Have you ever played "Best Super Hero Ability" with your child?  It's a fun game for the car or while hanging out.  It goes like this.
Dad:   What's the best super hero ability?
Sam:  Invisibility
Dad:   Why?
Sam:  Because I can hide from you when you want me to brush my teeth and get ready for bed.
Dad:   Want to know my favorite super hero ability?
Sam:  Dad, what is your favorite super hero ability?
Dad:   Super Vision
Sam:  What is "super vision"?
Dad:   The ability to see things that are invisible to others

Shock + Fear = News?
A few weeks ago I was honored to play a role on a Fatherhood Panel at the 41st National ASA Conference. The gentlemen that participated were extraordinary. Fathers. Sons. Fathers and Sons. It was a very special time for all of us. Each panel member had the floor for a short bit and shared their personal story about the relationship with their father, what is was like raising a child on the Autism Spectrum, and what it was like having Autism. Each participant played one or multiple of those roles and this gave the panel a great deal of depth in my opinion.

It's been a great week around the projectLD studio and we're pretty sure the weekend is going to be as well. Many of you are attending the Autism Society of America's 41st National Conference in Dallas this week. Others of you are likely following the conference closely to see what you can learn and pick up from attendees who are here.

The Potter family recently went through some renovations. An expansion has been underway for the past nine months and was completed with the birth of Olivia on May 18th.
Am I glowing? Can you see the rays of sunshine coming from your computer screen? Put on some sunscreen because we are all beaming with excitement. Olivia is perfection wrapped in a bundle of pink. Her brothers shower her with kisses, they fight over who will hold her, she is loved beyond all imagination. It's probably totally absurd how much she is loved and I like it that way.

Today was Day #1 of DART Rail Camp for me and Sam. Luke is attending a week long rock climbing camp and so it was a perfect opportunity for me and Sam to embark on a M-W-F adventure. To begin our journey we fueled up at Starbucks with beverages and good eats. It was incredibly hot this morning so we were pleased to only have waited a few minutes before boarding the train. Unlike our typical rail excursions, this is a week day and so the parking lot was packed. Sam was extremely excited to see so many other people were getting to enjoy the rail today as well.

Welcome to AutismSpot and the world of pLD Creative. Since September 2007, AutismSpot has been carving out a different kind of path for the global Autism Community. Non-traditional, self-funded, unbiased, and driven to capture critical life, education, therapy, and growth experiences that start with diagnosis through the entire life span is what AutismSpot is all about.

We are excited to announce that the documentary Initium House will be released May, 5 2010 on AutismSpot.com. Initium House is the true story of the Autism Support Program at Midwestern State University. Under the leadership of Dr. Millie Gore and the extremely talented Jessica Dunn, the Autism Support Program has paved the way for what is possible on the collegiate level for students with Autism.

Spring Break 2010 was a huge success. In the past, out of school = out of sync.
The first Saturday of Spring Break was Sam's actual birthday and his co-party with his buddy Cam. After kicking off Spring Break '10 with a birthday party we had our work cut out for us. How do you keep a 9yr old and 5 yr old fully engaged while also completing the nursery for your daughter who is going to be born in May? You stick to the basics and remember what it's all about....quality time.
Here were the guidelines we set for Spring Break 2010 and what we took away from the experience:

There has been a lot of debate in the media whether Asperger's Syndrome should remain under the Autism diagnosis. If you are not familiar with Asperger's Syndrome here is a very quick (no techno babble) explanation....Asperger's Syndrome is very often what people refer to as high functioning Autism when it comes to the Autism Spectrum of Disorders. Asperger's is a diagnosis in and of itself. Sometimes a child, teen, or adult will be diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome and later learn it is part of the Autism Spectrum of disorders.

Angie attended her annual "College Girls Weekend" this past weekend and that meant a Potter Boys Weekend for me and #1 and #2. This would be our last official Potter Boys Weekend since we will be having our first daughter in May. Next year....Potter Boys and a Girl Weekend!
I had three main goals for the weekend:
1) be positive ~ I wanted to do something that would allow each boy to shine and feel proud about what they created
2) be educational ~ I wanted the boys to learn things that would be valuable (not just today) for the rest of their lives