The Autism Family

A conversation with my second-born.

As many of you know, I am writing a second book with my friend’s Carrie and Adrian. The process this time has felt very different from when I wrote Forever Boy. Better, really because I get to chat with two friends who have went through similar experiences.

Anyhoo, right now I am writing a chapter titled, The Autism Family.” The cool thing about this book is that each of us take a different perspective on the chapter. Mine is going to be about a few things…

The act of dividing and conquering and how we have to split up for almost everything we do. Jamie goes and I stay home with Cooper or vice versa. We do this so our other three children get to experience all of the things and Cooper isn’t forced to do things that make him uncomfortable.

For example, tonight Sawyer has hockey practice, and the two little ones have an art show at their preschool. Both are important. And Cooper isn’t able to do either. AND, right now, we have no in-home help. So, it’s complicated to try and figure out how we do all of the things.

I also want to cover resentment which is a word that makes some people feel weird. But it’s real and it’s true. I want to build a life around Cooper that others don’t resent. It’s a priority to me. I have met way too many siblings that resent their disabled sibling. I don’t want that for my kids.

So, the other day I was driving Sawyer home from hockey practice, and I told him how I was writing The Autism Family chapter. I explained a bit about the context of the chapter and then I said to him…”What do you think about when I say The Autism Family.”