Misunderstood in Public

Hi. My name is Carrie. I have five kids, and my second son has autism. His name is Jack. He is fifteen. Every so often I come across an article about how a person with a diagnosis or a disability was asked to leave a public place because they were too loud, or disruptive, or misunderstood. Broadway musicals. Movie theaters. Water parks. When you have a child diagnosed with autism, doing something as simple as going to the grocery store, or a Little League baseball game, can be a challenge.…

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A Simple Trip to the Grocery Store

Trips to the grocery store. Simple right? Well, this mama didn’t know if we’d ever be able to successfully visit one. Groceries stores are loud. And crowded. And full of so many things. There is waiting. So much waiting. And walking. And colors. And different temperatures. And people talking. And asking questions. In our world we call this a sensory overload. Then add in a boy who is 9 years old. And looks like every other 9 year old boy who can easily walk through the grocery store. But yet…

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We Want You Here

We. Want. You. Here. Four words, 13 letters. Those four words are words that I just recently realized have a huge impact, not just on the recipient, but on the person saying them. As a family, we spent years adapting to autism. We started with Early Intervention when he was 18 months, moved into a public pre-school program when my tiny nonverbal child was just three and could barely walk up and down stairs. We walked circles with his baby brother around Children’s Hospital three days a week for two…

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Those Keyboard Warriors Though

One of my dear friends is going through some cyber bullying. She is a blogger. She is amazing. She talks and writes about injustices, her family, her life and her son Amos. Who not only happens to be the cutest child ever, but also has autism. She shared some screen shots with me this morning and I instantly started to sweat. I’ve been there. It will literally take your breath away and feel like you have been sucker punched the first time someone comes at you online. And the second…

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