Postscript: Ryan’s 9/11 Ceremony

As promised, Ryan held a 9/11 ceremony before our backyard hockey game last night. In fact, it was the first thing he told me when I called to say I was almost home. “Dad, hurry up! Remember, there will be a 10-minute ceremony before the game.” When I got home, changed, and got out there, […]

Remembering 9/11, Ryan’s Way

I have so much to write — about the end of summer and the start of school. Heck, I still have a few items from summer vacation I want to get to. But moment-to-moment interactions often dictate the agenda here, and many a post gets conceived in brief bits of morning conversation. This was a […]

The Flexibility Games

Flexibility and autism don’t exactly go together. Like so many on the spectrum, Ryan is married to routine — in ways that both help and hinder him. Routine is comforting, and helps him navigate his days. Once the “new” becomes the “familiar,” anxiety levels visibly drop. Whatever is familiar is rarely a challenge for him. […]

Self Awareness Cuts Both Ways

This is not the post I wanted to write this morning. We’re just back from an incredibly successful vacation — the best one yet of the three straight years we have spent a week at the same condo unit in the Outer Banks. It was full of family time, activities, glorious weather, relaxation and for […]

Ryan, Are You Coming?

Wherever we go, my daughter makes friends. She surveys the scene, seeks out girls her own age, walks right up and starts a conversation. These “friends” may last a day, a week, or years, but the point is they occupy her time. On the rare occasions she can’t find peers, she’s bored — and let’s […]