This time of year, with all of the holidays, is probably one of the toughest times of the year. The frequent change in routine, small bouts of travel, spending hours at a time at other people’s homes (even if it’s a familiar home, like a grandparent’s), change in diet, increase in sugary treats, large groups of people, loud crowds/music, can be overwhelming for Charlie. So for our family and friends, here’s our holiday guide to Autism. Charlie thrives on routine. The hectic holiday schedule can get to be a bit…
As a child, did you ever wake early with anticipation? Were you one of the children who rushed to see exactly what was under the tree? I was. Patience was never a strong suit and surprises are something I am still not a fan of. In fact, Christmas memories are some of my favorite from my childhood. My mom, her sisters, sometimes her brothers, their spouses and up to 11 kids crammed into one home for up to a week celebrating not only the magic of Christmas but the blessing…
She paused mid-sentence, an empathetic tone intervening as she spoke words she’d probably uttered a thousand times before to parents throughout the years. She seemed to understand the importance, though…the nuance in her voice conveying the magnitude of her message, while she made certain to catch my gaze and connect, despite the limitations surrounding our telehealth appointment. “Even if we find that there is a genetic explanation for Leo’s Autism and epilepsy, it’s important to note that this isn’t about blame…” Startled by her candidness, I nodded, silently providing acknowledgement…
This holiday season we have been touched with the spirit of Christmas by friends and complete strangers. Christmas is a little different for us. My son, Johnny, who is almost 6 and on the autism spectrum, doesn’t ask for toys or say what he wants. He lacks communication skills and understanding. We can go to the store and he may look and touch and couple things, but never says he wants them or tries to take it with him. I’m sure that sounds amazing to many parents, but for me…
Holidays are fast approaching. And for the past few weeks, my mind has been filled with the excitement and longing for celebration and togetherness. In an ever-changing world that we are a part of, looking forward to something is a must these days. But as the first of the next few major holidays creeps up on our families, a new concept plagues my thoughts. In our area, holiday gatherings are not “banned” but discouraged, as we still reside within a worldwide pandemic. And there’s a very real chance that we…
I got to be a fly on the wall again today. For my son Rory’s first Christmas concert. I told him I would be there. I went over the day with him as I do. But he didn’t seem to have any understanding of what I was telling him. My girls, however, knew exactly what I was talking about. “Mum, I want to come to Rory’s Christmas concert! Mum what are his lines? Mum what song is he singing?!” The urgency in their excitement reminded me of just how different…
The three boys just had their zoom visit with Santa Claus. I’ll be honest, it was a loud, chaotic, mess and had me sweating and possibly even swearing internally. It was also adorable and cute. Which pretty much sums up all of our family experiences. Sawyer asked for a Nintendo Switch and followed that up with a dozen questions about the reindeer and how Santa is doing his job during covid. Then they exchanged ‘dad jokes’ and I laughed out loud. I love a good dad joke. The baby cried…
A few nights ago, my husband and I found ourselves driving around a picturesque town for 20 minutes or so…alone. We had no kids with us. There was no loud noise or fighting or voices from an iPad. It was just us, driving around looking at holiday lights, Christmas music playing softly. Eventually we found ourselves in the parking lot of what looked like a brand new apartment complex located right on the river. It was breathtaking. After looking at the sign, we saw it was for folks 55 plus.…
There is a quote that says, ‘don’t ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you’re alive is a special occasion.’ My son Cooper reminds me of that quote every single day. The reason I’m sharing it with you is because someone recently commented on one of my posts, pointing out that we always have balloons in our house. And it’s true, they are everywhere. They drift through the house, from room to room. Birthday balloons. Dora balloons. Square. Round. All brightly colored. Some old. Some new. Why? Because…
No one asked if I was ready… At 18 months old, my daughter Vivian was typically developing. She had always been “the last.” The last of the children of her age group that we knew to learn to crawl, the last to walk, the last to utter her first word, “dog.” But that was okay. She was still in the typical range. Then she began withdrawing. No one asked if I was ready to see my baby stop coming to me. I wasn’t. I wasn’t ready to watch as my…
