THE BEST OF THE REST OF THE WEB: SPECIAL MOMENTS, LIFE-CHANGING SLICE OF PIZZA, AND POST-COLLEGE YOUTH WITH ASD

"Here’s what I think: the only reason I’m not ordinary is that no one else sees me that way."

—Auggie Pullman, the 10-year-old narrator who was born with a facial deformity preventing him from going to a mainstream school, in the young adult novel "Wonder," by R.J. Palacio (@RJPalacio), who lives in NYC with her husband and two sons; "Wonder" is full of heart, hope, and empathy—or, as the author calls it, "a meditation on kindness" (Knopf; ages 8-12)

"Like so many decisions in our family, the easier road is often the one overgrown with weeds."

—Michaela Searfoorce, a  former musician turned never-stay-at-home mother who is currently raising three exceptional children (one with significant special needs), ages 11, 3 and 1, with another on the way, in Brooklyn; she blogs at  TheFoorce.com and also organizes monthly meetings geared toward the special needs community, runs a summer social skills group, and speaks at various local organizations and schools; read her contributions to “Special Parent” at nyspecialparent.com.

FOR YOUTH WITH ASD, DURING THE FIRST SIX YEARS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL:

34.7% had attended college

55.1% had held employment

—per "Postsecondary Education and Employment Among Youth with an Autism Spectrum Disorder," published in the June 2012 issue of "Pediatrics"; according to the study, youth with an ASD had the lowest rates of participation in employment and the highest rates of no participation compared with youth in other disability categories; read more at pediatrics.aappublications.org

"Like a race horse...
I power through life with blinders on. Special needs mom blinders, actually. They help
me keep my focus on Max, avoid comparing him to other kids, and not obsess about problems that may lie down the road."
—Ellen Seidman, on Love That Max (lovethatmax.com), the award-winning “blog about kids with special needs who kick butt,” where she chronicles the ups, downs, ins, and outs of life as a parent of a child with special needs