Riley would have been up for the trip. Had Ryan been on board, we might well have spent much of Sunday in the car. But when we floated the idea at breakfast, he was not having it. It’s not that he has an aversion to car trips, he’s actually quite good despite the lack of […]
Read more "Spontaneity Is for Us"Autism has taught me many lessons. It has forced me to think critically about all aspects of my parenting style. It has led me to always have a plan — and to always be ready to change it. But more than anything, it has taught me to appreciate small moments and little victories. It has […]
Read more "Pass the Telescope"Last Friday, Ryan and I had a plan. I was off from work; He skipped camp because he wasn’t interested in that day’s trip. We had some errands to run, but the real highlight of the day was to be a session of father and son “stick and puck” at our local ice rink — […]
Read more "Stick and Puck"At some point in the journey, every autism parent hears that people on the spectrum “lack empathy.” When our children are still young enough that we don’t know who they will become or how they will develop, we learn that they will likely never understand, or at least struggle to understand, the feelings of others. […]
Read more "Empathy"Ryan doesn’t do subtle. If he wants to tell you something, he just comes out and says it. This creates its share of awkward moments, but on the whole it’s a good thing. Ryan’s pronouncements don’t often require much interpretation. They also tend to arrive completely out of the blue, current context be damned. Last […]
Read more "Summer Progress Report"
Pucks and Puzzle Pieces 