Dear Autistic People of the World, Hello, my name is Autism. I am a social disability. I can make it hard for some people to talk to others and I can also make it difficult for some to make friends. I will make it hard for you to pick up on social cues or to make eye contact. Sometimes I can make life very difficult for you and to parts of the world I can be known as a restriction, I am not. I am your friend, I make you special. Even ...

Some of us might be lucky enough to spend summers island-hopping on our parent's yachts, waiting for our helicopters filled with diamond-studded jet-skis to pick us up for our next adventure (dream on). For the rest of us, nabbing a summer job or internship that's more fun than changing our little sister's diapers is a definite plus. Although we'd like to venture off as movie studio executives and all around kick-butt business people, there are some restrictions put in place that we have to look out for. But that doesn't mean

by Sarah McGowan, TT Report Writer and Producer They’re called high-stakes tests for a reason. From student health and performance to curriculum development and implementation to the very funding that provides our campuses with the resources to educate our youth, today’s standardized tests have a ripple effect that impacts schools in profound ways. With testing season underway all across the nation, one thing is certain to be a constant companion for the students who take them, the teachers who prepare them and the administrators who are accountable for their results: stress. Though many campuses ...

by Sarah McGowan, TT Report Writer and Producer It's our dirty little secret - the one that we all wrestle with, but pretend we don't. It's the thing that tears so many of us down before we even give ourselves a chance to be accepted as we are. It's our national obsession with body image - our very own dark passenger of body dissatisfaction, which for many is lethal. Our fascination with perfection extends to every aspect of our lives. Groomed to excel professionally while making few, if any, mistakes on our way ...

When you're faced with the decision to start choosing a college, it can be very overwhelming. With so many community colleges and universities to choose from, how do you know which is the right school for you? Do you go the Ivy League route or stay closer to home? When selecting the right college, don't base your decision on proximity, price or popularity: make sure you find one that will be the best fit for your personality and skills. The Myers-Briggs personality ...

by Sarah McGowan, TT Report Writer and Producer I'd be happier if I was thinner. People would like me more if I was leaner, stronger, faster. As soon as I can fit into a pair of skinny jeans, I'll stop. These are the lies we all tell ourselves. They start as troubling thoughts that creep insidiously into our subconscious as we absorb the messages all around us before turning into beguiling, but ultimately empty, promises. Many of us will struggle with the effect these thoughts have on our emotions, our self esteem ...

by Sarah McGowan, TT Report Writer and Producer Just a month after the tragedy in Newtown, crisis prevention and community response are rightfully on everyone's minds. Effectively addressing this social issue in way that builds the stronger communities we need is now at the center of an often-polarizing national debate. How do we ensure we don't lose another child to gun violence on in our schools? It's a complex search for answers - many of them controversial like more armed officers on campus and federal expansion of the school ...

by Sarah McGowan, TT Writer and Producer Last week’s tragic school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut is a heartbreaking reminder of our nation’s need to protect children where they should never have to fear danger – at school. Now ranked as the second deadliest school shooting in U.S. history, the time for appropriate response and effective solutions is again at the forefront of our national debate. Many will say that more law enforcement on school campuses is what’s needed (along with gun control) to create safer schools, but the data ...

by Justine, TT Tribe Member After reading TEEN TRUTH: Why Youth Have Something to Hide, I felt as though my entire perspective of things had changed. When I was in high school, I was bullied relentlessly. It got to the point where I was an anorexic cutter and nobody knew what to do with me. I wish this book had been required reading in one of my classes; that way people probably wouldn’t have treated me the way they did. In addition to helping me understand more about group mentality and why teens ...

By Sarah McGowan, TT Writer and Producer As American as apple pie, there exists a lamentable ethos in the U.S. that tells each and every one of us a terrible social lie: pain is bad and should be avoided at all costs. Those common feelings that we all experience in life - feelings of hopelessness, frustration, alienation, anxiety, stress and anger – have little place in the cultural landscape that we help create. Whether we do it intentionally by focusing on productivity, accumulation of wealth and material security at the expense of all ...