Autism Speaks . . . but does it speak for me?

Autism has been in the news a lot lately. Some of it’s good and some of it’s bad. Sometimes I studiously avoid news about autism because it forces me to think about things and face some realities that maybe I’d rather not deal with right now. And celebrating my 39th birthday today, I like to [...]

You say tomato, I say tomato. . .

This will be short and sweet. I pretty much detest the use of the word “retarded”. I imagine that those who use the word either a) don’t know anyone who has experienced the pain or stigma of mental illness/impairment or b) Just don’t care. I probably used the word when I was in grade school, [...]

Struggling. . .

Although I’m learning a lot from teaching my kids at home, I continue to try and find suitable programs for them, whether as an educational supplement or for socializing with and meeting other kids. I keep thinking there is a little gem out there that I’ve yet to uncover where all the progressive parents of [...]

There’s a lot of money to be made in autism. . .

While at an autism conference attended by school district employees and teachers a few years ago, I overheard an attendee say, completely without irony, that “there is a lot of money to be made in autism.” She was quite serious and I wonder if she realized “a parent” was seated at the table with her.
Over [...]

If I won the lottery. . .

About two weeks ago, I was invited to take part in a parent panel by the clinical director of a proposed new autism center in our area. After two hours of discussions with 8 other parents and representatives from the center, I left feeling completely overwhelmed. The center would be one of the first of [...]