My Son Has Autism. Please Don’t Be Afraid.

This is my son Andrew. He has autism. He loves the ocean garbage trucks bounce houses stained glass windows his brother Ian the tractors from CARS getting raspberries from his daddy being helpful Jesus and his iPad Andrew has autism. He may be different in a lot of ways, but he is most certainly not…

Glitter – Not Guns – in Classrooms

Photo courtesy Morguefile.com On any given day, the average school teacher can and will spot at least half a dozen potential dangers lurking around her classroom and on  campus. Rogue staples, scissors pointing in the wrong direction, untied laces threatening to bring a game of tag to a teary end. These are the normal hazards…

Newtown: On Guilt, Grief, and Gratitude

There is something comforting about his silence. Now especially, as I’ve been rendered speechless by the horrors that transpired on the grounds of Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday, I find myself drawn to him, the quiet space I desperately try to penetrate each day a welcome reprieve from the noises and wails of the…

Forts are Fun

So one of the most amazing things about raising our special needs son Andrew is the joy he finds in the things most of us overlook or take for granted. His laughter and unfiltered happiness is absolutely contagious and we can never seem to get enough of his smile. Tonight he discovered the fort that…