Recently, we found that Ben has a new activity, or at least one we hadn’t seen him doing before, involving sorting large wooden beads of various sizes, shapes and colors using dowel rods. What cracked us up was how he
Like It Or Not, Parents of Many Autistics Do Know Best
Psychology Today blogger Amy Lutz told John Elder Robison her son’s “…cognitive impairments are too severe” for him to choose where he lives. Robison responded: “I had a hard time believing that. My dogs can pick which place they want
Speaking Only for One
I have kept this post “alive” even though it is redundant since it was originally a Facebook post that I fleshed out to the full blog piece above (January 24). But I didn’t want to eliminate the comments attached to
Lutz: Censorship in the Name of Privacy
Thanks again Amy Fisher Lutz. With Ben’s twin, not autistic, I do always ask him if I’m going to reference him in a piece. Ben? It’s silly to imagine asking him such a question if you know him. Hey, if
No Matter the Weather
Cleveland as I type — 30-50 mph winds, falling temps, horizontal rain/sleet/snow. And no doubt, Ben would be up for a walk.
Going Beyond Autism Awareness into Autism Adulthood
Ben (right) in his new group home, with twin brother Jake ~~~ Most of our world has become very aware of autism, except, ironically, for Ben himself, our son with severe autism. Actually, we really don’t know Ben’s level of
Welcome to the New Ben Blog!
Welcome to Juggling Autism: The Chronicles of Ben Royko – Severe Autism in Real Time, my ongoing blog about Ben’s (and our family’s) life with severe autism. Beginning with the New Year (2016), the blog is in its new home
Ben Is Home
The day I realized Ben was autistic, we sat on the floor as he stared up with a wide smile at the spinning ceiling fan. I thought to myself with a mix of panic and crushing despair, “Anything I supposed
Autism and Food
Our severely autistic son Ben has never met a cookie he didn’t like. Recently he spotted one on the ground in a park next to a trash can. It was obvious the cookie had been there for a while, half
Our Son’s Love of Music Shines Through His Severe Autism
A few years ago, Ben, our son with severe autism, got a chance to meet one of his favorite musicians — or more accurately, meet the man responsible for creating some of his favorite music. We now know there’s a