Parenting a child with a developmental disability during the first few years is more difficult than any parent can imagine. I look back and marvel that I’ve made it this far. Yet much of the difficulty I faced was self-imposed, driven by my own need to fix my child right away. I was encouraged down that path by the medical community, the educational system and well-intentioned family members. All that well-intentioned and authoritative advice drowned out my maternal instincts and left me riddled with doubt and prone to do whatever stupid thing someone told me I should, simply because I no longer trusted myself to know what was right for my son.

I eventually found my way, as did my husband and our son.  We still have our challenges, but at least our priorities are clear — to raise a confident child who is equipped with the necessary skills and character to achieve his own success in life.

So, for those parents who refuse to allow autism to intefere with preparing their children for a life of inclusion and self-determination,  welcome to Autism is Not the Boss!

Coming Soon…

Autism is Not the Boss: The Prequel– Age 0-5, by L.Mae Wilkinson.

My goal in writing Riding the Wedgie: Lessons Learned from Parenting a Child on the Autism Spectrum was twofold: 1) to help other mothers get to that comfort point as early as possible, and 2) to help describe what it is like to have a child with a disability to the broader community that serves them. The book includes lessons learned, including:

• Translating medical characteristics of autism into understandable terms (and behaviors).
• Gaining an understanding of our children’s rights and how to advocate for them.
• How to be an effective integrator of medical and educational services, including testing, diagnosis and the IEP process.
• How to pick good team members
• How to engage our spouses…at least long enough to give us a break once in awhile!