One day, while driving, I noticed a young man walking along the road. His clothes were torn, and he appeared to be living in extremely vulnerable circumstances. I did not know his story, but the sight of him stirred feelings of anger, sadness and compassion. Where were his parents, siblings or other relatives? Surely someone […]
“Mommy, do I have a dad?” Not “Where is my dad?” Not “Why doesn’t he visit?” “Do I have a dad?” Nickolas asked me that question some time ago, and I have never forgotten it. He wasn’t simply asking about someone’s whereabouts. He was trying to make sense of his own family. I found myself […]
Inside The Spectrum: Find the Little Things Nickolas wants what many young adults want. He wants independence. He wants to make his own money, go places without Mommy, have friends, play drums, continue karate and make decisions about his own life. In other words, he wants to be his own person. But independence did not […]
Autism and Parenting: When Life Gets Heavy Autism does not pause when life gets heavy. Some days, everything seems to happen at once. Plans can change without warning, relationships may shift, and finances can become difficult. Something you thought was settled may suddenly feel uncertain. While you are still trying to process what happened, another […]
I remember approaching Nickolas’ graduation with two emotions sitting side by side: Pride and Anxiety.He was finishing high school, but Nickolas wasn’t talking about finishing. He was talking about what came next. “I want to go to college. I want to go to university.” And every time he said it, my mind filled with questions. […]
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