Editor’s note: I wrote this post after talking with my son about his anxiety during this complicated time. Now You Know Do you try and go to bed, but your brain is making small fast circles and you stare at the ceiling while your heart beats wildly? You chase sleep like the wind, but you […]
You and I, we are about to begin a short journey together. A journey where you read what I’ve typed and I sit back on my heels, all folded hands and closed eyes, and hope you find a piece of yourself inside my words. Let’s start with the details, shall we? My name is Carrie. […]
Hi. My name is Carrie. We’ve never met. I know this because I have never met someone who has been shot with a gun. Important people on television talk about statistics and data and events. I want to know other stuff. When was your first kiss? Were you an early […]
There are many doctors who tell us autism is a diagnosis—an incurable disorder with many challenges. They write big long articles about executive functioning and perseverative behavior and self-stimulation. They lecture about the way it can change a family, and destroy a marriage. They are right about this. At the same time, I know a […]
Have you ever met my son Jack? The first thing people usually notice is his height. He stands over six feet tall. He wears glasses. He chews his fingernails a lot. He jumps around, as if he’s dancing to music only he can hear. The truth is, you don’t simply meet my son. You experience him. […]
Hi. My name is Carrie. I have five kids. My second son has autism. His name is Jack. People ask me what I find the hardest when it comes to raising a child with autism. Is it the repetitive behavior—the way he asks the same question 17,395 times, even when he already knows the answer? […]
Let me tell you a story about a boy. This boy, he is like no other boy. Oh, he wants to be! He wants to be like you and me and everyone else. But he is not. Sometimes this makes him sad. Other times he doesn’t seem to care. It’s hard to know, really. Some […]
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 […]
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 […]