Hello to you!

When my son Andrew was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, we struggled to learn about the disorder while making critical decisions for Andrew's early intervention. I began compiling the piles of paperwork that we amassed during this process and also included journal entries I had kept since before Andrew was born. A copy of the notebook was given to our extended family and those who worked with Andrew. I wanted our intervention team to understand that my son was more than what they saw for an hour a week. He had a family who dealt with this disorder 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Over the next few years, I was asked by teachers and other professionals if I would be willing to share the notebook with other families. Because it was clearly meeting a need among the autism community, I decided to make the notebook the basis of my book My Andrew: Day-to-Day Living with a Child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

My Andrew reveals the emotional rollercoaster that is a constant presence in dealing with autism. There are days of hope, joy, and victory as well as days of sadness, anger, and fear. There is elation and exhaustion. All members of the support team need to understand how this disorder affects the home if they are going to truly help not only the child, but the caregivers as well. Most of all, parents and caregivers need to know that they are not alone in their daily struggles.

Blessings,

Wallis A. Simpson

I like the following books because two of them teach children how to be in control of their actions and the other reminds me not to take things so seriously.

	My Book Full of Feelings: How to Control and React to the SIZE of Your Emotions by Amy V. Jaffe and Luci Gardner. This book allows autistic children to name the different emotions they feel and how to deal with them. It is practical and simple to implement.
	When My Worries Get Too Big! A Relaxation Book for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder by Kari Dunn Buron This book engages the child in problem solving his or her own behaviors. It can be used as many times as the child needs.
	Embarrassed Often, Ashamed Never by Lisa B. Elliott I love these stories that make me laugh and say, "My child has done that! I'm not the only one."

Excerpt from My Andrew: Day-to-Day Living with a Child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder by Wallis Simpson:

February 18, 2003

It's been another rough night with Andrew. It was time to take a bath and he refused. He hit, yelled, and ran from us. We tried to give him the choice between bath and going straight to bed but that didn't work. So we put him to bed. Then he was ready to comply. We didn't let him have his bath. He is still on his bed.

I hope we did the right thing. I hope he can truly understand the consequences and what he did to cause them. If not, it was a hard night for nothing. But what else can we do? He knew what we wanted and he refused to obey. There had to be a consequence. We can't just let him keep hitting us.

It's hard. I don't want to let Andrew get away with abusive behavior. I'm not always sure when he is being rebellious and when the autism has taken over. Sometimes, I guess wrong. I push him when I should back off. At other times, I back off and excuse him when I should have pushed. I thought it would get easier to work with him as he got older, but so far it hasn't. It has just gotten different.