Lots of parents of kids on the autism spectrum talk about their lives as a “roller-coaster ride” — and it certainly is full of ups and downs. Then again, so are most people’s lives. What makes this metaphor particularly apt is that not only does a roller coaster go up and down, but the it […]
Read more "The Roller Coaster Thing"Saturday night, my house. Everyone else is asleep. I am gathering the Mother’s Day cards the kids made to place with my card and our gift for the morning. I read through the cards. Riley’s is beautiful, with a flower that has fold-out petals, each containing a different wonderful attribute of Veronica’s. It is carefully […]
Read more "Mother’s Day, According to Ryan"Among the things I find frustrating about autism is that it makes it difficult to attribute reasons for trying behaviors. Ryan has some behavioral issues that are very obviously related to his diagnosis, such as his inability to control his voice volume and his difficulty breaking out of rigid habits. I wish we could say […]
Read more "Knowing When"Riley marched in our local St. Patrick’s Day parade with her Girl Scout troop yesterday morning. She had her first game of the spring soccer season yesterday afternoon. I attended neither of these events. Now, I’d be making a blatantly false claim for Dad of the Year if I said I didn’t enjoy my leisurely […]
Read more "Comfort Zones"Ryan’s extreme interest in — some might say obsession with — the sport of hockey has brought many moments of joy to our household. But … there is a downside. At the social skills group Ryan attends, they teach the “Superflex and the Unthinkables” curriculum, a part of Michelle Garcia Winner’s Social Thinking program. For […]
Read more "The Downside of a Hockey Obsession"
Pucks and Puzzle Pieces 