Children on the autism spectrum usually fall in one of two camps when it comes to their feelings about crowds: crowds are either an audience or a plague. For Jesse, crowds are an audience. He loves to mug, and show off, and recite what he knows about things of no interest to the listener. For Noah, crowds are a plague. This makes it a challenge to plan a wedding when both boys are also a part … [Read more...]
You Do You, Special Needs Parents!
I have been chided for sharing too much information about my son and his needs. There are people who say, "This is his story to share. That is, should he choose to do so." Little do they know, our stories are tied pretty tightly. Then there is the flip side. There are those that want to know the whole scoop. Anything and everything. They think I'm not sharing enough. … [Read more...]
Stuck On Repeat (The Special Needs Repetition)
* Some names have been changed. You know why. Almost every day my husband purposely sings a song with the intention of getting the tune stuck on repeat in my head. It's usually something obscure and fairly terrible. (Shhh. Don't tell him I secretly find this endearing.) With the exception of Friday. On Friday I can count on him waking the whole house with Rebecca Black's fabulous and memorable … [Read more...]
I Wasn’t Given a Mom Manual
I remember being in high school and I had to take a health class. You know the one where you had to carry around an egg for a week to see if you can take care of a baby. One class, I remember had to carry a doll baby that cried every time you put it down. That was brutal to watch my friends do that. Well, you just read about all the training I had to be a mother. Yes, that is right, I had … [Read more...]
We Are Never Alone on Our Journeys
We sifted through the pile of resumes looking for something to jump out and tell us who would be the perfect fit to become Ben’s primary caregiver. Oh, if only it were that easy. However, there were a few who had a decent amount of experience and whose skillset seemed a good match. There were even a few who had crafted an eye-catching cover letter that warranted a second look. With each of these … [Read more...]
You Really Like Me?
Do you remember the old Sally Field Oscar acceptance speech when she says, "You like me! You really like me!"? (Maybe I'm showing my age. Google it.) One day I said this to my son, Evan. He was being sweet to me and I said, "Evan, you like me! You really like me!" Aaand the rest is history. He now says this ten times a day to us. And he asks every single person he meets if they 'really like' him. … [Read more...]