Living with Autism

Lately there has been a lot of negative media about autism as a certain group seek to convince the world that someone or something is to "blame" for autism, outside simple apple/tree genetics.

There was an awful recent blog where a woman sought to express her "devastation" that her daughter would never play with Barbies or come and try on clothes in The Gap for fun (or something) because the kid has Aspergers and was more concerned with computers than a plastic anatomically impossible female stereotyping doll. The New York Times also did a bit on a similar theme.
I don't want to engage the haters - I would rather continue on blithely celebrating my kid's diversity and achievements, which are all the greater for the work that goes into getting us there.

Yep, we have the down days. And it is okay to vent a little amongst friends, it is a healthy way to burn up stress and get focused again.

But getting stuck in the phase of wanting to wipe your child's autism …

This week we went to Movies at Dundrum to see this:

Which I had long looked forward to - as a fan of this website


I booked our seats online in the top left row - which gives Boo a bit of a buffer for chatting and flapping without disturbing anyone.
We got there and bought our popcorn, pepsi and tub of Ben and Jerry's Fairtrade Chocolate Macadamia nut and went in to the cinema, 10 minutes after the previews, to ensure popcorn longevity - which ensures a quieter Boo.
And a woman with 10 children had taken our seats. The cinema wasn't too full, so when I pointed out that we had reserved seating and needed to sit down, she could have moved two of the kids down a row. But she refused, even when I told her about Boo's special needs*.

I went out and got the usher, he went in, then came back out and got a manager. Meanwhile key guinea pig action establishing plot lines were happening on screen, while Boo and I ate popcorn and icecream on a seat outside the cinema.

The Manager emerged 1…

Originally Published May 2008. We just booked this year's trip for next month, so thought it was time for a review:


"As a mother of two children with Autism who have travelled from Melbourne to Malaga, Brisbane to Barooga and Dublin to Dubbo several times in the last 6 years, I felt I might have a few tips to share. Here are some things that work for me:

1. Social Stories,

If your child can read then write a story on the computer, double-spaced and with pictures to represent each stage of the journey. Make sure you build in reinforcers that can be picked up along the way. For example:
1. Drive to the Airport
2. Take the bags to the desk and get a boarding pass, then go to McDonalds!
3. Then go to the big gate and take off your shoes…..etc
Your child will go through each boring step in order to get to the next interesting step.
You can read the story together several times before the trip and ask teachers and other carers to read and talk about it too.
Finish with a photograph of the v…

Last day of school on Friday and they held a sports day in the grounds.


Bratty runs with the ball (one of the balls)


Sign me Up Swannies!, That's my girl!

Boo contemplating Bocce - his great grandparents are champion Lawn Bowlers.

And Boo runs for goal too.


As you can imagine, I am a little bit snowed under now that my precious ones are off school. But part of the problem is an emerging head cold which has to be placated with large quantities of Ben and Jerry's Fair Trade Chocolate And Macadamia Nut ice cream. And I gotta say it could be made by slave labour in a third world dictator's sweat shop and I would still love it.

As soon as it shifts into another part of my respiratory tract I will write something lucid. Until then, maybe go visit the work blog. Lots of shit going down there. xx

Special Needs Swim Camp at Newpark Pool in Blackrock

Every year Newpark offer 1-1 swimming lessons every day for a number of weeks in the summer.

Boo is extremely water confident, thanks to daily swimming in the Glenview . However, he lacks technique as you can see in this picture - this is his "swimming" pose.
Every day for the last 2 weeks a young man called Stephen has been trying to get Boo to stop kicking like a paddle steamer and move across (as opposed to under) the water. 2 more weeks to go. There are places available in Week 4 - click on the Newpark link VERY QUICKLY, to book.


Coffee with Autie Mummy Friends - that's Michelle and Claire

As you may know I run a facebook network for parents and carers of kids with autism. We are there for each other at all the odd times that folks like me might get a chance to chat, and since we cover a few timezones and continents - this means all the time.

Going for an actual coffee (or 4) with some of these wonderful ladies was a rea…

Yet more noodles with Boo yesterday


A long long time ago, I joined A.A. (Autism Acceptance) and began writing the 12 Steps to Becoming a Special Parent

Go here for Step 1, Step 2, Step 3 and Step 4.
(That's as far as I got. I should also be a member of ADD - A obviously - as my attention wavered at that point and I never got back to it)

This weekend while reflecting on the fact that I still hadn't started my secret project; I realised what it is that has held me back. And how I can again draw on the analogy of A.A. to get over this.

You see, the original A.A. or Alcoholics Anonymous, works on the premise that every member and every sponsor is an Alcoholic. There is no impartial social worker or psychologist standing in judgement over the group.

So everyone who supports you has actually "been there" - to rock bottom and back and now feels able to offer you a hand up in support.

And that is where my little secret comes in.

I have never really felt qualified to put what I wr…

Well, I hit the 30,000 today.

30,000 views of my blog thankyou very much and not all of them were me flicking back and forth editing. So thankyou to all of you who have been so loyal, particularly during my recent hiatus while I tended to the work blog.

I finished my official job on Friday, and while I will continue to volunteer to update the Work Blog, Facebook and Twitter; I will be spending a lot more time over here in Hammieland which includes visiting all your beautiful blogs.

I'm sorry for not visiting and commenting. I must admit I have found it really tough to get the work/life balance thing right. I mean, it's really hard for me to do anything lightly - the other morning I noticed that my hair tongs actually have a choice of settings, and I was confounded by the concept of doing anything to the "minimum".

So I am taking this next month to enjoy summer, while the kids are still in school, and charge my batteries for August which is always the tenth level of hell…