When my son Jack was a toddler, he threw great big fits in the grocery store. I mean fits. He flung himself on the floor, and shrieked, and one time, he knocked a jar of spaghetti sauce off the shelf and it shattered everywhere. During all of these fits, not one person tried to help […]
Where is this all going? I ask myself this at least five times a week. I ask it when I sign another form with Autism Spectrum Disorder typed next to my son Jack’s name. I ask it when I call Walgreens for a refill of anti-anxiety medication, or make a late-night run for Melatonin. I […]
I’m not sure if you remember me, but we met the other day at the hotel. Well, I guess we didn’t exactly meet. I don’t know your name. We didn’t even speak. In fact, you were barely wearing any clothes, which would have been incredibly weird if you weren’t swimming in a pool at the […]
Editor’s note: I wrote this post after talking with my son Jack about what it’s like for him to receive presents. He reminded me that all he really wants this year is his Aunt Carolyn’s recipe for her chocolate cookies. He loves them, and last time she brought them he ate eleven of them. Hello. I […]
Every single day, Jack’s mother tries to climb inside his mind and understand how he thinks. She listens to music through his ears. She watches movies through his eyes. She tells his story as if it is her own, because, of course, it is. Once upon a time, when her son was diagnosed with the […]
I have a son named Jack, and a daughter named Rose. Although Jack and Rose are three years apart, they have a close relationship. They sit at the kitchen counter in the morning and munch on their cereal. She asks about his school, and he tells her bits and pieces. Every few minutes she places […]
There are so many things I want you to know, but I don’t know how to tell you. We never have enough time in our meetings, between reviewing my son Jack’s IEP, and planning for summer school, and signing the endless pieces of paper. I want you to know I’m not angry. I’m grieving. And If […]
We all know what autism is, right? I mean, honestly. What a boring title. Autism is a complex neurobehavioral condition that includes impairments in social interaction, developmental language, and communication skills, combined with rigid, repetitive behaviors. Other characteristics include low muscle tone, limited eye contact, and anxiety. My son Jack has autism. He’s thirteen. He […]
My son Henry helped me write this post. Over the course of the last week, I asked him all kinds of questions about his brother Jack and his autism. I listened to him talk about his memories and his experiences and his feelings, and I tried to piece it all together and paint the complicated, […]
My son Henry helped me write this post. Over the course of the last week, I asked him all kinds of questions about his brother Jack and his autism. I listened to him talk about his memories and his experiences and his feelings, and I tried to piece it all together and paint the complicated, […]
