I can huddle behind my old hurts, burrow in my self-pity, or I can engage. I can teach. I can learn. I’ve become accustomed to stares. Strange looks because of the strange sounds my son makes. Jerky movements and high-pitched squeals draw looks of curiosity, sometimes censure, and worst of all, pity. Yes, [...]
The Invisible Gifts of COVID-19 & Autism When the pandemic began in March 2020, it seemed like our lives were put on hold. Schools and businesses closed, cities and states issued stay-at-home orders, and we stopped seeing friends and family to prevent the virus from spreading. For parents and caregivers living with children [...]
"Autism does not define Aiden, nor our family. Autism guides us." I felt so appalled the first time someone suggested that Aiden "maybe" had Autism. He was only 2-years-old at that time and he was going for speech therapy because of language delay. I remember being so angry. How could she say such [...]
"Once you fully get to know me, you'll see that I can be a very good friend." Hi, I'm Ryan. I was diagnosed when I was 3-years-old. Even before I was diagnosed, I always knew I was different, always wondering why I couldn't be accepted or why I couldn't fit in. Some still [...]
Beating the odds, Autism and Golf Meet Daniel Steele(Danny), our 22-year-old Autistic son. Danny was born in Puerto Rico, and moved to the USA as a baby. At age 2 he was diagnosed with Autism. As parents, we fully accepted his situation, he became our #1 priority. He has been fortunate enough to [...]
Five Incredible Ways Dogs Can Change Lives You're probably familiar with guide dogs for the blind and hearing dogs for deaf people, but did you know that there are incredible ways that dogs can help people with autism? In this article, our friends at Breed Advisor have detailed five incredible ways in which [...]
My brother Andrew. My name is Richard Okusaga and below is a little story about my life with a brother diagnosed with Autism. I highlighted the purpose of Autism Relative in my very first blog post, but I never went into depth about how much it means to me. I never fully explained [...]
The New Normal. I've always hated phrases like, "the new normal," or "it is what it is." In my eyes these expressions are just the lazy person's way of not trying hard enough to make a difficult situation better. We'll just call it, "the new normal" and move on. I can't make it [...]
All-Time Funny Moments with My Autistic Son Don’t let the title give you the wrong idea - autism is no joke. However, if you are a parent of an autistic child you probably find some humor in every day challenges. I know I do. I must admit I went through a phase of [...]
Friends and Strangers My son Connor is autistic, and the loves to watch flowing water. Which means that in the warmer months, he likes to have the hose going in the backyard for hours at a time. While I have no issue with his love of water, it does elevate our water bill. [...]
