Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Alison Escalante M.D. covers neurodiversity, pediatrics and parenting. When we try to learn something new, our curiosity ...

I remember being in the middle of a lake. Alone. Just me, water, the sky, and far-away trees. It was a bliss. Being alone with nature can be an exquisite source of joy. I remember dancing with joy.

Autistic people often experience difficulties with social communication. It’s so common, in fact, that it’s one of the central criteria for an autism diagnosis. For as long as we have been diagnosing ...