The Cocomelon Obsession

I’ll never forget the first time Aidan watched a YouTube Kids song on my mobile phone. His discovery of a digital world was simply dazzling to him! And it lit him up from the inside out. It was incredibly predictable and safe for him: The song was the same tune, every time. The cartoon played […]

The Bathtub

One of the most amazing things about Aidan is his laser focus. Since he was a very young boy, he’s had this incredible ability to give hours of his attention to something he loves. Whether it’s a game he loves, or a toy he’s obsessed with, or a cause and effect activity, a goal he […]

Invalidated

After a hard day or night, my mind can free-fall into dark gullies. I think about our hidden life, within this Secret Wold of Autism, and feel utterly alone. Sometimes it feels like we are in a parallel universe to everyone we know and care about. The roads, bridges and tunnels look the same, but […]

O-Fish-Ally 1!

When it came time to plan Aidan’s first Birthday party, we both agreed that we shouldn’t go too overboard. Our gorgeous kiddo was only 11 months old, and wouldn’t be aware of, or remember, whatever we did to celebrate his first milestone. But logic went completely out the window when I started putting things together, because in […]

The Pram

The best piece of advice we ever got was: “The easiest way to comfort a cranky baby is to put them in water or take them outside.” Early on, we found that Aidan could be calmed by just a few minutes in the garden, or quick dip in the bath. Either, would press pause on […]

Right of Centre

After Aidan’s initial evaluation with Dr Birgit Schlegel at Constantiaberg Mediclinic, we waited on tenterhooks for two weeks to receive her report. She had already indicated to us that she believed Aidan to be “firmly on the spectrum” and we were grappling with what that meant exactly. Did that mean he was profoundly impacted, and […]

Firmly on the Spectrum

Aidan was 18 months old when we first had our doubts dispelled, our suspicions confirmed, and our whispered concerns echoed aloud by a highly experienced paediatric neurologist.  We’d asked his wonderful paediatrician, Professor Claudia Gray, for a referral to Dr Birgit Schlegel at his 12-months wellness check, and then waited for 6 months on her […]

The Cortisol Rollercoaster

We judge ourselves harshly, but there’s no-one more in-sync than a mom and her child with additional needs. We are their “person”. Their translator, their guide, their protector, their comfort, and their forever buddy. We are everything to our children.  From the first moment we sense a vulnerability in them, we begin to weave an […]

Redefining Success

If you’re the parent of a newly-diagnosed child, it’s important to allow yourself to feel all the feelings, because grief comes in waves. It’s a significant journey to acceptance. Cry if you need to, but don’t stay in that place. Make yourself a coffee, or go for a walk, focus on breathing in and out. […]

The Perpetual Present

I exist purely and almost perpetually in the present moment.  I show up as I am, and try the best I can. Somedays, I’m not enough. Somedays, I’m far too much.  This is the life of an autism mom. My boy is my life. Absolutely, my life. Every waking and sleepless moment is consumed by […]