A Year of Progress
Throughout life’s struggles, we often can over focus on traumatic events. Something can occur where your life changes drastically and trying to find another perspective can be a grueling task. Even though I’ve been through tough times, I’ve also accomplished a lot. I made great strides with volunteering locally and earning another certification in mental […]
Read moreThe Journey of Grief: Learning and Healing
On ASDNext, in the past, I’ve written about the loss of both of my parents. The death of both of them and my father being the most recent weighs heavily on my heart. My parents shaped me into who I am today, and I can only work hard to honor their memory. I must also […]
Read moreDespite Tragedy A Community Showcases Love, Hope, and Resiliency
On October the 27th the city I live in awoke to what appeared to be another typical morning. Pittsburgh is a busy city filled with the hustle and bustle of everyday people going about their day; however, this one, in particular, changed everything. At the Tree of Life synagogue, in Squirrel Hill, a gunman chose […]
Read moreHarry Potter
Growing up, I always had a fascination with magic. The power to make something appear out of thin air, change animals into particular objects. The ability to create and manipulate the fabric of reality with just a few chosen words. Magic isn’t real of course, but when I discovered the Harry Potter series as a […]
Read morePushing Through
Trying something new can be scary. Not knowing the outcome or dealing with unforeseen complications is a form of stress that can be hard to handle. But in life sometimes playing it safe can hinder opportunities that can improve your quality of life. This month I would like to talk about being hesitant to try […]
Read moreRemembering my Dad
In February of this year, I lost my father. He was a pillar of strength for me even after dealing with health effects of two strokes. My Dad always had a positive attitude and continued to build Revell model kits (cars) that I would send to him whenever I had some extra cash despite only […]
Read moreGordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares
Kitchen Nightmares was a show featuring Gordan Ramsay, a celebrity chef who is most notable for an aggressive tone that he can take, not shying away from using coarse language to hammer home his point. The premise of this series was a call for help from restaurant owners whose businesses have floundered seeking Gordon’s expert […]
Read moreAssertiveness
This month, I’m going to talk about assertiveness and how anyone can stand their ground in a variety of situations. Note tone differences between aggressive behavior vs. assertive behavior and talk about the importance of I statements and how they differ from accusatory ones. Let’s start with the definition of the word assertive: behaving confidently […]
Read morePutting Yourself First in the Era of 24-Hour News
We live in the era of a 24-hour news cycle, and what this means is when we turn on the TV or look online there’s always something happening. Our phones can even receive news bulletins, and as soon as news breaks, we learn about it. This level of access to information is unprecedented in our […]
Read moreDiversity and Inclusion
It’s Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month. This time of year draws attention to those with ASD, can provide eye-opening education, and gives those on the spectrum a megaphone to utilize to discuss pertinent issues on their mind relating to ASD. Previously, I wrote in detail on how far the discussion about autism has come, and this year […]
Read moreSensory Friendly Items
This month, I’d like to talk about a few items that I use frequently or even daily. The things I will talk about reduce sensory stimuli or enable me to adjust on the fly to make circumstances a bit easier. By no means is this an endorsement of the products listed. And products that I […]
Read moreWhat’s a Sincere Apology?
What makes a proper apology? How does a person convey their thoughts and regrets appropriately for actions or statements that hurt a friend, loved-one or even an acquaintance? With a past article, I did discuss apologies that stemmed from insincerity yet; I wanted to elaborate further because even a person doing their best can harm […]
Read moreDaria Morgendorffer
Teacher: “Daria, what about your goal?” Daria: “Ummm, I don’t have any.” Teacher: “Oh, come on Daria! You must have some goal.” Daria: “My goal is not to wake up at forty with the bitter realization that I’ve wasted my life in a job I hate because I was forced to decide on a career […]
Read moreChristmas Remembrance
December marks the end of the year and during this month, one of the most well-known of holidays, Christmas takes place. For those who observe this event, it’s usually a time to meet with family and friends, exchanging gifts, enjoying a meal with one another and taking in each others company. It’s a recipe for […]
Read moreBeneath the Surface
“You look fine, so you must be okay and doing well for yourself.” I’ve dealt with comments like that, for a big portion of my life even though depression and anxiety have been factors since I was a teen. An analysis, a judgment just from outward appearances is not something I particularly enjoy. You […]
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