Autism spectrum or not, every kid wants to have fun. It just takes time figure out how to make that happen.
I'm James Guttman, father of two children. One non-verbal with autism and one non stop verbal with attitude. New Posts: Every Monday and Wednesday
Teaching Our Kids About Those Who Are Different
Teach them to fear Styrofoam and they will cower at packing peanuts forever unless someone shows them how you were wrong. Teach them to fear people and the same thing will happen.
Special Needs, Needless Blame
There’s nothing more frustrating than telling someone about your child’s special needs and being greeted with an immediate inquisition on potential things they think you could have done to cause them.
When They’re Not Being Little Jerks
You don’t have to be expressly called a dipstick by an elementary school kid in order to feel like one.
How I Communicate With My Non-Verbal Son
Lucas and I had been talking this whole time and I, in all my hope for verbalized words, had missed it.
The Dad I’ll Be Tomorrow
It’s like being the best barber in the shop and finding out that, in six months, your job will also include competitive Frisbee and candle-making.
What He Does, Not What He Doesn’t
For many, my son having “special needs” means focusing on the things he can’t do. It overshadows many of the powerful things he can.
The Times When You’re Just Not Feeling It
The reality is that there are plenty of times when we, as adults, need to get away from the kids in order to steal a few sobering moments to ourselves.
Life After Stress
Worrying never did anything for me. All it did was make the moments before uncertainty worse by filling me with impending dread.
It’s Not As Bad As You Remember
We spend our lifetimes beating ourselves up with false memories tailored to make things seem worse.
