"Focus on what you can actually control rather than the things you can't" People ask me pretty often, how am I doing so well with everything I have going on? I would always just say that I do what I have to do.  This afternoon I had a brief conversation with my Dad on the phone. He was basically just checking up on me and expressing some concern about some things that are going on. He asked me why I'm not worried about these things? I hadn't really been able to articulate the answer prior to today because I couldn't quite find the words to express why. I told him that I am worried about these things but I have absolutely no control over most of these situations. They are a result…

One of the many jobs of an Autism parent is to try and decipher what their child needs, especially when that child isn't able to vocalize it for themselves. As any Autism parent can tell you, this can be an exhaustive, frustrating and all too often heartbreaking situation for both the parents and the child. Sometimes you have words to help guide you towards what your child needs, other times all you can do is observe and interpret behaviors. It's really difficult to explain what this is like, in a way that can put the non-Autism parent in the shoes of someone that struggles with communicating on even a basic level with their child. Just imagine your child hurting, hungry, scared, sad, happy, sick or in distress and not being able…