Ten months ago we learned that my son would be getting a service dog. Excitement bubbled up as my son quickly began to prepare for his new dog. He put thought into where his dog would sleep and what color ball he would enjoy catching. He pondered the size of the bowl for drinking water…
two lollipops and pink leotards
My daughter flits and floats and flies in her pink leotard on Friday afternoons. She squeals with excitement when she sees her ballet-reena friends at the end of each week. All four girls are dressed in shades of light pink and black with pink leotards and cascading skirts adoring their tiny waists. The left foot of…
his twilight zone
You unlock this door with the key of imagination. – The Twilight Zone On a Wednesday night, my son tucked himself next to me on our brown leather sofa. He stretched his long legs onto the ottoman, crossing them and then wiggling his toes. “Mom, sometimes when I’m at school I feel like I’m in…
another person’s shoes
As a mother of a child on the spectrum, I’m not afraid or scared of autism itself. Instead, I’m afraid of those who don’t understand what autism is. I’m fearful of the neurotypical individuals who don’t have perspective or an open-mind for those with an aneurotypical mind. For me, I believe perspective is the key…
repetitive play
When my son was two-years-old he was gifted a friend’s favorite Tonka firetruck. It was a gift that I initially didn’t like because it was a big toy and it made noise – a high-pitched siren noise (just like a real fire engine truck). My son carted that firetruck everywhere. It sat in his lap…
horse (mare) therapy
Horsemanship is the art of mastering our movements, thoughts, emotions and behavior. Not the horses. – Mark Rashid When my son is on a horse, his mind stills, and words clear. His body adjusts to the movement, the cadence of the horses’ shoes printing the soft earth. His body feels the horses’ cadence, and in…
what’s wrong with me?
It happened on a December afternoon at 3:30 PM. I met my son and his dad at Children’s Hospital Therapy Office – a typical place to meet on any given Wednesday. Just as I turned off my car a golden-topped head appeared in my window. His lips were drawn long and low and his ball cap…
