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.

Sometimes the Truth is Stranger Than Fiction, Part 10
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Posted on March 20, 2013 by

Unlike many kids on the spectrum, Katie adores variety. This tends to make transitions go a bit more smoothly—at least on the surface. So it did not surprise me that Katie plunged into her new classroom without any hesitation. Just … Continue reading →

Posted in Autism, My Life | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Sometimes the Truth is Stranger Than Fiction, Part 9
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Posted on March 13, 2013 by

Geri, the kickass advocate, reorganized the disaster of an IEP and sent the revised version to my school district late on Thursday. The case manager responded Friday morning by stating that she wanted to go with the original, messed-up version. … Continue reading →

Posted in Autism, My Life | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Story Included in New Chicken Soup for the Soul Anthology
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Posted on March 10, 2013 by

I recently learned that my story, “The Most Popular Girl,” will be published in a new autism anthology called Chicken Soup for the Soul: Raising Kids on the Spectrum. One of my writing goals for last year was to have an autism story … Continue reading →

Posted in Autism, My Life, News, Publications | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Sometimes the Truth is Stranger Than Fiction, Part 8
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Posted on March 6, 2013 by

My back was getting sore from hunching over the low-slung kiddie table. The room was hot and stuffy, despite an open door. Both case managers were in attendance. After Pleasanton’s show of confidence, they attempted to steer the discussion to … Continue reading →

Posted in Autism, My Life | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Writer’s March Challenge 2013
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Posted on March 4, 2013 by

Maybe it’s the lawyer in me, but I’ve always been a sucker for a good challenge. So I’ve decided to particpate once again in A Writer’s March as a way to get myself back into a more consistent (i.e., daily) writing … Continue reading →

Posted in My Life, News, Other Writers | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Sometimes the Truth is Stranger Than Fiction, Part 7
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Posted on March 3, 2013 by

When the principal suspended my daughter Katie on her birthday, he created a problem. I’d agreed to the upcoming IEP meeting assuming Katie would be in school. But if she was suspended, then I couldn’t attend. The principal said we … Continue reading →

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Sometimes the Truth is Stranger Than Fiction, Part 6
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Posted on February 27, 2013 by

After two-and-a-half hours, the IEP team had finally made it through all the triennial evaluations. It was clear we wouldn’t have time to finish. To my relief, we had not discussed the alternative placement in Pleasanton. For 30 minutes the … Continue reading →

Posted in Autism, My Life | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Comments That Drive Me Crazy #2
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Posted on February 20, 2013 by

People say some incredibly stupid things when confronted with autism. This is the second installment of insensitive comments that people have said to me regarding Katie’s disability. You can find the first installment here. Enjoy!   But she’s so happy. Yeah, she … Continue reading →

Posted in Autism, My Life | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Random Acts of Self-Love
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Posted on February 13, 2013 by

As I’m sure most of you are aware, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Since 2006, I’ve been a single parent. And while I’ve written in my blog about my angst over never having someone (read a man) shower … Continue reading →

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Sometimes the Truth is Stranger Than Fiction, Part 5
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Posted on February 6, 2013 by

On Monday, my daughter switched to a new classroom placement. This will be her fifth elementary school, and third school district, in six years. It will be her second mid-year transfer. Does anyone other than me think this is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Autism, My Life | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments