What Ryan Worries About

On Wednesday I offered a few thoughts on the tragic shootings in Newtown, Conn. With a few days perspective on events, I discussed how Ryan reacted, and what we feared, particularly once autism became a part of the conversation. That led to a few words on the lack of support services for adults with special […]

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A Pleasant Non-Surprise

Ryan had his middle school choir concert this week, and it came off without a hitch. There my son stood, with all his classmates, stock-still on the risers singing four holiday-themed songs. He was an active participant, singing with emphasis and wanting to do a good job. This no longer surprises me, but it wasn’t […]

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Mr. and Mrs. Fix-It

The words, as they always do, avoid any pretense or shades of gray. They offer raw, utter, unvarnished truth, and they cut like a knife. “But I thought mommy and daddy could always fix anything!” Upon hearing this from Ryan, Veronica and I make eye contact and share a quick non-verbal communication. One that says, […]

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How Not To Travel

We went away to visit Veronica’s family not too long ago. It’s a trip we have made many times before, and it always comes with a healthy amount of anxiety, as it involves a plane flight, followed by a long drive, followed by a stay in a packed house where Ryan is always the first […]

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Finding the Good in a Meltdown

Wednesday night, Ryan had a meltdown. Like most of them, the cause was something inconsequential — except to him. But there was something different in this meltdown, both in the way we reacted to it and in how he ultimately found a way to calm himself. We were watching television as a family in the […]

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