Posts Tagged ‘Autism Awareness’
Different, and Equal
Hi. My name is Carrie. We’ve never met, but I read the news report about what happened to you at school, when your paraprofessional used a stapler to attach a note to your hair. She said she wanted to send a reminder home to bring in a water bottle the next day. Right away, I want to tell you I am very, very sorry. Reading your story made my heart squeeze tight. I felt sick inside, to be honest. I pictured you standing in your classroom, waiting for a drink…
Read MoreTeacher’s Aide Staples Piece of Paper to a Disabled Child’s Head as a Reminder
From the minute you become a parent, the overwhelming fear and concern sets in. You constantly question whether every choice or decision you make on your child’s behalf is the right one. When your child has special-needs, the endless self-doubt triples. The options for schooling seldom are plentiful or a perfect fit, so when an appropriate placement is agreed upon, it is not done without careful planning and discussion among all involved. As the start of each school year draws closer, I often think to myself “I hope Skyler doesn’t become the…
Read MoreWe are Raising Him to be Proud of Who He Is
Every morning I wake up to messages from people. Most are well-meaning. Many are kind. A few are awful. Some are bizarre. And some, tell me how to raise my son. And how I’m doing it wrong. They tell me what I should be doing, how I can do it better, and what I can and cannot say about him. I’ve gathered a list of what I cannot say. I cannot say he has autism. Or is autistic. I can’t say he is nonverbal or nonspeaking. I can’t say he…
Read MoreAn Open Letter to Those who Bully People With Special Needs
Dear Bully, When I was in public school I used to be bullied by people like you. You would see me in the corner, usually trying to keep to myself and wonder why I was there. Other times you would see me having issues reading out loud in class and snicker while I tried to pronounce different words. You’d take my inability to understand sarcasm as a way to get me in trouble. Worst of all, you’d make me feel like an outsider when more than anything I wanted to…
Read MoreSomeone I’m With has Autism
The other day I took my son Jack to the dermatologist. It was a routine visit, nothing out of the ordinary. I did what I always do when it comes to Jack and his appointments. Over the phone, I explained he has autism, and it might seem like he isn’t listening at first. He takes a while to answer questions. Also, he might jump around a little if he gets restless. On the drive to the office, I took Jack through a quick social story about wearing his mask, sitting in the…
Read MorePerspective from an Autism Uncle
I remember my Godson Zachary’s first birthday after his severe, nonverbal autism and apraxia diagnosis. I remember it clearly. I bought him this Ninja Turtles hat, knowing he hated hats but I thought how that was the one he was going to love. Spoiler alert, he didn’t. I think everyone in Zachary’s village has had this kind of moment over the years…which is fine and mostly harmless…but this doesn’t do him any favors. I think about that moment often. I don’t remember ever discussing the hat any further but I…
Read MoreEach Person With ASD Is A Raw Gemstone
I wrote an essay recently about how my 16-year old son Jack got a job, and then a promotion, at local restaurant. This might not seem like a big deal, but Jack has autism. He struggles with regulation, executive functioning, severe anxiety, and communication. In other words, he jumps around a lot, he has little to no working memory, he’s afraid of loud noises, and he can be a little, uh, abrupt. A few days ago, I got an email from a lovely young woman, describing her own journey to…
Read MoreChoose Kindness
When do we learn hate? At what age? It’s a question I’ve been thinking about for days now. I share these three boys and our family on Facebook. I do it for a few reasons. I want to normalize autism. I want to remove the stigma and fear from the word. I want to show the possibility. The reality. The hope and the joy. I want to educate the person who knows nothing of disability. So when they meet a child or adult like my son, they give grace. And…
Read MoreI Wanted to Tell Her It Would Be Okay
It was a warm sunny day in the middle of June. We were, and still are in the midst of a pandemic. We live in southwest Florida so the June days can become unbearable at times. I was almost 7 months pregnant with a very crazy 1-year old little girl. My husband and I decided to take her to the pool to cool off and have her burn off some of her energy. We live in a little community, filled predominantly with retirees. We are one of a few families…
Read MoreOnce Again, The New Normal Didn’t Have Room For Us
Normal. Such a funny thing. When I say our life is not, I’ll hear back “Who is really normal?” or “What is normal?” I get everyone is different but when it comes down it, there is such a thing as normal. In some ways we are normal, but in many ways not and haven’t been even before I knew it. I never wanted my kids to be like everyone else. I want them to march to the beat of their own drums. Howl at the moon. Sing when they feel…
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