Personal Narrative Archives - Autism Parenting Magazine

Category Archives for "Personal Narrative"

Articles written by people affected by autism (mom, dad, grandparent, sibling) or someone who is on the spectrum sharing personal accounts, happy moments, fears, etc.

A Flight of Love and Understanding With ASD

The red-eye from Quito to Miami was delayed for two hours. Most of the passengers had been waiting near the boarding gate for more than four hours—many milling about in the aisles, a few reading, talking on their cell phones or squirming in their plastic seats. Some were sprawled out on the tile floor, a […]

The Crucial Element of Parental Support: John Paul’s Story

Growing up with autism is challenging. And as somebody who has Asperger’s syndrome, I know this all too well. Pre-Diagnosis Raised in a middle-class family in one of the nicest counties in the Atlanta area, everything was fairly typical for me in my day-to-day life as a child. My father is a pilot for UPS, […]

Employment Matters…Especially for Those on the Spectrum

The job of “raising” a son or daughter significantly impacted by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) does not come to an end when your child reaches the age of majority. It just shifts to a new realm. Indeed, adulthood brings significant new worries and new challenges. Vital concerns for parents of emerging adult children with ASD […]

Special Program Provides a Safe Space for Kids With ASD to Play

Raising two sons on the autism spectrum, I knew I wanted to support an organization that focused on helping a wide variety of people–both kids and parents–who are navigating a similar experience. But when I started at my current role as senior director of digital partnerships at Deluxe five years ago, I never expected that […]

Ways Books, Reading and Writing Helped Me As an Aspie

Sometimes children diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome aren’t always able to express or understand emotions like everyone else. As an Aspie, I can tell you, we sometimes can find it hard to express how we feel at certain moments, or even know what it is that we feel. Asperger’s syndrome makes these processes more complex as […]

Parenting A Child With Autism Is a Valuable Full-Time Job

I don’t have a job yet my calendar is filled with to-dos, appointments, and tasks required of me. I have a psychology degree hanging on the wall that everyone around me seems to have forgotten collecting dust as I interact with therapists that often think of me as “just another special needs mom.” I attend […]

Autism Through My Eyes: A Successful Journey With Devereux

In my first semester of college in the fall of 2007, I felt stuck. I was earning great grades, but it was a major struggle. I was confused and stressed out through the entire process, constantly feeling overwhelmed and overstimulated. I didn’t always understand what people were asking of me. By the end of that […]

The Road to Success: Growing Up With Autism

When I was a kid, I was something of a handful. I acted out in class, antagonized my peers, and was generally a disturber of the peace. I got punished with detention more times than I can count and spent so much time in the principal’s office that I still remember what it looked like […]

A Parent’s Love Knows No Bounds

A parent’s love is a special love. It is not about approval or accomplishment. It is about unconditional support and concern. It’s a love born in joy, nurtured during adversity and reconfirmed on a daily and hourly basis. It’s a love bound up in anxiety and expectation. Often worry and concern can creep in as […]

A Special Father’s Day: My Journey With Marley

My oldest daughter is 17 years old, and her name is Marley. I should have known the journey with Marley was going to be an interesting ride from the start. My wife and I adopted Marley from China on her first birthday. The day I officially became a father is the most vivid day of […]

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