Clap Your Heads Say Yeah (#187)
That is actually the name of a band noted in yesterday’s paper but when I read “Clap Your Hands Say Yeah” all I could think about was 2 1/2 year old Charlie at his little blue plastic table in St. Paul showing how he knew all of his numbers and–as six smiling young women cheered … Continue reading
This I Can Handle (#186)
From bangs to tears. With one more day of 2005 to go, this is one way in which I can sum up the past year in Autismland. 2005 began on a hopeful note when Charlie learned to read about ten sight words—then, in the second half of January, he spiraled straight into a regression, one … Continue reading
Altogether in Autismland (#185)
The staff at our town’s indoor pool is used to Charlie and me. We say our hi’s, Charlie gets his fun noodle and bobs up and down to the deep end, I ask him for the noodle and splash beside him for a few laps. Since boys over five are not allowed in the women’s … Continue reading
Brite Lites, Big So-Man (#184)
This evening, as Jim sat in a nook of our living room and typed, a faint light came into Charlie’s eyes and he ran up the stairs, to return with his Lite Brite. He started to hum intently and fiddle with his fingers–or rather, with four crystalline Lite Brite pegs. “Charlie, let’s play with the … Continue reading
Up In the Skyway (#183)
Charlie and I spent most of the day at home. A little before 9am an ABA therapist-in-training was at the door; once the other therapist appeared, Charlie giggled away from a tickle and raced up the stairs. Two or three times there was a loud whine and “AW DONE NO” followed by a thoughtful silence, … Continue reading
Just Mom Monday (#182)
Today, as Charlie slumped on the couch, I held up a book, pointed to the words on the first page–“See Otto”–and he looked. He looked again as I turned the page and read “See Otto go!”. By page 4 (“Go, go, go”) he was running across the room and saying “Ohhhhh!” “Charlie! Let’s finish reading … Continue reading
Kissmassth in Autismland (#181)
This is the first year that we have not gone to visit my family in California at this time of year and, while not saying so in words, I do think that Charlie’s internal calendar feels out of sync. On Christmas Day, my family always goes to the cemetery where Yeh-Yeh, my father’s father, is … Continue reading
Got enough?
Turkey, colcannon, sweet potatoes, chokk-latt, apples (from the apple pie): Charlie had an Irish-American Christmas dinner but still had to ask where was the “white rice chicken?”
The Gift and Weight of Autism (#180)
(With a holiday wish at the end.) In Greek mythology, Atlas bears the weight of the world–the earth and the heavens–on his back. Atlas is a Titan, a son of Gaia (Earth) and Uranos (Heaven–though some accounts say of Poseidon, Ocean); his carrying the world is his punishment for leading a revolt against the Olympian … Continue reading
Why I Can’t Wrap Charlie’s Christmas Presents (#179)
Smiling, Charlie put on his fleece hat and jacket and his shoes and I followed. He was headed east to the center of our town and ran ahead of me laughing and looking over his shoulder. “School bus, school bus!” “Where are we going?” I asked, grabbing Charlie’s coat sleeve when the sidewalk ended. “Wait … Continue reading
We Go With Him by kristina chew 