The Rules Have Changed
Listen, I like rules. I like order. I like a clean kitchen at night and I make my bed every morning. Hi. My name is Carrie. I live in New Hampshire with my husband Joe, our five kids, and a silly dog named Wolfie. Our second son, Jack, has autism. Autism is the conversation that […]
Check the Box
We just started the college application process with our oldest son, Joseph. Some people call him Joey, or even Joe. I call him Buca. I’ve done it since he was two weeks old. I can’t really explain why. Anyway, this college stuff is pretty overwhelming. There’s a lot to it—GPA, test scores, activities, clubs, letters […]
Everyday Autism Life
Hi, my name is Carrie. I have five kids and my second son, Jack, has autism. Time is a curious thing. It compresses, and expands. And when it comes to keeping a teenage boy with autism busy at the end of June, it stands still altogether. I wake up every morning mapping out possibilities. A […]
A Father’s Heart
There are all kinds of fathers. Strict, playful, reserved, affectionate. Some change diapers and nuzzle newborns, others prefer toddlers, or even teenagers. But you are a special-needs father. You are in a league all your own. I remember the way you gazed upon this baby with a mix of bewilderment, and awe. I watched you […]
A Pocketful of Pennies
I have said it before, and I will say it again. I cannot teach my son to whisper. Hi. My name is Carrie. I am married to a man named Joe and we have five kids and they are big and loud and sweet and funny. I have been cooking for seven people during the […]
When the Fires Cool
Hi. My name is Carrie. I have five kids, and my second son is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. His name is Jack. His actual birth-certificate-name is John. But we call him Jack because we like to stand around in airports while the official in customs flags us down because Jack/John insists he is not […]
#LoveForGood
Autism is a beautiful phenomenon. It is a different way of thinking and an unfiltered view on life. It can also be difficult, and insidious, and deeply frustrating. Life with my son Jack and his autism has forced me to consider the ways in which we chase joy, while simultaneously live within the realms of […]
We Will Come Back to You
Hello everybody, I’m Joey Cariello. I am the oldest of five siblings, and my brother Jack has autism. Originally, I planned to write this post as a Mother’s Day gift, and center the piece around my relationship with my brother. However, when I sat down at my desk, a different narrative came to mind. Right […]
I Root for You
I have never once sat in the bleachers, and rooted for you to hit a homerun. I have never sat in a stuffy middle-school gym, and rooted for you to spell the word paragraph into a microphone. That’s the tricky thing about autism. It makes me consider how we don’t root for the same things as […]