Real-life stories written by people affected by autism (mom, dad, grandparent, sibling) or someone who is on the spectrum sharing personal accounts, happy moments, fears, etc.
Hello, I’m Karla and my partner is John. We’re the parents of Johnson Harris-Herbert, aka ‘bouba’, aged 12, Kale Harris-Herbert, aka ‘woo’, aged 10, and our little girl Indiana Harris-Herbert, aka ‘boo-lash’, aged six. During the COVID-19 lockdown, Kale who has asperger’s got together a pop band with his younger sister and older brother, turning
in Personal Narrative by Karla Herbert
I casually sip my tea while lying on the couch in this great new wrap my mom got me for Christmas. I’m reading a book I love and contentedly snacking on leftover holiday cookies in my quiet house. Justin, my 16-year-old with severe autism, is upstairs on the computer driving around Monmouth County on the
in Personal Narrative by Kimberlee Rutan McCafferty
Punch cornflour, and you’ll bruise yourself. If you jump on it, it’ll take your weight. Stand still, and you sink. Run your fingers through it gently, it wraps around you like liquid. Like my cornflour boy, the more force you apply, the more resistance you meet. To find its softness and fluidity, move slowly, go
in Personal Narrative by Daniel Morrison
I am not a parent. I sometimes forget to feed myself, never mind my own offspring. But I do have autism and I have a mother who raised me for the past 20 years of her life. I was diagnosed when I turned 18, but I was autistic from the moment I was born. This
in Personal Narrative by Georgia Fielding
As our second child turned three years old, he still wasn’t communicating. Nothing but the odd “Mama” and “Dada.” At the time, we thought that perhaps he would be a late starter—all kids’ development differs from one day to the next after all. As time rolled on, family and friends always attempted to keep us
in Personal Narrative by Ethan Maiden
In 2002, my son Ryan was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when he was three years old. There was very little widely available information on autism at the time and as a parent, I was desperate to learn more about this diagnosis. As luck would have it, our small, rural school district had a developmental
in Personal Narrative by Kimberly Reeves, MEd
When I was four years old, I was diagnosed with PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder), and at age five, my doctors and specialists told my parents that because I have autism, I wouldn’t be or do much in life. They told my parents I would barely graduate from high school, never go to college, never be
in Personal Narrative by Anthony Ianni
The Fourth of July must be the loudest holiday in our country. There are parades with firetrucks and whiny sirens, and out-of-tune marching bands, blaring patriotic songs. Then, there are fireworks, hissing, exploding and booming in the night. All of this is fine and good if you’re a typical kid and enjoy celebrating the nation’s birthday listening
in Personal Narrative by Laura Yeager
Shortly after the diagnosis, I remember making small talk with acquaintances, gabbing about our children, school, and other typical suburban parent dialogue. I decided to test it out and see what it would feel like to guide the word from the realm of my personal thoughts to the ears of the unsuspecting listener. I wanted
in Personal Narrative by Erica Braun
“Always trust your gut!” people tell you throughout your life. Maybe I don’t trust mine enough, but in mid-March of 2017, it was practically grabbing me by the ears and shouting at full volume about my toddler William, who was in a silent crisis. You see, William’s baby brother George became hospitalized with a serious
in Personal Narrative by Alex White
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected billions of people around the world physically, economically, and socially, including, of course, those on the spectrum and their families. People with autism have a completely different perception of life, and this pandemic has impacted them in ways which most people aren’t able to understand or even be aware of.
in Personal Narrative by Sofia Palacios
Our son, Patrick, who has autism, just turned 18 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We had planned to celebrate Patrick’s special day with family but that plan did not materialize due to the state of emergency and “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order that was about to be signed by the Michigan Governor, Gretchen
in Personal Narrative by Ewa Omahen, PhD
When I was very small, I didn’t understand the world around me like other children did. One of my most vivid is standing in my school playground. Every child was doing something different—a beehive buzzing with activity. I stood quietly, not knowing what my role or place was within this hive. My teachers tried in
in Personal Narrative by Jude Morrow
When a child is diagnosed with autism, parents often feel a wide range of emotions from relief to despair and everything in between. These are all normal. Learning your child will struggle his/her entire life to do things most people take for granted is not only frightening, but heartbreaking. As parents, we want to see
in Personal Narrative by Eileen Lamb
So many words come to mind when I think about autism. If you were to ask me what word I would use to describe my son’s autism, it would be “mystery”. I Googled the definition and specifically it means “something difficult and hard to understand or explain”. There have definitely been hard and unexplainable times
in Personal Narrative by Shalita Thomison, BBA, MHSA
I am not just a mom; I am an autism mom. Of my three children, two of them have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). One of them also has a mild intellectual disability. All my children are adults now, but my two with ASD continue to live with me. My life experiences have thus led me
in Personal Narrative by Michelle Mann, MPsych
To the many parents who have children with special needs, I share with you my journey… First, I have some emotional but very serious questions. Do you ever think to yourself, “What is in store for my child’s future?” When parents talk about college for their kids, though it may be early, do you think,
in Personal Narrative by Claudia Addeo, MS
Ishaan is a 14-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). I first met Ishaan through my pediatric neurology clinics in 2016 and have had the pleasure of working with him and his family ever since. By all conventional measures used in medicine, Ishaan would be categorized towards the more severe end of the autism spectrum;
in Personal Narrative by Ishaan Holloway
Survival of the fittest! – Charles Darwin. It’s the rule of nature applying from animal population to human beings, but since civilization, the human society has been transforming and evolving into a much more challenging environment from day to day. Everyone here is trying to fit into this ever-challenging world. However, there are some people
in Personal Narrative by Shilpa Hebbalaguppe
Running, running, running, with a huge smile on his face. His eyes are focused on the door he opened with the flick of a switch. Ponies safely in their stables ignore the boy, more interested in chewing the hay. It is a hazy, lazy summer’s day, where the cares of the world are forgotten. Kitted
in Personal Narrative by Jackie Moore
How many locks can one household hold? The answer for my household would take too many fingers and toes! I can say now after spending years working with locks of all sorts that I used to underestimate a lock’s ability. I would look at the basic use of a lock and my mind would stop
in Personal Narrative by Kristina Walsh, BHR
Suppose there are two women, one named Sally and one named Anne. Sally puts a rock in a basket of hers and goes off somewhere else, leaving the basket. While she’s gone, Anne opens her basket, takes the rock out and puts it in her own box. In this presentation, it’s very clear Sally did
in Personal Narrative by Ryan Larson, BChE
My son with autism once again changed my life last winter. It was one of those warm winter days where scarves and gloves obscured the short sleeves. On this day, I was to teach my son the grit and speed and skill of a ballplayer on the hallowed grounds of the basketball court. My son
in Personal Narrative by Jason Morton
When I first learned our sweet, beautiful daughter had autism, I felt as if a fierce tsunami had swept me up, taking with it my family’s happiness and peace. Fear rushed through me as I envisioned a future limited to therapies and hardships. Questions flooded my mind. Would our two-and-a-half year old daughter ever be
in Personal Narrative by Linda Pollack Orleans
Raising a child on the spectrum is not easy. It comes with higher demands of care and time than other children. Believe me, I know! I have four children ranging in ages from eight to 17. My youngest daughter has PDD, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, a moderate form of Autism. She is higher functioning and very
in Personal Narrative by Carol Tatom, RBT
Bravery is one of the most powerful qualities you can instill in your child with autism. The moment you hear that your child has autism, you want to be brave, and you want your child to be brave enough to power through obstacles, too. Developing bravery in your child with autism is easier said than
in Personal Narrative by Louis Scarantino
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
in Personal Narrative by Steven Josias
It seems that we as parents of complex children are judged at every turn. But there is no judgment more supreme or detrimental as a letter from Children and Youth Services—a letter detailing you are under investigation by the government because someone in the world, as an outsider looking in, has viewed your parenting in
in Personal Narrative by Janele Hoerner
Netflix released Season Two of Atypical in September 2018, and soon there will be Season Three. I really hope this TV series will continue for many more seasons. I have been following it since the first season and I believe that there are social dimensions that should not be absorbed by the comical element of
in Personal Narrative by Maria Karvouni
All parents schedule their kid’s departure from their home to be around the age of 18 years. I often joke that my twins have an 18-year contract in my house and then they get the boot. So it is hard to put into words how that deadline got moved up by 12 years for my
in Personal Narrative by Tiara Mays, MBA
Girls With Autism Flying Under the Radar proclaims one headline. For many years, it’s been accepted the wisdom that there’s an approximately 4:1 ratio of autistic men to autistic women. Recently, self-advocates, scientists, and clinicians have challenged this long-accepted ratio. They claim autism presents differently in girls. As a male on the autism spectrum, I
in Personal Narrative by Jonathan Mitchell
Friday night was pizza night. This tradition began when Dylan was in middle school and the increased social pressures and new academic pressures conspired to totally “unglue” him. By Friday, he was an exhausted wreck, and frankly, so was I. Middle school is difficult for most children. It was close to unbearable for Dylan. It
in Personal Narrative by Polly Godwin Emmons
There is a steady slowdown of cars in front of us on our way to a swim meet. My son, who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at an early age, starts to show his agitation. Anxiety violently announces itself in the form of rapid-fire questions. “Why are we stopping?” “How long is this
in Personal Narrative by Gail Morton, MLIS
Growing up, I always knew he was different, different from other people around us. But I still could never understand why, why him? When we went out in public, people would just stare at us for such long periods of time it was almost uncomfortable—it was as though they were judging us and him just
in Personal Narrative by Holly Reynolds
Obsession and repetition are run-of-the-mill when you are raising a child on the spectrum, so is finding the hilarity through the days which prove to be most stressful. Laugher really is my best medicine. Our son Ryder was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) when he was three years old. He currently obsesses over a
in Personal Narrative by Jessica Honc
In my experience, people with autism always have things that are priorities to them. Priorities can mean many different things. It could be a highly specific topic of conversation they wish to discuss, a tangible item that is particularly important to them, or maybe it’s an activity they wish to engage in without interruption. People
in Personal Narrative by Emily Beth Scheinert
I’m a reasonably intelligent man, but I know nothing. I’m simply a dad, only five years into my adventure as an autism parent, trying to learn and share my observations. That’s a good place to start if, like me, you want to be involved in healthy dialogues on autism. We can’t be clinging too tightly
in Personal Narrative by Luke Vincent
As a parent of a child diagnosed with autism, I had to adjust to my son’s interests and not my own. It took a lot of practice and patience. Put yourself in your child’s shoes. Imagine a world where everything is chronically overwhelming to all five of your senses. I always say, “My son is
in Personal Narrative by Tasha Wooten
Blessings? Most people would not use that word when they think of autism. I probably wouldn’t have either until I had a child on the spectrum, but it is true. When my daughter was a toddler, I was always so impressed by how smart she was. She could line things up by colors and shapes
in Personal Narrative by Taryn Plendl
Warrior moms. We’ve always been there. Fighting for our kids. Protecting them. Providing for them. Defending their rights. Especially mothers like us: mothers of children with special needs. We are the voice for our children who have no voice of their own. We will fight for them. With all our strength. For as long as
in Personal Narrative by Emily Davidson
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