Work-from-home (WFH) during the COVID-19 pandemic was the greatest accommodation for differences ever offered. For those of us with physical differences and Neurodiverse minds, the WFH years allowed us to recharge and work whenever we were personally most productive. We did 40 hours or more of work weekly, but not…
Tag: COVID-19
I whimpered my way to the end of summer. Summer Term II ended on August 9, 2024, and a few days later, I developed a headache and sinus congestion. I assumed the headache resulted from severe allergies, which would be expected for this time of year. After reading that the…
Podcast 0112; Season 7, Episode 5; 3 March 2024 Note: Recorded 7 June 2023 Originally Scheduled for September 2023 From “Caregiver Chronicles” website: “Caregiver Chronicles” is the story of one caregiver’s personal and professional journey as a caregiver. The host, Sarah Stelmach-Brown, was a Certified Nursing Assistant for 17 years.…
If I were not home, our children would still require supplemental supports. Those are expensive and not fully covered by insurance. At home, I am the provider of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, reading supports, behavioral intervention, and much more. Mothers (and fathers) knew this before the pandemic. Special…
We have reached the two-year anniversary of our family’s COVID-19 lockdown. World events have largely overshadowed the pandemic. We’re safe at home, as we have been for 24 months. Watching events in Ukraine unfold, it would be incredibly self-centered to whine about anything we’ve experienced. Sometimes we need to step…
Exhaustion is winning. I’m tired. Call it burnout or fatigue or whatever else might fit. I cannot think clearly, I’m on edge, and I’m quite short-tempered with everything and everyone. I want a break. Time alone. Quiet time with minimal interactions with anyone… maybe no interactions at all. Before moving to…
Podcast Episode 0069, Season 5, Episode “0”; 31 August 2021 Season Five Trailer This podcast is about real life. I’m an exhausted parent, an imperfect husband, a freelance writer, a former educator, and an authentic diagnosed autistic struggling to hold things together day after day. Transcript Welcome to The Autistic Me Podcast.…
The 2019-20 school year has never ended. It goes on and on for our family and for many others. This isn’t because we’re all cruel parents or guardians. Quite the opposite. We maintain the sameness day after day because a predictable schedule helps provide emotional security to some people —…
Podcast Episode 0068, Season 04, Episode 32; 17 August 2021 Another rant on pandemic parenting? Absolutely. I’m exhausted. My wife is exhausted. If people don’t come to their senses I’ll be podcasting about the COVID-19 pandemic for another full year. Somehow I’ve managed to record 68 episodes of The Autistic Me…
Another late night of trying to balance the homeschooling summer routine, my projects, and some volunteer work. It’s after 1 a.m. and I’ve been working on the 2021-22 school plans for the girls, organizing long-overdue blog updates, watching movies for AutFest Texas 2021, and hoping that I might some night…