Autism Awareness Month
The Autism Society of America started Autism Awareness Month in April 1970. The growing awareness of the many problems that autism poses for individuals and …
Asperger’s Syndrome & Autism, What Can be Changed & What Can Not
I have struggled with accepting my son’s disability and my powerlessness to fix him. I came to the realization that in the process of trying to change him, I …
Fathers of Children with Autism
My son Tariq stopped talking and started flapping in the spring of 1981. I have been living and learning about autism ever since. The lessons he taught me …
How Autism Teaches Us About Being Human
In the spring of 1981 my son, Tariq, stopped speaking and started pacing, spinning, and flapping. We now call these some of the “Red Flags” of autism. He …
Should Parents of a Child with Autism Have a Second Child?
Once a couple has a child with autism, they often agonize over whether to have a second child. After the diagnosis and then getting services, and experiencing …
For Mothers Day: Beyond flowers, cards, and going out to eat
Setting aside a day to honor mothers has ancient roots, but true gratitude requires expression . A mother’s love is boundless, and this is a time to …
Special Needs Parents, Every Time the Phone Rings……….
“It seems like every time the phone rings I jump.” Not a week goes by without a parent of a child with a disability echoing these words in my office. Is it …
Should You Tell Your Child About Her Diagnosis?
A 4 Step Plan If your child had a virus, or asthma, or diabetes, you wouldn’t keep it from her. If she was in a wheelchair, you wouldn’t be asking this …
Groundhog Day for a Father of a Son with Autism, Part 2
This is a continuation from Part 1 My head felt like it was going to explode when my son was diagnosed with autism in the mid-1980s. The diagnosis explained …
Groundhog Day for a Father of a Son with Autism,Part 1
“Groundhog Day” has become part of our everyday lingo, based upon the 1993 movie. The term has come to mean an unpleasant situation that repeats …