Dear Anxiety, It’s me — Neil. You may remember me from such conversations as “€<%# off,” “leave my kid the %^?< alone,” and “are you $@&?ing kidding me?” I’m sorry about those. Can we start over? We can? Good. Go $@¥% yourself. Oops, I guess I did it again. We were enjoying enduring another typically […]
Read more "Dear Anxiety"Writing will be brief this morning. Why? Here’s a brief recap of the last 12 hours: Just before 9 p.m., Ryan went to bed after watching the first period of the Sharks-Blues game Just after 9 p.m., Ryan emerged from his room to tell me he was “nervous” about the Lightning game. The game was […]
Read more "I Need a Nap"Ryan carries many labels. Among them: Autism spectrum disorder. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Disorders. That word contained within, order, is so, so apt. So much of his life is about trying to create some order from all the noise. Sometimes, he does things in a different order. Other times, his actions are about Imposing some […]
Read more "A Word About Order"There’s a storm coming. A cold winter wind is already buffeting my neighborhood, with the promise of rain and snow to come later today. That’s outside. Inside the house, the storm is already here. Our decision to stop Ryan’s stimulant ADHD med has led to dramatic changes in his behavior — both good and bad. […]
Read more "Waffle Free Wednesday"I watched Ryan skate, somewhat aimlessly, in a pair of hockey games this weekend. His usual strength, positional play, was seldom seen. He looked out of sorts on the ice. After the games ended, I observed him for signs of impulsivity and to assess the frequency of his facial tic. I took him home, watched […]
Read more "Another Spin of the Medication Wheel"
Pucks and Puzzle Pieces 