An article titled “Independence Day” was recently published in the Dallas Fort Worth Thrive magazine. The article emphasizes the importance of encouraging children with special needs to work towards independence at an early age as opposed to steering them towards “learned helplessness.”

Happy Independence Day to our readers in the United States of America! I am very thankful to be an American and grateful for the freedoms I have enjoyed throughout my life thanks to the sacrifices of all those who fought for our independence (so long ago) and those who have fought to maintain it since that time. I don’t take freedom or independence for granted.
Like so many families raising a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), I frequently wonder what the future will hold for Ethan in terms of independence…and when I stop to ponder, I wonder about the future – not just for Ethan, but other children of Ethan’s generation, especially those affected by ASD.
On this journey, I’ve come to meet so many families working day-and-night just to help their child with ASD gain independence in areas families with typical children may never even give a second thought to…
For all families raising children with ASD, today I’m sending prayers and wishes for the children’s independence this Independence Day specifically concerning:

I’ve just returned from an intense 5 days in Chicago at the Autism One 2011 conference. Let me just say: it was amazing. I learned so much in the tremendous sessions and connected with many of the phenomenal speakers. I can hardly wait to report on some new insights gained at A1 over the coming months. But today, I'm excited to share something that caught me by surprise; a blessing that blossomed at home in my absence…
Since we’ve worked so hard over the past four years utilizing special diets, biomedical interventions and traditional therapies to help Ethan heal and develop, he has made some excellent progress. Knowing that he’s in a good place made it easier to leave him for 5 days for a big event like A1. But, as Ethan’s primary caregiver, he and I spend a great deal of time together. We’re both accustomed to "our time" and he thrives on many of our set weekly routines. (Like most kids on the Autism Spectrum, Ethan relies on routines to feel safe and confident in his varied environments.) Ethan and my husband, Greg, have a very close relationship, but they just don’t get a bunch of one-on-one time without me around – especially for 5 days at a time.
While I was in Chicago, Greg worked to fill Ethan’s days with some pretty fun outings and events. They went bowling, played arcade games and spent an entire afternoon/evening with my in-laws. And, they attended a Texas Rangers game together on Friday night and had an outstanding time. When I called Saturday morning to check in, Greg shared a story that brought me to tears in Chicago (and then made me laugh out loud). I’ll paraphrase their conversation while driving home late at night:

Yesterday, one of AutismSpot’s own Featured Bloggers, Psychologist Dr. Robert Naseef, flew through DFW after spending the weekend leading a conference for parents in El Paso. AutismSpot’s visionary Kent Potter took this opportunity to turn Dr. Naseef’s layover into some on-camera time with Dr. Naseef. I was fortunate enough to participate.
Dr. Naseef not only works with families raising children with ASD in the Philidelphia area, he also has an adult son with Autism. I heard Dr. Naseef speak last summer when he hosted a Father’s Panel at the annual conference hosted by the Autism Society. Dr. Naseef is very knowledgeable and forthcoming about what life is like for our families and ways to handle stress and make life better.

I grew up with frequent visits from out-of-town family members with lots of cousins right around my age and I loved it! My cousins and I built hearty relationships, many of which have followed us into adulthood.
This week, one of my close cousins is bringing his two beautiful, neurotypical children for a visit during their Spring Break and I’m terribly excited. It will be so much fun to spend time with my cousin, his wife and those precious kids! I must admit, though, that I’m also significantly anxious about how things will go while they’re here.
While Ethan, who is 8-years-old and lives with Asperger’s Syndrome, loves to have company on his turf, it disturbs his routine. Especially since he’ll be headed off to school each morning while his cousins get to hang out, eat breakfast late, watch TV and play with his toys, I’m a little concerned about how he’s going to manage.

Last night, when I was putting Ethan to bed, we read two chapters (instead of one) in the Ramona Quimby book on his bedside table. (If you’re familiar with these books penned by Beverly Cleary, you know that she writes some pretty hefty chapters!) Half way through, I realized that he hadn’t gone to the bathroom, so I sent him off to take care of business before I would read any more. Before he left the bed, he stopped, shook his face right in front of mine and then gave me a tender and sweet hug followed by a kiss. When I asked why he had done that, he replied, “I just wanted to savor the moment.”

I've never thought of myself as having a shortage of friends. While I would love to have more friends that I could go hang out with on a moments notice, I know that period in my life is long behind me. I've been blessed with some great lifelong friends that despite changes in our lives, if given the opportunity, could pick right up where we left off.