It’s really, really rough to have had no in-person contact with Ben for the past month, with no end in sight. We don’t know if it’s as hard on him as it is on us. We sure hope not. That
Ben’s Easter Essentials
Ben is Not a Monster
I received an email this morning from the parent of an adult with autism, significantly older than Ben, asking for clarification of something in yesterday’s post, Severe Autism in the Time of Covid. “You wrote, ‘many thousands of people trapped
Severe Autism in the Time of Covid
NOTE: See the next day’s post, Ben is Not a Monster, for clarification of my using “hellish, vicious, heartless, unrelenting monster” to describe autism, NOT people with autism. ~~~ Another Autism Awareness Day, another plea for true awareness of severe
Still Here
Just a quick note that the blog is not dead. We’re still around, dealing with covid like everyone else; Ben’s been separated from us on lockdown (besides walks and van rides) for a while now, like everyone else; plus another
Ben’s Haircut and Then Some
One of the very (very very very) few positives about severe autism is meeting some of the best people in the world. It takes exceptional people, special people, to work in the world of special needs. I am not a
Parents of Disabled Children vs Everybody Else — Big Difference #1:
Parents whose child’s life begins tragically with a devastating disorder spend the rest of our lives trying to keep it from ending that way.
In a Word, Severe Autism is Hell
Oh God — Ben is being attacked. It’s dinner time this past Saturday, and the blows to his head are coming fast and hard. SmashSmashSmashSmashSmash!!!!! He is screaming. More blows strike his face, and the sides of his head. Over
Ben Royko, our One-Man Autism Awareness Squad
Ben loves Golden Books. No, really, he loves Golden Books. Make that he LOVES LOVES LOVES Golden Books. I don’t know if the clerk at Barnes & Noble loves Ben, but hey, the customer’s always right, right? Oh, and he
Simple Pleasures: Eating Walking Singing (Waiting – Not So Much)
First thing’s first — a HUGE Thank You to everyone who donated to Monarch Lifeworks through our Facebook ROYKO SUMMER BIRTHDAY TRIFECTA (Ben, Karen and me) Fundraiser! We originally planned a goal of $500, but then figured, hey, let’s shoot
ROYKO SUMMER BIRTHDAY TRIFECTA to Benefit MONARCH LIFEWORKS
Photo courtesy Monarch/Bellefaire JCB Daddy Dave turned 60 on June 8, the Big Benny Boy turned 26 on July 30, and Mom Karen will hit the big 60 on August 27. I know, I know, everyone’s thinking, “But I can’t