“I celebrate every autism diagnosis!” declares a post circulating among autistic self-advocates. I read this in several ways. First, the positives. Diagnoses help individuals receive services and supports. For many people, a diagnosis also helps understand struggles. Diagnoses also ensure, with disclosure, some legal protections. The negatives exist, too. Believe…
Month: June 2021
Podcast Episode 0066; Season 04, Episode 30; June 18, 2021 Gary Martinez is a fitness trainer and father of Monica, a 15-year-old autistic young woman. He describes his choice to leave a “Big Box” fitness center for independent fitness training as becoming “an athlete for life” focused on Monica. Gary integrates sensory activities into Monica’s…
We have made the decision to continue with homeschooling, for many reasons. It’s frustrating, but we know the girls are doing much better academically and emotionally at home. Our daughters are going into the fourth and second grades. I’m conflicted because I know how important social skills are… and I…
After the attempt to use a writing log to maintain my productivity failed, I’ve been feeling defeated. It’s hard to bounce back once I’m off track and this summer has been particularly frustrating after I had tried to reestablish a writing routine. If I managed to write an hour or…
Podcast Episode 0065; Season 04, Episode 29; June 1, 2021 Throughout the experience of pandemic parenting, I held onto the hope for productivity. However, my focus quickly shifted from my creative works to educating my daughters and their needs have remained my primary concern. As the pandemic seems to be waning,…