World Autism Day

Autism Society of America

Autism: The Miracle Project trailer One of my own sons is very much Like "Henry."

If you have HBO, try to catch the documentary "Autism the Musical." But bear in mind, having a child with Autism is not all gloom and doom.
Not all families are torn apart and some even learn to embrace their children just the way they are.
We have.

Our boys play team sports. They get invited to parties. They have friends. They do well with their school work and plan to go to college.
They even have career goals. They plan to be husbands and fathers.
And Matthew can cook a mean grilled cheese sandwich.

In fact, we frequently get my least favorite comment, "Really? They seem so .... normal."
That's due to a lot of things. Wonderful therapists. Early intervention. Sensory Therapy. Sports groups that don't exclude "kids with special needs." Patient swim coaches. The world's best pediatrician.
And ZD and I have to take credit for our work. We try to be consistent in our rules. We teach the boys coping techniques. And we try to keep them in situations that they can tolerate. (Due to M's generalized anxiety...we won't be PCS'ing to Hawaii. M is a bit scared about living on a volcano.)

Sure, it isn't always smooth sailing. It does wear me down some days. But it's not some death sentence.
Sometimes it's even a good thing.