Imagine being born blind. You can’t really imagine what that would be like and neither can I. But let’s pretend you are born completely blind and then at some point during your early childhood a diagnosis of autism is confirmed by the specialists. What is it like for you to…
Summers always seem to have another layer of unpredictability that I've learned to embrace. By being open to the surprise happenings of a full day with four young adventurers, I am able to soak in a lot of joy amidst the waves of chaos and sporadic meltdowns. In the summer…
It all starts in the pediatrician's office, shortly after your baby is born. Questions like: “How many ounces are you getting into him?” make you feel like there is a perfect ounces-per-day number and you can only hope you’re close with your answer. Those are the standard questions every mother…
“CLOSE THE DOOR!” Brady demands when I stealthily open his bedroom door to get a small glimpse at what he’s doing. We’ve removed the lock so he cannot really keep us out, but he makes it clear that while he’s creating art- whether a drawing or an origami boat- he wants…
I used to think that parents were solely to blame for a child’s behavior. Before becoming a mother, I’d observe a child having a meltdown and think: Can’t you get your child to be QUIET? Come on, do something! Once when I was given a mock interview in college, I…
The room is a chaotic mess but not really. An intricate design of train tracks, hot wheel cars, and stacks of books with plastic racing track hanging down all take up the floor space of our large den off the kitchen. There are magnetic tiles pieced together in small multi-colored…
Hello World! I am just not comfortable and mom is struggling to figure out why. She doesn't realize (yet) that I have a lot of sensory issues and tummy problems. I forgive Mom though. She picked up on my cues and saved my life at 23 days old. After 3…
Waking up on a school morning, I take a moment in the coziness of my bed to keep my eyes closed and take a few slow deep breaths. I let my mind enjoy this brief time of quiet because it wasn’t always so quiet when the kids were toddlers. After…
As a parent with an autistic child, I’ve heard the saying: “If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met ONE person with autism.” This statement, attributed to Dr. Stephen Shore, is completely true. Imagine an alien observing just one of us and then going back to outer space to…
I grew up as the oldest of 4 children but didn’t like speaking up because of the direct attention it drew. I was never comfortable with people looking at me for more than a glance and certainly didn’t want to stir the pot with any controversial statements. If I was…
