Every now and then I appreciate a good surprise. Not a “Surprise! Happy Birthday!” with-20-of-your-closest-friends kind of surprise…I prefer more simple, organic surprises. This week I read a compelling chapter book written from the perspective of a girl with Asperger’s Syndrome. Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine is a refreshingly well-written and powerful award-winning book that caught me by surprise, simply because I had no idea it existed.
As a children’s book author I like to stay dialed in to what is happening in the children’s literature market, especially when it pertains to a topic so near and dear to my heart, but life has been so hectic over the past year that I haven’t stayed as closely tuned-in to the market as I like. So until I came across the title (and blurb) in Ethan’s Scholastic Book Order earlier this month, I didn’t know that this tremendous book…this character…this story...were all waiting patiently out there for me to find them. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Mockingbird.

When we started our family, we never thought we would only have one child; three is what we agreed upon, two would be okay, but one was not even a consideration…until it became our reality. Trust me, I’m not complaining. I’m blessed to have Ethan; this I know. But both Greg and I grew up with brothers (I have one and he has three). We each have lots of memories of childhoods packed with adventures (and a few misadventures) with our sibling(s).
Now that Ethan is 8 and has is an only child, sometimes I catch myself feeling really sad for all that he’s missing, but I notice that when we get together with cousins around his age, I seem to ruminate about it more.

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:

In case you’re not aware, in honor of Autism Awareness Month, PBS has been running a series called “Autism Now” during the highly-regarded NewsHour program. Robert MacNeil, who co-founded the series with Jim Lehrer, has a 6-year-old grandson in Massachusetts who lives with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). For this reason, “Autism Now” kicked off with a very personal episode about MacNeil’s daughter, Alison, and her family, (including MacNeil’s son-in-law, his neurotypical 10-year-old granddaughter and grandson, Nick, who lives with ASD).
When I first heard about this series, I was cautiously optimistic; you see, I often feel sorely disappointed in the way our news programs and talk shows cover this very complicated disorder for several reasons:

Growing up in special education, I endured what felt like endless years of bullying. I've been called names, tossed in lockers and closets, and had my head shoved in toilets. I've been kicked, tripped, spat on, and had gum slapped on my head I can't tell you how many times, only for my friend to cut it out with a pocket knife. And, yes, that hurt.

One of my good friends recently sent me a blog piece by Casey Chan entitled Tech Start-Up Exclusively Hires People with Asperger's Syndrome for Their Technological Prowess on Gizmodo.com. Chan respectfully questions the intentions of a new tech start-up company called Aspiritech. In a nutshell, this non-profit in Chicago offers “competitively priced, human-powered software testing services” to software development organizations. In his post, Chan raises some great points and does a nice job sharing details about why and how some individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome make absolutely superior software testers. And, I can absolutely understand why he, and others, might question whether or not companies like Aspiritech are taking advantage of individuals of this population; that actually wins Chan some big “points” in my book…he cares enought about the topic to write and publish his concerns. Like Chan, I'm the last person who wants to see some start-up tech company playing bully to its employees.
However, I see this issue from a totally different perspective. As a mother of a child with Asperger’s Syndrome, I spend a great deal of time thinking about how Ethan’s future will play out. Will he be independent? Will he find a career which will fulfill him? Will he require long-term financial support from us? Like any parent, these are things I desperately want for Ethan. He deserves independence and fulfillment (and my husband and I would very much like to retire someday and actually have an “empty nest”).

If you only knew how difficult the road was to get here.
If you only knew the many tears that have been shed, the countless hours of therapy, the tests he has undergone, the fear that he has experienced, the ridicule he has endured, the times he has been laughed at, the frustration he has learned to live with. If you only knew.
If you only knew the hours a mother and a father have spent trying to piece together the past and plan for the future.
If you only knew the amount of money, the friendships that have been lost, and the toll it has taken to get here.

It didn't take long before Luke and Sam caught on to the fact that our family loves new adventures. Whether it is hiking in the mountains, exploring a beach town, or finding the next perfect photography shoot location in our home town, we like exploring the new and the old. Olivia is quickly catching on and the boys love when she joins in the fun.