I just left teaching. I started school when I was three years old. From school, to college, to university, to teacher training, to my first teaching job – I have been in education for thirty-two years. Every September, for thirty-two years, I have started a new term. Every September, for thirty-two years, I have bought… Read More
When you have a baby, milestones stretch out ahead of you. Smiling. Laughing. Rolling. Sitting up. Crawling. Talking. Walking – an endless list to mark each moment that will never be recaptured, each step on the path to becoming a person. They can be so, so bittersweet. When you are the parent of a child… Read More
You ask me “Does your eldest child have autism?” “Yes.” I reply. “I’m so sorry.” My stomach lurches. No. Please. Don’t say you are sorry. I know you mean well. I was once like you. But don’t apologise for the gift that is my boy – for any part of him. I know that the… Read More
Personal Tribute to my Grandmother, spoken at her funeral on Tuesday 12th July 2016. When I was eighteen, and studying for A-levels, my good friends Gemma and Louise came round while mum, dad and George were away. We had spent the evening having fun, eating food, listening to music, no doubt drinking Bacardi Breezers and… Read More
Having hair cut can be a source of anxiety for many children and those on the autistic spectrum can often have very extreme reactions. So, while I am sharing this picture I thought I would also share some of the tips from the things we have learned while managing Biggest’s anxiety when having his hair… Read More
Sweet boy, you’re different. Not to mummy. Not to daddy. Not to Little Bean. You are our whole world and everything in it. Each eccentricity, each little quirk and trait – they are the rich and joyful substance of our lives. We know no ‘normal’ but the world we inhabit with you. And, to us,… Read More