I hear him whisper-talking to himself as I pause by his bedroom door. It’s a couple of hours before school time and although I can’t see him, I know exactly what he’s doing as I listen intently to the soft sounds emanating from his room. “Yes, that’s okay. The We4…
Sometimes, I get a little panicky, wondering if I am doing all I can to help each of my kids. My third child has special needs which makes his current path blurry in my mind. Will he ever read on grade level? Will he be able to sustain current friendships…
It’s 3:00 pm on a weekend afternoon in Autumn. I drove my three boys to a skateboard park we’ve been to before. As we approach the skateboarding ramps, we notice a 16-year-old boy who happens to be our neighbor. “Carlos!!” Brady shouts out. Carlos looks up, nods but keeps his…
Brady with a kind stranger dressed as Mario. Brady was so happy to meet Mario. "Can I go to your castle home?" “We have got to work on keeping these children engaged with the world.”– Temple Grandin on the importance of connecting autistic children with others and the world around themSurreptitiously,…
“He jumps down the stairs. He never walks or prances down our stairs. No. He thumps and jumps down the last few stairs every time,” I tell the pediatrician who has asked me what Brady does for fun inside our home. I’m sure the doctor wasn’t expecting my candid response. …
Brady was a fireman in 2017; after that Halloween, he became creative with his costume designs. “What are you going to be for Halloween this year, Brady?” his psychiatrist asks at the very end of his appointment on a mid-October day.He doesn’t answer. He’s squatted on the floor creating a…
I’m climbing into the back of my minivan so I can help my four children get buckled. I have a four-year-old, a three-year-old, an almost 2-year-old and a newborn. I tell myself you can do this. Indeed, we are almost ready to go. Before this car buckling scene, I’m helping…
“Mom, did you know that other people matter even if we don’t like them?” It’s a Friday evening and he’s carefully slicing his favorite cheddar cheese while seated at the kitchen counter. It’s hard to watch him cut, with a mildly serrated knife, but he’s nearly ten and I suppose…
“Here, my new friends gave me their phone numbers. Invite them to the climbing place for my birthday. Okay?” He gives me three crinkled up small strips of paper, all warm from being balled up in his hand. I unwrap each one as we walk home and read the kid-written…
It’s quiet and dark but it’s GO time. My oldest is now in middle school and that means we get up while everyone else is still sleeping. At 6:40am, Reagan and I walk out the door to head to the bus stop. The brisk morning air hugs our faces. I…
