Author Archives: Cynthia J. Patton

About Cynthia J. Patton

Writer, Editor, Advocate, Speaker, Special Needs Attorney, and Autism Mom. Also the Founder and Chairperson of Autism A to Z, a nonprofit providing resources and solutions for life on the spectrum.

Katie Graduates
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Posted on June 7, 2018 by

Tomorrow my daughter Katie graduates from 8th grade. I honestly have no idea where the time went. It’s such a cliche, and yet, utterly on point. My brain keeps shouting: How did this happen?  It’s simply not possible. You have … Continue reading →

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Summer of Love
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Posted on May 31, 2018 by

As if the month of May had not been crazy enough, I had one last poem to write. Yes, one more. Number Six. Every year the seniors at Granada High School compete to design and paint a bus shelter mural. … Continue reading →

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Heroes Among Us
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Posted on May 24, 2018 by

Earlier this month, I described the process of writing four poems for four sculptures being installed simultaneously downtown and then moving on to a volunteer poem for the City’s annual Civic Appreciation Dinner. Five poems in under three weeks. Here’s … Continue reading →

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Four Sculptures in Four Seasons
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Posted on May 17, 2018 by

In my last two posts, I described the process of writing four poems for four sculptures being installed simultaneously downtown. I was under a tight deadline and wasn’t sure I could pull it off. Here’s what I came up with. … Continue reading →

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Poetry on Demand, Part 2
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Posted on May 10, 2018 by

I needed four poems about four diverse sculptures, and I needed them fast. But I now had a structure and a thread to tie them together. I sat myself down and started writing. Since I wanted to end with Peace, … Continue reading →

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Poetry on Demand, Part 1
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Posted on May 3, 2018 by

Back when I was debating whether or not to apply for the Poet Laureate position, the thing that gave me pause—okay, most worried me—was the task of writing poems “on demand” for the City. My three predecessors had been required … Continue reading →

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Pot or Not?
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Posted on April 26, 2018 by

After I conducted my research on the various medications used to treat (or not treat) autism, I asked our Regional Center case manager for her opinion. We were sitting at my kitchen table, having our annual meeting to discuss my … Continue reading →

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Medicate or Not?
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Posted on April 19, 2018 by

Somehow in my long journey dealing with autism, I became comfortable with the concept of treating my daughter like a guinea pig of sorts. Comfortable might not be the correct word. I’ve accepted that neither Katie nor I have any … Continue reading →

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Ode to the Livermore Library
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Posted on April 12, 2018 by

April is Autism Awareness Month and also National Poetry Month. Plus it contains National Library Week, which happens to be this week. So tonight I’m hosting Audacious April—A Celebration of Autism, Poetry and Libraries at the Livermore Civic Center Library. I’ve invited … Continue reading →

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Once Again We Visit the Library
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Posted on April 5, 2018 by

April, as many of you know, is Autism Awareness Month and also National Poetry Month. These are both subjects that I am passionate about. So last fall, Paul, the person in charge of adult programming at the Livermore Library, and … Continue reading →

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