6 Comments

  1. Stevie Sturla
    April 17, 2017 @ 10:49 am

    Thank you so much, Carrie, for sharing your honest perspective on having a child with autism. I have learned so much from you and others with children on the spectrum. Thank you for reaching out to the world with your story, and Jack’s story.

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  2. Kate
    April 17, 2017 @ 3:54 pm

    Once again thank you. Thank you. Thank you. It helps so much to know that I’m not alone. I can’t stop myself from wondering just which floors on the elevator we will skip.

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  3. terismyth
    April 17, 2017 @ 6:58 pm

    It’s great to hear your story Carrie. I’m all too familiar with what you have been through having raised a son with autism also. Your world is a bit different than most, yet you have no idea how much joy our son has brought to our family.

    At 24, he still hides in his room and plays video games saying he is reading instead since he knows we don’t approve of it.

    We are coming close to a huge achievement of seeing Andrew graduate from college next month. That is if he can continue on a straight path of staying focused and not get overwhelmed and shut down. That’s been the routine for the past 6 years.

    Yet, I am incredibly proud of the man he has become. He’s acomposer, a vocalist and pianist, a 3rd degree blackbelt in Taekwondo an Eagle Scout, and soon to be graduate w a liberal arts degree in performing arts.

    Who knows what career path he will take. We still take it one day at a time and try not to have huge expectations. He’s the light in my life and I have grown as a person raising him w my husband and older son. Life’s a journey and I couldn’t be more proud.

    Thanks Carrie for the words above.

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  4. agshap
    April 18, 2017 @ 11:22 am

    I so enjoy your blogs as it helps me understand more about my grandson. I too worry about him as he gets older since I do not have the control (or access, cant think of a good word) to him that I want. But slowly I am learning what I have to do and say to understand his autism. Thank you.

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  5. GP
    April 20, 2017 @ 6:43 am

    It helped our family to hear what adults on the spectrum have to say about overcoming challenges and embracing their own unique self with pride.

    Like most parents, I am constantly trying to figure out how to help my daughter live up to her potential and to find happiness. I personally feel that society can be very disabling to anybody who does not fit the mold.

    From reading blogs by adults on the spectrum, I learned that helping my child learn how to advocate for herself and for the accommodations she needs based on her neurology, as hard as it is, may help her more than trying to get her to “fit in” and change who she is. Her beautiful brain is not going to change. Getting her to “act” neurotypical, even when done inadvertently, has caused stress, loss of self-esteem, and a sense of hopelessness for her.

    It may help to make a list of steps and skills needed for our children to achieve specific goals (e.g. driving). Then, we could start working with our children on each step. We have to remember that nobody’s timeline is the same, and that is more than ok. My child may be 30 when she is ready to get her driver’s license, but why not?

    Here is a link to a list of blogs written by adults on the spectrum (I think one is a teenager). The perspectives communicated in these blogs have been eye openers for us. I think Carly Fleischmann is missing from the list (she is non-speaking, but has her own talk show called “Speechless”). If you do not feel comfortable clicking on the link, the reading list is posted on the facebook page of Diary of a Mom (Jess Wilson) on the bottom of her April 3, 2017 post.

    Here is the link:

    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154320431971937&substory_index=0&id=310066991936&__tn__=%2As

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    • Tonia
      April 21, 2017 @ 2:33 pm

      I agree 100%

      Reply

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