Ohio TiesLocal Family Creates H-Bomb Ties to Help People with Special Needs

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A neckwear company that specializes in fun bow ties and neckties for children and adults. It was inspired by Harrison Chmura (aka The H-Bomb), who has Down syndrome and autism, has always had an affinity for bow ties, and wears them often for all sorts of occasions. Harrison’s parents created H-Bomb Ties to provide work training opportunities for Harrison, or other differently-abled individuals like him. hbombties.com

AutoBrush

An automatic, u-shaped toothbrush that has 58,000 tapered nylon bristles to clean all surface areas of teeth at once. For kids and adults, with fun animal shapes for kids. Prices vary. tryautobrush.com­

­— cuyahogabdd.org

Bookshelf

Same, But Different

By Holly Robinson Peete, RJ Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete

Actress and activist Holly Robinson Peete pairs with her twins in this narrative about the challenges and triumphs of being a teen who has autism and the effects on family, school, friends and life.

True BizBy Sara NovicThe students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just

want to hook up, pass their history finals, and have politicians, doctors and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This is a story of sign language and lip-reading, disability and civil rights, isolation and injustice, first love and loss, and, above all, great persistence, daring and joy.

See ME: The Invisible Autistic Boy

By David Petrovic, author and illustrator, and  Sandy Petrovic

This book tells a memorable story of a boy who felt invisible until a special peer “saw” him. Sandy and David Petrovic, a mother and son team from Northeast Ohio, have written together and attend speaking engagements to help other families who have children with autism. Kids learn about autism and do puzzles and activities that reinforce the book’s vocabulary and concepts. Underlying messages include the worth of every person, the power of kindness, and acceptance of differences in others and ourselves.

petro-autism.com

Best Boy

By Eli Gottlieb

Sent to a “therapeutic community” for autism at age 11, Todd Aaron, now in his 50s, is the “Old Fox” of Payton LivingCenter. Todd attempts an escape to return “home” to his younger brother and to a childhood that now inhabits only his dreams. The book is written in the first-person voice of an autistic, adult man.