Author Archives: maiszink

Proving I’m Normal: A Look into High-Functioning Autism & Bipolar Disorder

I’m doing an investigation series of sorts here into my own neurodiversity. I hope to write a book that is part memoir and part interviewing other high-functioning autistic people about their lives and work. The book will do for autism what Lizzie Simon’s Detour did for bipolar–normalize it. A lot of people tell me to justContinue reading “Proving I’m Normal: A Look into High-Functioning Autism & Bipolar Disorder”

New Book Highlights Witnessing Mental Illness from a Child’s Perspective written by an 8th Grader

There aren’t too many books written by children who witnessed their parents’ mental illness and chose to write about it while they were still kids.  Owen Marshall, now an eighth grader living in Virginia near Washington, D.C., is your typical teen playing video games and participating in sports like swim team and basketball. However, aContinue reading “New Book Highlights Witnessing Mental Illness from a Child’s Perspective written by an 8th Grader”

Feeling Good during the Holiday Season Might Mean Practicing Intentional Gratitude

Deborah Hawkins intentional gratitude practice is different from making a gratitude list of things and experiences life brings you. It’s about knowing what you value and practicing it daily, seeing things you love in different situations. “Intentional gratitude changed my life because I don’t feel like a victim. We can’t control what happens to usContinue reading “Feeling Good during the Holiday Season Might Mean Practicing Intentional Gratitude”

Temple Grandin Talks about Different Kinds of Thinkers in her new book Visual Thinking

Temple Grandin, animal scientist and Associate Professor at Colorado State University, does not believe in labels. In her new book Visual Thinking: Hidden Gifts of People who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions, Grandin expounds upon the mysteries of genius and neurodiversity, how the American educational system favors verbal thinkers rather than “object visualizers” asContinue reading “Temple Grandin Talks about Different Kinds of Thinkers in her new book Visual Thinking”

Human Power Project an Innovative Program in Teaching Mental Health to Students

Picture Courtesy of Ross Szabo When Ross Szabo, wellness director at the Geffen Academy at UCLA and CEO of the Human Power Project, a curriculum designed for students focusing on mental health, tried to end his life at age 17, he didn’t know it would be a turning point toward a career helping students and adults findContinue reading “Human Power Project an Innovative Program in Teaching Mental Health to Students”

Two Crusaders Dedicated to Ending Bullying and Teaching a More Compassionate World

Jodee Blanco has always championed and defended the underdog from the time she was very young. The other kids in school didn’t like this and bullied her mercilessly for it.  Blanco, formerly in publishing and the author of many books including Please Stop Laughing at Me, a memoir of her experiences as a child and teenContinue reading “Two Crusaders Dedicated to Ending Bullying and Teaching a More Compassionate World”