Autism
How Having a Child with Autism Helps Me Ride Out the Pandemic, New York Times
My life has been filled with uncertainty for a long time, but my son has helped me stay flexible, adjust expectations and persevere.
My Disabled Son Desperately Needs the Vaccine, Next Avenue
Why hasn't the federal government prioritized people with developmental disabilities?
Nurturing an Autistic Son’s Spiritual Life, New York Times
Shabbat is a still point in our chaotic world, exactly the sanctuary my son needs it to be.
Why My Autistic Son Must Vote, Chicago Tribune
Just before the New York primary, I received a newsletter from a law firm specializing in elder care and special-needs law. The headline asked, "Are you registered to vote? Are your local voting sites ADA compliant?" That stopped me in my tracks. My 23-year-old autistic son has never voted. In fact, my husband and I have been debating about this ever since our son turned 18 and his special education teacher handed us a voter registration form. It's time. It fact, it's overdue. This year we're registering him to vote. There's too much at stake that directly affects his life.
Ten Things I Wish Someone Told Me About Parenting a Child with Special Needs, Kveller
There’s no road map to navigate raising a child with special needs, but here are some pointers I wish I’d had when I first set out on this journey.
Proving You’re a Good Parent, New York Times
What if a stranger had the power to decide if you were a good enough parent to your autistic child?
Leaving (an Adult) Child for the First Time, New York Times
After the initial euphoria of booking a trip to Paris for our upcoming 30th anniversary, sobering reality sets in.
Making Sense of Death and Autism, New York Times
How do you explain death to your autistic child, when you really don’t understand it yourself?
False Prophets of Autism, New York Times
It’s time the media stop giving airtime to celebrities with no medical credentials who peddle unrealistic hopes to families dealing with a difficult diagnosis.
The Crucial String, Thinking Person's Guide to Autism
How do you do it? I am often asked. I give the same answer each time. I wasn't given a choice. I just do it, one foot after the other. I have to be his advocate, because as wonderful as his therapists and teachers are, they go home every night. We are his ultimate teachers, the ones who are in it for the long haul. When I look at him, I do not see "autism." I see my child: an animated, endearing, handsome young man with a mischievous sense of humor.
Touring for "Colleges" with an Autistic Young Adult, Better After 50
Our son understands that college is the step that comes after high school, so “college” is the word we are all using for wherever he goes next. While many of our friends and their children are visiting campuses this spring, my husband and I are doing our own version of the college tour. We are visiting day habilitation programs.
Autism and Holidays, Huffington Post
The simultaneous comfort and constriction of being with family.
Autism and Empathy, Huffington Post
Why does the myth that autistic people lack empathy persist?
Next Steps for an Adult Child with Autism, Huffington Post
There's no book for taking the next step. No Fiske Guide to Colleges. No Barron's. No U.S. News and World Report ranking best vocational opportunities; no handbook rating residential programs for developmentally disabled young adults. We're making it up as we go.
A Clinical Failure, Huffington Post
Our health insurance company said they would no longer cover our son's epilepsy medication unless we switched from the brand name drug to a generic form. They’d only cover it if we put him on the generic and produced "a documented clinical failure." In layman’s words? The insurance company wanted our son to have a seizure.
The R Word, Huffington Post
People use the R word as an all purpose put down. It's hateful trash talk, the ultimate playground zinger.
Those Kids, Huffington Post
My child isn't a mascot, a community project, or a convenient topic for your child’s college essay.