The Progress Is All Around Us

Sometimes when you’re in the thick of the day-to-day, you fail to notice significant changes that are happening right in front of you. Most of this NHL season, Ryan had a routine. After finishing his homework and eating dinner, he would head to the basement to watch hockey, by himself. He said he preferred it […]

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Lullaby and Goodnight

Like many on the autism spectrum, Ryan craves routines. He has many, and collectively they form the pillars of his days. Everything from the time he gets up, to the breakfast he eats, to how he budgets his free time before school, to when he does his homework, to how he watches hockey in the […]

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A Break in Routine

Routines are very important in our house. Ryan is most definitely a creature of habit, and whatever routines he has at the moment are repeated daily. The thing is, sometimes the routines change, and when they do, it’s like the previous routine is completely forgotten. For approximately the last 10 years, Ryan has eaten Eggo […]

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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. […]

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The Top Bunk

I still have so much to get to from our recent vacation — now that I’ve gotten the difficult bit out of the way. We’ll start today with a small thing that wasn’t small at all. The vacation condo we rent in the Outer Banks is a three-bedroom unit. You could say it’s more than […]

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