Child’s Autism

Diagnosing autism is a complex and often inexact science. However, new research shows two distinct genetic tests may help to identify, genetic mutation attributed to the autism condition. Researchers believed that this information can help parents identify if their next children will develop the same condition in the future and help parents create a more […]

Article Source Here: How Genetic Tests Could Help Parents Better Understand Their Child’s Autism

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Boys Favor Playing With Dolls More Than Trucks: Researchers Find Male Babies Gaze Longer At Objects With Faces

“Everyone loves buying dolls for baby girls and cars and trucks for baby boys — it’s simply what we do,” This statement comes from Dr. Paola Escudero, lead author of a recent study from the University of Western Sydney MARCS Institute that actually ended up challenging the widely-held theory that infant boys have an innate […]

Original Post Here: Boys Favor Playing With Dolls More Than Trucks: Researchers Find Male Babies Gaze Longer At Objects With Faces

Historical Figures Get the Superhero Treatment With New Toy Line

There is a revolution happening in the toy industry. Niche markets that don’t conform to mass market tastes are gaining their own voice and calling for more diversity in toys. With the advent of Facebook and crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter, that market is now very accessible and major companies are slowly falling in line. There […]

Read Full Article Here: Historical Figures Get the Superhero Treatment With New Toy Line

New technologies analyze brain chemistry to develop treatments for autism

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently estimated that about 1 in every 68 children are diagnosed with some level of ASD (autism spectrum disorder) and boys are nearly five times more likely to have it than girls. This proves true across all ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic lines. “Autism” doesn’t just refer to one, […]

See More Here: New technologies analyze brain chemistry to develop treatments for autism

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Playing with Barbie dolls could limit girls’ career choices, study shows

Aurora Sherman of the School of Psychological Science at Oregon State University has found that girls who play with Barbie dolls perceive fewer career options for themselves than for boys. the finding are based on an experiment conducted where the researched controlled a variable (i.e the type of toy each child played with) and produced […]

Original Post Here: Playing with Barbie dolls could limit girls’ career choices, study shows

Peer socialization of gender in young boys and girls

By the age of 3, children become aware of their gender identity and start to form an awareness of the behaviors, interests and/or activities that are associated with their gender. Interaction with peers is one important way in which children learn about gender roles and develop gender-typed behavior and attitudes. From an early age, children […]

Read Full Article Here: Peer socialization of gender in young boys and girls

Programs seek to help young adults with autism gain independence

Many young adults who grew up with autism have the development skills of a child but are currently learning to live on their own. Through the right support (and also with the help of technology), individuals can learn to build a life despite the autism. DARS, or the Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services (and […]

See More Here: Programs seek to help young adults with autism gain independence