If I were to tell you that I was suffering from post-natal depression, you may feel a little awkward about what to say. Some subjects in our society are still taboo and another person’s suffering is always hard to navigate. When I lost a baby at 10 weeks, the people I told had mixed reactions.… Read More
Every morning, the boys and girls in your class write their names on the lunch lists. There are dozens of names, with mismatched letters, curling around the edges of the paper. The letters are uneven. Some are huge, some small. ‘D’s and ‘B’s are back to front. Lower case and capitals dance on the page,… Read More
Little boy, few weeks ago, your teachers suggested that we could do some extra things to help you develop your gross motor skills. Perhaps, we could try soft play, take you to more adventure parks. Even a little may help. PE, you see, is such a difficult part of your week. More often than not,… Read More
It is hard to overstate just how important routines are in many autism households. Planning Biggest’s days, letting him know about things well in advance, and repeating the same routines in the same order are so important in helping to make sure that he stays calm and happy. As it happens, I have also always… Read More
Today marks the start of Autism Awareness week and April the 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day. All over the world, people will be engaging in all kinds of activities and fundraising to help improve understanding and acceptance for autistic individuals everywhere. But what does autism awareness, and acceptance, actually mean? Will autistic people wake… Read More
Little boy, when you flap, when you grimace, when you contort your body into strange shapes and trot on your toes, some people do not know how to react. Some people, my love, have not heard of stimming. When you twist your hands in front of your face and warp your mouth and scrunch up your… Read More
The internet makes it straightforward for us to believe certain things. It is easy to confirm our biases, to surround ourselves with people and information that correspond with our own views. It has never been so easy to judge others – from behind a keyboard we see a little snippet of the story, a mere… Read More
It is a grey, damp morning in 1993 and I am standing at a bus stop. Behind me, boys who are a few years older than me smoke cigarettes and jeer. I am covered in their saliva. I do mean covered – they have been spitting at me for over ten minutes. I have heard… Read More
Today, I have you all to myself. Your sister is at nursery and Daddy’s half-term is not until next week, so we caught the bus into town and went in search of hot chocolate and adventures. We used to do this often, when you were a baby – when you were all mine. On my… Read More
It’s not enough. It’s not enough to be a dedicated parent, to give your all, to never give up, to fight tooth and nail, to bleed for every scrap of help, every ounce of support. It’s not enough. Because the paediatrician says one thing and the LEA another and the OT knows nothing about the… Read More
It is 2.54 pm. I am standing outside the school gates. Other parents are gathered around, but they seem distant, their voices muffled. A few words drift by me… “Ohhh yes, mine is just like that since turning five! Sounds like we are in the same boat…” It is hard to join in. It is… Read More
A few weeks ago, our first Christmas card arrived. As soon as Biggest saw the brightly coloured image slide from the envelope, he was transfixed. “What is it?” he asked me, stimming excitedly. “It’s a Christmas card, Sweetheart.” The card was an image of Father Christmas, good-naturedly placing his arm on a friendly snowman, sack… Read More