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
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
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 whose child’s life begins tragically with a devastating disorder spend the rest of our lives trying to keep it from ending that way.
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 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
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
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
Ben is happy to put on his own socks, as long as we’re happy to wait. Obviously, such pleasures are meant to be savored, not rushed. Ben knows how to party. Sock On!
Last week, I posted a link to A.F. Lutz’s Psychology Today piece that, in part, touches on the absurdity of severely autistic people like Ben and her son Jonah being expected to make major decisions about their lives. Of course,