For the brand-new dad with a tiny, squirming bundle, and a wife who seems to have lost her ever-loving mind. The very sight of you sparks rage in her eyes. You change the diapers wrong. You fold the burp cloths wrong. You stroll the stroller wrong. Breathe, tender father. She will […]
One night, I kissed you. And you kissed me. Then we got married. We had five kids. We bought a minivan. We got a dog. We discovered autism. Or autism discovered us. Either way. Neither way. Raising children is important. It is fast, and fiery, and special, and ordinary, and fun sometimes and not-so-fun other […]
Sometimes I wish everyone had the opportunity to raise a child like my son, Jack. Jack is fifteen. He is nearly six-foot, two inches tall. He wears a size thirteen shoe. Blue Nikes, in case you were wondering. He picks his cuticles until they bleed. He goes to a special school. He takes medicine every […]
Hi. My name is Carrie. I have five kids, and my second son has autism. His name is Jack. He is fifteen years old. In my mind, I picture autism to be a huge tapestry with a lot of bright, vibrant colors. Actually, I don’t picture the front of the tapestry, but the back of […]
Things went a little wrong the day I was born. I was very early. I was very small. I came fast-like and there were a lot of people moving and talking around me. Suddenly, the room felt smaller and smaller and the walls were getting too close and there wasn’t enough air and I was […]
Motherhood is a curious thing. For many of us, it starts with tiny pink ears shaped like seashells. Soft newborn sighs, mingled with raging postpartum hormones. Before you know it, a few uncertain steps on wobbly legs, the first word, a game of patty-cake. From there, it follows a fairly predictable path: preschool, kindergarten, untied shoelaces, […]
Hi. My name is Carrie. I have five kids. My second son, Jack, is diagnosed with autism. I used to think the hardest part of autism was the day we got the actual diagnosis—the day I walked into the cold rain of a November afternoon, and attempted to zip my squirming toddler’s jacket. I was […]
Autism is a blue-pen diagnosis scrawled across white paper. Low executive functioning. Poor social skills. Obsessive-compulsive behavior. Severe anxiety. Autism is unpredictable. It is unusual, and unexpected. It is rigidity, tenacity, and ability, all rolled into one complicated mind. It is a father’s determination. This father, see, he hurts. Sure, […]
Five days ago, you left for a trip halfway around the world. It’s been five days since I’ve seen your face. Five days since I’ve insisted you comb your hair before you left for the bus. I almost knocked on your door this morning to remind you to get up for school. In the grocery […]
It’s April now. Here in New Hampshire, we are treated to the occasional shirt-sleeve day, when the sun warms your arms and you can cast your jacket aside. April is Autism Awareness Month. My son has autism. His name is Jack. He is almost fifteen. What can I tell you about autism that you don’t […]