We have always tried to make the Christmas season a special one for our son, Angel. Last year, his fascination with Christmas trees and Christmas lights began. However, trees and lights are where his fascination with Christmas ends. As a parent of an only child who is on the autism spectrum, I have conditioned myself to understand that our celebrations will be different. … [Read more...]
How Autism Rocked my Son’s World
Autism is an integral part of who my seven-year old son Angel is. I know some people say, “My child has autism, but autism doesn't have him” but I don’t see it as autism having my child. I see it as a condition that has a significant impact on how he interacts with and functions in the world around him. According to the CDC, “Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of … [Read more...]
5 Things You Can Do Today to Prevent Autism Parent Burnout
If you are raising a child with autism, then you know that we always have a battle to fight. Our journey becomes a roller coaster ride that we board when our children are diagnosed. It is easy for us to burn out, especially when sources of support are few and access to services is limited. These are our realities. There is no way around it. So what can we do? We have two … [Read more...]
What Everybody Ought to Know About Wandering and Autism
Whenever an individual with autism wanders and goes missing, the autism community rallies around that family. We do what we can to get the word out and we do it with an urgency that screams, I KNOW WHAT IS AT STAKE! Despite your support for families affected by wandering, it will not hit home for you until it happens to you. When you have shared the flyers and sent out your … [Read more...]
Four Ways to find Activities for your Child with Autism
Summer is finally here. And for the first time in years, my husband and I are glad that we found recreational activities that work for our six-year old son, Angel. He is enrolled in a great baseball challenger league and at a sports gym program for children with special needs. We also try to take advantage of the various access and sensory-friendly programs in our … [Read more...]
How We Celebrated Father’s Day with an Autism Dad
Father's Day means to a lot to our family. My husband started loving our son Angel before he was born. I remember being at our 20-week OB appointment and waiting to find out if we were having a boy or a girl. Angel's dad never missed an OB appointment. Not one. I remember as we looked anxiously at the screen during my ultrasound to see if we could tell what sex our baby was. … [Read more...]
Leveling the Playing Field for Our Children with Autism
Parenting a child with autism is not easy. We struggle daily to level the playing field for our children. Honestly, we have no choice but to stay in fight mode and this can be overwhelming. The moment you let your guard down, something could slip through the cracks. So I worry. I worry because I know that there are callous people in this world. They do not give two hoots … [Read more...]
How I’m Raising the Bar for My Autistic Son
I have a confession to make. I have been holding my son back. Angel will be seven this year and there is so much that he can do. He can do more than I thought, more than I imagined. Of course, I did not realize this before because I never gave him a chance. I told myself he is autistic. He needs me. I need to do these things for him. Then, I would get a note from school about … [Read more...]
4 Things I Know for Sure about Parenting a Child with Autism
Life comes with a lot of uncertainties and a child's autism diagnosis can bring even more. We have no idea how our children will develop, how much progress they will make, and more than ever we worry about what will happen to them when we are gone. Even with all these uncertainties, here are some things that I know for sure about autism parenting: Parenting a child with … [Read more...]
How Couples Can Support Each Other in Parenting a Child with Autism
Being a supportive spouse is something that can make a marriage thrive. However support is even more crucial when raising a child who is on the autism spectrum. Sometimes your spouse is all you have to help you deal with the challenges that autism can bring into your family. Here are 10 ways that couples raising a child with autism can support each other: Give each … [Read more...]
Facing Autism: 10 Things We Think About When Considering A Second Child
When are you having second child? Does Angel get lonely? People ask me these questions all the time. Some even tell me that I am depriving Angel of having a playmate. In essence, they all want to know when my six-year old son will get a brother or sister. All I can say is: “I don’t know.” When Angel was born, my husband and I never asked IF we would have a second child. We … [Read more...]
Facing Autism: My Journey to Acceptance PT II
Click here to read Facing Autism: My Journey to Acceptance PT I In fall 2011, I found out that my four-year old son was cognitively 1.8 years old. Life had just gotten real. Of all the words that were written on Angel’s school progress report, those were the words that hit me the hardest. At this point in our journey, we were finally facing the fact that our son needed … [Read more...]
Facing Autism: My Journey to Acceptance PT I
Our first meeting about Angel’s developmental progress is one that I will never forget. It was the first time that someone suggested that he may be on the autism spectrum. This was four years ago and back then I had no idea that we were just beginning our journey with autism. I remember my husband and I walking into the meeting room with our two-year old, Angel. He … [Read more...]