Reflections on being the father of a boy with autism.
During tonight’s bath, I put the foam letters “C-O-W” on the side of the tub and said, “Cow.” A few minutes later, when I was scrubbing his back, C filtered through the whole alphabet floating atop the water, placed “C-O-W” … Continue reading
At dusk tonight my wife pointed up and said, “What a beautiful moon!” It was just a sliver, but it was indeed beautiful. C, seeing it too, summed it up best with his expression.
I love you, son.
I saw this bumper sticker today, and it made me smile:
My Autistic Kid Will Lick Your Honor Student
After reading this post, several people wrote to tell me they found it amazing how much C looks like me at the same age. Here’s a photo of me and M (C’s twin) when we were both about two years … Continue reading
An update to yesterday’s post: after this morning’s three-hour ABA session and one hour off O2, C’s oxygen level was 80%. This is very low (read: not good). So, while his progress is positive overall, it’s clear that any extra … Continue reading
On the advice of our pulmonologist, we’ve been taking C off oxygen for short periods every day, gradually increasing the duration of these O2-free periods. We’re currently up to 60 minutes, after which we measure C’s oxygen levels using a … Continue reading
Though I only knew my younger brother for a very short time, I feel his presence in my life even now, nearly four decades later.
After months of searching, C has finally been accepted into a school for children with autism. This comes after being turned down by other schools that couldn’t or wouldn’t deal with his oxygen. (Yes, this is probably discrimination, especially since … Continue reading
Tonight something magical happened, something that has never occurred before: C played with another little boy.
I feel so fortunate that C is a happy boy.
The dream of every parent of twins is that their children will be best friends, lifelong companions. We saw that dream evaporate when C began to regress. Lately, though, we’ve been encouraging M to take charge, to be C’s protector … Continue reading
Google “autism denial” and you’ll see there are a lot of parents of ASD kids being told by well-meaning if ill-informed friends and family that their children are just “going through a phase.” To those people I’d just like to … Continue reading
I know what I’m getting C for his 3rd birthday in a couple of weeks: a new robot from Plan Toys designed specifically to help ASD children identify emotions, address sensory issues, and improve fine motor skills. As a bonus, … Continue reading
I feel terrible. Tonight when I put C in bed, he wouldn’t stop crying. I asked him what was wrong, but he couldn’t respond coherently. I knew he was exhausted after a full day of therapy, so I rubbed his … Continue reading
I am above Colin, looking into his eyes. (I feel grateful that he is able to make and sustain eye contact with me.) After a moment I ask: “Nose kisses, Colin?” Without hesitating he reaches up, puts his hands on … Continue reading
Here is a photo that breaks a tiny bit of my heart. It was taken yesterday at a third birthday party for one of the girls in C’s preschool. The children—including C’s twin—were engaged in dancing, singing, pretend play, and … Continue reading
I hadn’t intended to post videos on ASD Dad, but this one conveys in a very powerful way the need for greater acceptance and compassion toward those we might otherwise ignore. Watch to the end; it’s only one-and-a-half minutes.
A brief description from the video’s creator: “Pro Infirmis conducts an experiment: there are only a few people who don’t have empathy with disabled people. Nevertheless, the passenger seat in the public bus next to Fabian often stays empty. Handicapped people are a regular part of our society.”
Fabian is the man in the suit.
I was going to write something about today being the two-year anniversary of C being on oxygen, but I think my wife said it better than I could have.
There are a few preschools near us that are a good fit for children with C’s type of autism, but as soon as they find out that he’s on oxygen, they tell us they don’t think they can take him. … Continue reading