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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
My name is Carrie. I have five kids. My second son, Jack, has autism. My story is not a new story. It is neither original, nor untold. My story of autism is, quite simply, an account of a bewildered mother trying to enjoy the moment in front of her, with one eye constantly trained on […]
Hello. I’m not sure if you remember me. We saw each other yesterday. You kept twisting around to look at us, even after the movie started. I liked your sweatshirt. My daughter used to love dinosaurs when she was your age, too. She wore a pink hat with one on it almost every day in […]
Today, I will remember my son did not ask for autism, any more than he asked for light brown hair or a lazy eye. If we have a rough morning and he says a swear word because he can’t get the lid off the peanut butter, I won’t get mad. I won’t grit my teeth […]
Did I tell you my son has autism? It’s usually one of the first things I mention, not because I want you to feel bad for him, or for us. I tell you about my him so you’ll know right away I don’t want to talk about nonsense. I don’t want to know about the […]
Hi. My name is Carrie. I have a son with autism. His name is Jack. He is almost fifteen years old. He has blue eyes. In case you were wondering, he is not a savant. He does not possess some exceptional skill in math. He doesn’t swirl colorful blobs of paint into masterpieces, and he’s […]