From the minute you become a parent, the overwhelming fear and concern sets in. You constantly question whether every choice or decision you make on your child’s behalf is the right one. When your...
Enough Is Enough
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Blog
Here you’ll find relevant essays related to raising a child with unique and complex needs. The purpose of these posts is to form connections through our shared stories. Stories have the power to change the world when we feel less alone in our struggles and finally seen.
No One Answers Our Desperate Pleas for Help
“Come back to me…” I whisper as I hold my 3-year-old daughter who is once again slipping into the unknown, an unknown that I have few tools to help her navigate because the treatment options we’ve...
I Wish My Son Didn’t Have Autism
By: Eileen at The Autism Cafe Why is this even a taboo thing to say? The truth is I wish Charlie didn’t have autism. There, I said it. It’s not politically correct, but I know that many autistics,...
A Dad’s Data-Driven Quest to Solve His Son’s Sleep Issues
I’m a dad based in the UK and my 8-year-old son Thomas has severe autism and global delay. He's non-verbal, still in diapers, and attends a school dedicated to children with special needs. He's a...
Autism and Sleepless Nights on Vacation
After enduring a rough ending to the school year in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, my family needed a summer getaway. My wife and I decided to treat ourselves to a resort near the Jersey Shore...
Here We Go Again: How One Family Works in Shifts to Achieve Minimal Sleep
“This photo is what we aim for — a happy, calm, contented Josh — the snapshot that we choose to share, but the everyday reality is far from this picture.” Here we go again, I say to myself, trying...
When The Simple Isn’t So Simple
It always starts out so simple. It seems hard to believe what will take place in the hour that you leave your house. My teen daughter had to be at a school event this morning. That means I would...
Somehow Surviving on 5 Hours of Sleep: The Life of an Autism Mom
By Julie Fackrell I’ve recently pondered my sleep habits as a mom to my 28-year-old son Jacob who has autism. I’ve considered how I manage to function on approximately 3-6 hours of sleep daily which...
Chasing Sleep
Written By: Sherica Scherer Autism is typically accompanied by other comorbidities suck as anxiety, ADHD, sleep disorders, epilepsy, and gastrointestinal issues to name a few. Elijah was a decent...
Insight on Autism
Written By: Amy Schlueter A couple months ago I wrote here about Alex and empathy. How it’s starting to emerge more. But it’s definitely a work in progress. Case in point…… Last week I had the...
#KickedOut: When Severe Autism Makes You Too Disabled for Disability Programs
By: Deborah Lane I am a mom to a 31-year-old son B who has autism and intellectual disabilities. He has my entire heart and keeps me entertained with his ridiculous sense of humor and repetition of...
#KickedOut: When Severe Autism Kicks Your Son Out of School
By: Melissa Cossette My son Ryder was an early entrant to preschool at the age of 3 which was recommended by his clinician just after he was diagnosed with severe level 3 Autism, Global...