Category Archives: Autism

The Feel of Summer, Part 1
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Posted on December 6, 2012 by

Like one child in eighty-eight, my daughter has autism. While many people do not fully understand autism, awareness has improved. What really confuse people are problems with sensory integration, also known as sensory processing disorder or sensory dysfunction. Sensory integration … Continue reading →

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Story Included in DimeStories’ Inaugural Showcase
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Posted on November 26, 2012 by

DimeStories is a cool little nonprofit organization that hosts monthly prose open mics in various locations around the country. Founded by novelist Amy Wallen in San Diego, DimeStories is now managed by Jennifer Simpson, an awesome nonfiction writer living in Albuquerque, … Continue reading →

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Sometimes the Truth is Stranger Than Fiction, Part 3
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Posted on November 23, 2012 by

At the end of the three-day it-feels-like-a-suspension-but-isn’t “non-suspension,” the school district held a meeting. The meeting started with the Principal and the Special Ed Director debating whether or not Katie had been suspended. The Principal insisted she hadn’t. When asked … Continue reading →

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Sometimes the Truth is Stranger Than Fiction, Part 2
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Posted on November 16, 2012 by

Katie had a good three years in the Dublin School District’s autism program. Unfortunately she aged out of that program this summer, and as hard as it was to say goodbye—especially when she had made her first actual friends there—I … Continue reading →

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Sometimes the Truth is Stranger Than Fiction, Part 1
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Posted on November 10, 2012 by

I have been a very bad blogger. I didn’t intend to take the summer off (plus a good part of the fall as well), but in the end, that’s exactly what I did. Katie and I were busy enjoying the … Continue reading →

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Keeping the Faith
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Posted on September 27, 2012 by

One of the hardest things about parenting a special needs child, especially one with a speech delay, is the waiting. Or perhaps I should say keeping the faith. You go a long time and don’t see much progress and just … Continue reading →

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20 Signs That You Might Be a Single Autism Parent
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Posted on June 27, 2012 by

Katie and I had a very relaxing early summer break. I’m not quite ready to return to the serious working world, so just for kicks I compiled a somewhat tongue-in-cheek list of the top twenty signs that you might be a … Continue reading →

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A Mother’s Day Tradition, Part 2
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Posted on May 20, 2012 by

Here’s what actually happened on Mother’s Day. Katie and I slept in, and then spent a quiet morning with her watching Signing Time (sign language/speech videos that she loves) and me writing on my laptop at the kitchen table. The … Continue reading →

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A Mother’s Day Tradition
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Posted on May 13, 2012 by

Back when I was a child, Mother’s Day meant all three, and then four, of us kids “helping” Dad with breakfast. Our usual Sunday morning fare was fried or scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and Sarah Lee Honey Buns—which if … Continue reading →

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There’s No Daddy Here
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Posted on May 9, 2012 by

A year or so ago, my daughter Katie noticed that her family looked different. She was doing a class project that involved identifying family members. Her drawing included the two of us plus Max the cat and Delta the dog. … Continue reading →

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