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Cómo un diagnóstico temprano de autismo "marcó la diferencia" para un niño

tony hernandez, autism speaks, trastorno del espectro autista

via Tony Hernandez

Tony Hernandez de niño en Puerto Rico, y en la actualidad como un defensor de las personas con autismo.

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A principios de los noventa, cuando Tony Hernandez era un niño pequeño que vivía en Puerto Rico, su familia sintió que había algo "diferente" en él. A los tres años, cuando la mayoría de los niños pueden pronunciar frases completas, Tony no hablaba.

La familia de Tony trató de conseguir más información acerca de su hijo, pero recibían opiniones contradictorias sobre su condición. Los maestros afirmaban que no había mucha esperanza para su futuro, incluso uno de ellos le dijo a su madre que "nunca iba a lograr nada en la vida".

"Faltaba educación sobre el autismo, y todavía hace falta hoy en día, especialmente entre la comunidad hispana", dijo Tony a Upworthy. "Los estereotipos y otros conceptos erróneos son obstáculos a los que se enfrentan muchas familias a la hora de buscar respuestas, lo que nos dificulta obtener la ayuda y los recursos que necesitamos".

Al final, la familia de Tony encontró a un médico que le diagnosticó trastorno del espectro autista (TEA). El diagnóstico fue un gran alivio para todos porque significaba que por fin él podría recibir las terapias adecuadas e inscribirse a clases de educación especial.

Según la revista Psychology Research and Behavior Management (en inglés), el diagnóstico temprano y el tratamiento que incluye intervenciones basadas en evidencia "pueden mejorar de manera significativa la calidad de vida de las personas con TEA, así como la de sus cuidadores y familiares". Esto se debe a que sientan una base sólida para obtener mejores resultados y contribuyen a que el niño mejore mental, emocional, física y socialmente.

via Tony Hernandez

Una vez que obtuvo el diagnóstico adecuado, Tony recibió terapia del habla desde los cuatro hasta los ocho años y, a lo largo de su vida, recibió apoyo y asistencia fundamentales de parte de maestros y terapeutas.

"Recibir las terapias adecuadas fue clave para mejorar mis habilidades verbales. A lo largo de los años seguí enfrentando una serie de retos, que incluían dificultades con la comunicación social, con la memoria funcional a corto plazo, con un trastorno de ansiedad y con el desarrollo de relaciones", dijo. "Pero un diagnóstico temprano marcó la diferencia en mi vida".

En 2012, a los 21 años, Tony se mudó a Florida, donde vivía su madre.

A partir de entonces, Tony ha sobresalido en el ámbito académico y profesional. Se graduó con honores Magna Cum Laude del Seminole State College con una licenciatura en Administración de empresas y gestión de la información.

Mi graduación de la universidad: 14 de diciembre de 2016.youtu.be - Se pueden agregar subtítulos en español a este video en configuración.

Tony ha trabajado en servicios al cliente en empresas como Sherwin Williams, Sam's Club y Home Depot, y ha sido un defensor incansable de las personas con TEA durante la última década. También ha aparecido con regularidad en Univision Orlando durante los últimos dos años, donde presenta un segmento llamado "Tu propósito", que en inglés se traduce como "Your Purpose", y profundiza en los obstáculos con los que se encuentran regularmente las personas en el espectro y cómo pueden superarlos.

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Además, Tony es un reconocido autor que en 2018 publicó sus memorias "An Autism Unscripted Life", que fueron traducidas al español en 2019 como "Una Vida Autista Sin Libreto". En su tiempo libre, a Tony le gusta ir de excursión, explorar nuevos lugares, ir a la iglesia y hacer ejercicio. Actualmente, está trabajando en armar un rompecabezas de 1000 piezas de "Star Wars".

Hoy en día, Tony trabaja de tiempo completo para Autism Speaks (cuenta con una sección de recursos en español), una organización sin fines de lucro dedicada a apoyar las necesidades de las personas con autismo y sus familias, como miembro de su Equipo de Respuesta al Autismo, donde ayuda a apoyar a las personas con TEA y sus familias.

Aunque en aquel momento es probable que pareciera imposible, aquel niño en Puerto Rico al que le costaba hablar se convertiría en un prestigioso orador público, tanto en inglés como en español. Tony realiza regularmente presentaciones para escuelas, empresas y otras organizaciones comunitarias sobre autismo, derechos de los discapacitados y neurodiversidad.

Él considera que haber sido diagnosticado de manera temprana contribuyó enormemente en su éxito.

"Tuve la suerte de recibir un diagnóstico temprano. Eso me condujo a obtener el apoyo que necesitaba para superar los desafíos en los primeros años de desarrollo de mi vida", dijo Tony a Upworthy.

La noticia de que su hijo tiene TEA puede ser desalentadora al principio. Sin embargo, no hay nada más satisfactorio para los padres que tener la experiencia de apoyar a su hijo para que alcance todo su potencial.

"Un diagnóstico de autismo puede desencadenar sentimientos de pánico e incertidumbre para muchas familias", dijo Tony a Upworthy. "Pero es importante que los padres respiren profundamente y se enfoquen en los próximos pasos a seguir para ayudar a su hijo a lograr una vida mejor".

Tony se guía por un lema sencillo pero poderoso: "Cada persona tiene un propósito en este mundo. Nunca renuncies a alcanzar tus sueños".

Si tiene preguntas sobre el desarrollo de su hijo, Autism Speaks le permite acceder de manera gratuita en su sitio web a la prueba conocida como M-CHAT-R por sus siglas en inglés, que en español es Lista de control modificada para el autismo en niños pequeños (se puede acceder a la prueba en distintos idiomas incluido el español). La prueba puede ayudar a evaluar si su hijo necesita una evaluación adicional, lo que los acerca un paso más a la posibilidad de liberar todo su potencial y realizar sus sueños.

Más artículos en Upworthy (en inglés).

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MIT’s trillion-frames-per-second camera can capture light as it travels

"There's nothing in the universe that looks fast to this camera."

Photo from YouTube video.

Photographing the path of light.

A new camera developed at MIT can photograph a trillion frames per second.

Compare that with a traditional movie camera which takes a mere 24. This new advancement in photographic technology has given scientists the ability to photograph the movement of the fastest thing in the Universe, light.

The actual event occurred in a nano second, but the camera has the ability to slow it down to twenty seconds.

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The amazing camera.

Photo from YouTube video.

For some perspective, according to New York Times writer, John Markoff, "If a bullet were tracked in the same fashion moving through the same fluid, the resulting movie would last three years."

In the video below, you'll see experimental footage of light photons traveling 600-million-miles-per-hour through water.

It's impossible to directly record light so the camera takes millions of scans to recreate each image. The process has been called femto-photography and according to Andrea Velten, a researcher involved with the project, "There's nothing in the universe that looks fast to this camera."

(H/T Curiosity)

This article originally appeared on 09.08.17

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Dad found out his son bullied a kid at school and came up with a brilliant teaching moment

"I told him that we have the opportunity to make things right."

@thehalfdeaddad/TikTok

Dad on TikTok shared how he addressed his son's bullying.

What do you do when you find out your kid bullied someone? For many parents, the first step is forcing an apology. While this response is of course warranted, is it really effective? Some might argue that there are more constructive ways of handling the situation that teach a kid not only what they did wrong, but how to make things right again.

Single dad Patrick Forseth recently shared how he made a truly teachable moment out of his son, Lincoln, getting into trouble for bullying. Rather than forcing an apology, Forseth made sure his son was actively part of a solution.

The thought process behind his decision, which he explained in a now-viral TikTok video, is both simple and somewhat racial compared to how many parents have been encouraged to handle similar situations.

“I got an email a few days ago from my 9-year-old son's teacher that he had done a ‘prank’ to a fellow classmate and it ended up embarrassing the classmate and hurt his feelings,” the video begins.

At this point, Forseth doesn’t split hairs. “I don't care who you are, that's bullying,” he said. “If you do something to somebody that you know has the potential end result of them being embarrassed in front of a class or hurt—you’re bullying.”

So, Forseth and Lincoln sat down for a long talk (a talk, not a lecture) about appropriate punishment and how it would have felt to be on the receiving end of such a prank.

From there, Forseth told his son that he would decide how to make things right, making it a masterclass in taking true accountability.

“I demanded nothing out of him. I demanded no apology, I demanded no apology to the teacher,” he continued, adding, “I told him that we have the opportunity to go back and make things right. We can't take things back, but we can try to correct things and look for forgiveness.”

@thehalfdeaddad Replying to @sunshinyday1227 And then it’s my kid 🤦‍♂️😡 #endbullyingnow #talktoyourkidsmore #dadlifebestlife #singledadsover40 #teachyourchildren #ReadySetLift ♬ Get You The Moon - Kina

So what did Lincoln do? He went back to his school and actually talked to the other boy he pranked. After learning that they shared a love of Pokémon, he then went home to retrieve two of his favorite Pokémon cards as a peace offering, complete with a freshly cleaned case.

Lincoln would end up sharing with his dad that the other boy was so moved by the gesture that he would end up hugging him.

“I just want to encourage all parents to talk to your kids,” Forseth concluded. “Let's try to avoid just the swat on the butt [and] send them to their room. Doesn't teach them anything.”

In Forseth’s opinion, kids get far more insight by figuring out how to resolve a problem themselves. “That's what they're actually going to face in the real world once they move out of our nests.”

He certainly has a point. A slap on the wrist followed by being marched down somewhere to say, “I’m sorry,” only further humiliates kids most of the time. With this gentler approach, kids are taught the intrinsic value of making amends after wrongdoing, not to mention the power of their own autonomy. Imagine that—blips in judgment can end up being major character-building moments.

Kudos to this dad and his very smart parenting strategy.

This article originally appeared on 3.24.23

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Expert says there's only one laundry cycle you ever need, no matter what's being washed

Straight from Patric Richardson, the "Laundry Guy" himself.

Representative image from Canva

Because who can keep up with which laundry settings is for which item, anyway?

Once upon a time, our only option for getting clothes clean was to get out a bucket of soapy water and start scrubbing. Nowadays, we use fancy machines that not only do the labor for us, but give us free reign to choose between endless water temperature, wash duration, and spin speed combinations.

Of course, here’s where the paradox of choice comes in. Suddenly you’re second guessing whether that lace item needs to use the “delicates” cycle, or the “hand wash” one, or what exactly merits a “permanent press” cycle. And now, you’re wishing for that bygone bucket just to take away the mental rigamarole.

Well, you’re in luck. Turns out there’s only one setting you actually need. At least according to one laundry expert.

While appearing on HuffPost’s “Am I Doing It Wrong?” podcast, Patric Richardson, aka The Laundry Evangelist, said he swears by the “express” cycle, as “it’s long enough to get your clothes clean but it’s short enough not to cause any damage.”

Richardson’s reasoning is founded in research done while writing his book, “Laundry Love,” which showed that even the dirtiest items would be cleaned in the “express” cycle, aka the “quick wash” or “30 minute setting.”

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Furthermore the laundry expert, who’s also the host of HGTV’s “Laundry Guy,” warned that longer wash settings only cause more wear and tear, plus use up more water and power, making express wash a much more sustainable choice.

Really, the multiple settings washing machines have more to do with people being creatures of habit, and less to do with efficiency, Richardson explained.

“All of those cycles [on the washing machine] exist because they used to exist,” he told co-hosts Raj Punjabi and Noah Michelson. “We didn’t have the technology in the fabric, in the machine, in the detergent [that we do now], and we needed those cycles. In the ’70s, you needed the ‘bulky bedding’ cycle and the ‘sanitary’ cycle ... it was a legit thing. You don’t need them anymore, but too many people want to buy a machine and they’re like, ‘My mom’s machine has “whitest whites.”’ If I could build a washing machine, it would just have one button — you’d just push it, and it’d be warm water and ‘express’ cycle and that’s it.”

washing machine

When was the last time you washed you washing machine? "Never" is a valid answer.

Canva

According to Good Housekeeping, there are some things to keep in mind if you plan to go strictly express from now on.

For one thing, the outlet recommends only filling the machine halfway and using a half dose of liquid, not powder detergent, since express cycles use less water. Second, using the setting regularly can develop a “musty” smell, due to the constant low-temperature water causing a buildup of mold or bacteria. To prevent this, running an empty wash on a hot setting, sans the detergent, is recommended every few weeks, along with regularly scrubbing the detergent drawer and door seal.

Still, even with those additional caveats, it might be worth it just to knock out multiple washes in one day. Cause let’s be honest—a day of laundry and television binging sounds pretty great, doesn’t it?

To catch even more of Richardson’s tips, find the full podcast episode here.

This article originally appeared on 2.4.24

A mom asked if it's appropriate to make a babysitter do housework and set the internet on fire

They're just sitting there while my kids sleep.

Photo by Alexander Dummer on Unsplash

Should babysitters be expected to clean?

When it comes to babysitting, you can hit the jackpot with someone who not only enjoys hanging out with your kiddos but also cleans out of boredom. The only babysitter I've had that experience with is my mom, but I do hear they do exist. While walking into a spotless house after a much-needed night out would be amazing, it's not really part of a standard babysitting package.

Typically, whoever babysits for you is solely there to focus on the well-being of your children. They feed them snacks, play games with them, and follow their bedtime routine to the letter. Then they hang out on your couch reminding Netflix that they're still watching and wait for you to return. Sure, they clean up dishes from dinner and whatever toys were pulled out during their time with your kids, but they don't typically clean your house.

But in a private parenting group I belong to, a long debate was started when a mom asked a group of 260k of her closest friends if it would be appropriate for a parent to ask a babysitter to clean their home.

The anonymous mom explained that her college-aged daughter had recently started babysitting for a family, but on the second day, her duties suddenly changed. There was a list of chores waiting for the babysitter that included cleaning the family's dishes and cleaning up messes that were there before the sitter arrived.

This revelation set off a firestorm of comments with many agreeing that anything outside of cleaning up after the children while they're in your care is a separate job. But not everyone was on the same page and it was clear that this was a topic that was going to cause some intense debate. Since summer months are here, there's no wonder this topic is coming up and views are split.

woman holding kid in the street

Should babysitters be expected to clean, one mom asks.

Photo by Sai De Silva on Unsplash

Scary Mommy recently published an article posing a similar question, only this was coming from a parent who wanted her babysitter to clean while her children slept. Elizabeth Narins explains that she and her husband are stretched thin and have an active toddler she jokingly calls a "toy tornado."

"Given the amount of housework that clearly needs to be done, paying someone to sit on our toy-covered couch during naps or after bedtime just seems... inefficient," Narins wrote before posing the question. "Is it completely out of line for me to ask her to declutter when my kids are in bed?"

Whether it's the expert interviewed for the Scary Mommy article or the parents in the private group, there does seem to be one common theme among the discourse: Any additional chores should be clarified in the original job description, and if it wasn't, then it should be directly brought up in a conversation with the babysitter.

Many parents in the comments believed that a housekeeper should be hired in addition to the babysitter, while others thought the babysitter should be offered more money for the additional work. But there were several people who thought it was just common courtesy for a babysitter to clean the house while the kids were asleep.

It may seem that you're paying a babysitter to do nothing while your children sleep, but you're paying them to be there in the event of an emergency. No matter which side of the debate you're on, it seems proper communication about expectations will save everyone a headache in the future.

Do you think cleaning should be expected from a babysitter?

This article originally appeared on 6.8.23

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babysitter cleaning

Heart stopping video shows group of drivers working together to rescue man from burning car

This is what teamwork looks like.

CBS Mornings|YouTube

Video shows group of strangers trying to free man from burning car

Getting into a car crash is not something people hope they experience in their lifetimes, and if it does happen you hope it's just a minor fender bender. Unfortunately not all car accidents are minor. One man found himself in a pretty major accident on a Minnesota highway becoming trapped in his car.

According to eye witnesses, the man struck a light pole on the highway, landing with the driver's side of the car pinned against the guardrail. The car quickly becomes engulfed in flames as other drivers rush to the man's side in an attempt to free him from the fiery vehicle. Kadir Tolla caught the whole thing on his dash-cam accidentally when he jumped out of his running car to help.

Multiple people fought flames trying desperately to pull the car door open to let the driver out, but the guardrail thwarts their efforts repeatedly. At some point, Tolla runs to grab a large piece of hard plastic he found on the road and attempts to break the window. Nothing seems to be going in favor of the civilian rescuers.

"He was saying, 'pull me out, pull me out, pull me out,'" Tolla tells Fox News. "We could crack the door a little bit, you know, give him a little air. It [the flames] was actually smacking us in our face but we was just jumping back."

Eventually a "highway helper" arrived and breaks the glass on the driver's side window, which allows the other drivers to pull the man through the window, carrying him to safety. They got him out just in the knick of time because before they could get the unidentified man away from the car, the flames began to dance right where the driver was sitting seconds before.

The entire video is heart stopping, and shows the power of everyday people working together to save a stranger. Watch the heroic rescue below.

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