When I lived in China, I became intimately aware of what it was like to feel isolated. It’s not that I was alone, in fact, I had about 18 million people surrounding me. Regardless of the new friends I was making, the amazing foods I was trying and the wonders of being able to explore…
In the weeks leading up to April 2, 2013, I thought long and hard about the idea of having “the talk” with my son, Lucius. I wondered how he was going to feel when I explained autism to him. I weighed whether introducing his diagnosis to him, at age six, or waiting until he got…
A father and his daughter got on the subway yesterday. She was young and in pigtails and she had autism. He held her tiny backpack between his knees as he fished his phone out for her. As he tapped on his phone, the familiar strains of angry birds began to play and a wide smile…
Thankfully “Odin’s Story” went viral and social media gave a real problem the attention it deserves! For those who aren’t aware, Odin Camus is a 13 year old boy from Peterborough who has Asperger’s Syndrome (on the Autism Spectrum) and struggles with bullying and being ostracized by his peers. Last weekend, he invited friends to…
When I met my wife Anne 26 years ago, it was an occasion that really should not have led to us being together all these years. I am 6 years older than she, I liked to partake in activities with alcohol, had a tremendous social life, large enough network of friends…..all things Anne did not…
April 2nd 2015 is World Autism Day. To commemorate this day you’ll see many buildings and structures around the world lit up in blue, or you may read one of the many news stories or articles in the papers. Most of these articles will focus on the elemental mechanics of autism and also on the…
~Illuminating, Celebrating and Cultivating the Good in Autism~ “That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?” 1. We Just Need to Take the Time to Look The Honourable Mike Lake’s Statement on World Autism Awareness Day, April 2, 2014: “Mr. Speaker, today is World Autism Awareness…
From the Blog “Alex and Autism” No story is more “Alex” to me than the one I often repeat about the boys in the beer store. When Alex was about 6 years of age he and I and his sister, who was 4 at the time, stopped by the beer store on our way home….
Anyone who knows me knows I am an optimist. I like to take the long view. I almost always see the glass half full. When it comes to my three teenagers with ASD, that doesn’t change. So if I think about what I hope for in the next 10 years I think of them first….