Author: James Guttman

Father of two children - one non-verbal with autism, one verbal without.

How I Thought Raising A Child With Autism Would Be

The scariest part was never about what he would or wouldn’t do.

One day, maybe he’ll be able to tell me, “Yo. Put me down.”

We’re not supposed to talk about these moments. We’re supposed to pretend they don’t happen and hide them behind our shiny social media accounts.

Forever. No thought. Not even a question. All real parents would say the same.

The best part of Ball-O is the story of how we got him…

I pictured Ashton Kutcher running into her room and yelling, “We got you, Daddy! Ha! Your friend, God, set you up!”

My non-verbal son’s skill set stretches far beyond what any one person sees. It’s my job, as his advocate, to accept that.

My non-verbal boy can sling snark with the best of them. He just expresses it in more creative ways.

Cherish the time you have on Earth…or don’t. Whatever. Either way, your time here is limited.

I thought to myself, “Well, that was different. I guess that’s who I am now.”