Reflections on being the father of a boy with autism.
Yesterday we witnessed something amazing: C is able to sight-read some words, and then match them to images. (This is the first time he’s done this exercise.) In reality, these are words C likes to spell, so he’s already familiar … Continue reading
When I came home tonight, C was standing quietly by the window arranging his cars just so. This is nothing new: he often moves objects around, reconfiguring them until they match some picture in his mind.
We knew from our first hospital stay this wasn’t going to be easy, but I’m thankful every day to have you as my partner on this journey. As involved as I may be, I know the majority of this burden … Continue reading
Evincing a common autism trait, my son’s hands are always on the move, fingers bending or stiffening, balled up or widely splayed, seemingly living a life of their own.
Tonight M (my neurotypical son) said, “I want to go to the bank with my piggy bank and get a lot of money to give to you so you can stay home with C all the time and I can … Continue reading
On Sunday C asked me to help him climb a ladder on the jungle gym and watch him go down a tube slide, both things he wouldn’t even consider as recently as a week ago. Tonight he actually helped vacuum … Continue reading
Tonight, as the boys were in their beds, C stood bolt upright, leaned over, and said, “I want hug, M. Want hug, M. Kiss!”
Many children with autism, like C, love to engage with others, but their ASD prevents them from understanding how to do so. Most times C will light up if a child tries to engage with him, but if he’s left … Continue reading
I took the boys to the beach today; it was cool and windy, and mostly empty. The wind was loud in my ears, sand buffeting my face, the cool air sometimes stinging my eyes, and all of it prevented me … Continue reading
What world does C inhabit? How different is it from my own? How much overlap is there? Can he be in both places at once? Yes, I’m aware that we all perceive the world in different ways, but what is … Continue reading
Today my wife observed C reciting the alphabet…backward. He would say a letter, scrunch up his face as he thought earnestly about what was next, and then happily announce it before proceeding to the next one.
In the bath tonight, M said that C doesn’t love him. When asked why he thought that, M said, simply, “Because he doesn’t say it.” And now it gets tough. You see, it’s obvious to us how much C loves … Continue reading
C is untethered from his oxygen for a stroll in the brisk weather. What is a little unusual here is that C was leading the way; usually it’s the other way around.
When C was first diagnosed with ASD, a friend who has faced the same challenge told me that I would come to appreciate the littlest accomplishments just as though they were gigantic.
C has been a bit of a ping pong ball lately, one day doing quite well, the next seeming hard to reach and engaging in a lot of typical ASD-behaviors. Nonetheless, I wanted to take a moment to post some … Continue reading
In honor of World Autism Awareness Day, and in order to help shed light on autism, people everywhere are being asked to turn on a blue light today. We did.
This morning a friend sent me a story from the BBC ; to say that I am shocked and appalled would be putting it mildly. In short, France still views — and therefore treats — autism as a psychological disorder, … Continue reading
We’re running out of time. In addition to all the stresses of having a child with health and developmental issues, there is the added worry that we’re not doing enough right now, that precious time is slipping by.
In C’s preschool, there are a couple of girls who have taken C under their wing, who have become protective of him, and who seem to genuinely care about him.
There’s another boy in all of this, the other twin, the one who might someday read this blog and wonder if we considered him as much as we consider his brother. The one who sees all the special attention and … Continue reading