Blog/News
November 4, 2025
When one of my sons was a preteen, we met with the director of a weekend program to see if he would match with the group. This meeting took place around the same time the world was debating whether vaccines caused autism, and my son surprised me by raising the topic. He told the program director he was offended by the conjecture that vaccines induce autism for two reasons. First, as a scientist, he was bothered that people confused causation and correlation. Second, as an autistic person, he was hurt that some parents would choose to risk their children contracting a potentially deadly disease like measles over ending up like him.
October 28, 2025
Parents, can you relate:
It’s homework time. The clock is ticking, and your child is stuck. They don’t know how to complete an assignment (or study for a test or apply for a job). You want to help, so – with the best intentions – you offer suggestions, reminders, and little nuggets of wisdom, all meant to provide support for your struggling child. But rather than delivering relief and momentum, your efforts yield only anger, resentment, and obstinate refusals.
October 21, 2025
In 2007, my sons and I were featured in a television news segment about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its genetic link. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) had just published a “Science Update” regarding a gene variant found in ADHD teens, and a news outlet thought a family with four ADHD sons would put a human face on the report that emphasized ADHD’s hereditability.
We all thought the report was pretty funny: My husband has ADHD and all of his sons have been diagnosed with ADHD. We had little doubt that genetics was at play in our family.
If you’re a parent with ADHD, read on for some simple systems all parents – especially those with ADHD -- can implement for easy and effective parenting.
October 14, 2025
One afternoon, when my oldest son was in the fourth grade, he came bounding through the door after school and announced through panting breath: “I have ADHD!” Yes, indeed you do, I told him, but a little context please!
It turned out, my son’s class was learning about “differences.” What are the differences we can see in people, and what are the hidden differences we can’t see? When his teacher talked about ADHD (Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder), my son related to everything she described. He wasn’t ashamed, but rather empowered. It all made sense why he struggled to maintain focus on tasks that bored him but could delve in deep and for long, uninterrupted stretches on the subjects that fascinated him. He understood why it was hard for him to curb his impulses, and why he always needed something in his hands in order to stay focused in school.
October 7, 2025
On Sept. 22, 2025, President Donald Trump and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. held a press conference to discuss their opinions about pregnant women using Tylenol. If I were generous, I would say the president’s outlook was slanted for political gain: It’s on-brand for him to say this issue is more evidence that he’s the truth teller, and the experts can’t be trusted. But I can’t be charitable here. That September announcement was irresponsible at best, dangerous at worst.
September 30, 2025
My husband and I have been married for 32 years. We have raised four sons. All four of our sons fall under that great big umbrella called “neurodiversity,” so we have seen our fair share of discord! The key isn’t that we always agree on how to deal with challenges, but rather that we are able to navigate our own differences of opinion with respect and care.
Unfortunately for one of our sons, we learned the hard way what happens to our children when parents aren’t able to work collaboratively to address a child’s problem.
If your family is struggling because mom and dad have drastically different opinions about how to nurture your neurodiverse children, read on for important tips to help you bridge the gap and support your children along the way.
August 26, 2025
By the time my youngest child was in preschool, it was evident he was struggling to recognize letters and link sounds to words. Two of his older brothers had already been diagnosed with learning differences, so the red flags were clear to me: Letters had no meaning to him and no amount of time with flashcards were making them any more identifiable. By elementary school, even though he could articulate thoughts and make connections verbally, reading and writing continued to elude him.
By age 6 he was formally diagnosed with dyslexia, along with ADHD, and began working with specialists to learn to read and write. It was a long journey, but today he is a huge fan of fantasy fiction, with books stacked across his room.
If you are worried about your child’s academic performance, read on for some typical signs to look for in LD students.
August 20, 2025
Raising four sons, I have been through a lot of “first days of school” — 68, if you can imagine that. For my neurodiverse kids, transition can be especially challenging, which meant the first Tuesday after Labor Day carried particular weight in our home. All those new beginnings have brought with them some important learning moments. The most important lesson, one that rang true every single year: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” It may sound intense, but Benjamin Franklin was a wizard of wisdom.
August 5, 2025
When my boys were young, we were lucky to enjoy family vacations, creating memories that have grown with us over the years. And yet, vacationing with our neurodiverse kids took planning and thoughtful deliberation. We needed to consider our boys’ emotional comfort as much as any desire for new adventures, exotic locales, or squeezing every minute out of our itineraries.
It took some time, but we found great ways to maximize the fun and minimize the anxiety. Read on for suggestions that may help as you plan a late summer getaway of your own.
July 29, 2025
Sometimes parenting is smooth sailing. We wipe away tears and offer words of wisdom that ring true and provide comfort when our kids are struggling. We laugh together and share moments of joy that become part of family lore.
And sometimes, parenthood is a rocky path filled with potholes and pit traps. We head down one trail with the best intentions and find that we have gone wildly astray, lost in our own wilderness, unsure of which way to turn and how to get back on solid footing.
July 9, 2025
As young adults, my sons are navigating so many turning points: higher education, career paths, relationships. And simultaneously they are learning to live independently: laundry, meal prep, car appointments, and perhaps even rent payments. When the sun is shining and they have a good day, a good week, a good year, we celebrate and try to capture the moment, hold onto the ease and joy. When the clouds hover, though, a parent’s whole life can be affected.
July 1, 2025
Every parent knows the adage “Little kids, little problems. Big kids, big problems.” Some may agree, while others believe the saying trivializes the challenges our little ones may present. What’s clear, though, is that when our kids enter young adulthood, we cannot force them to do anything. We can suggest, advise, encourage. But we cannot require our young adult children to eat healthy foods, turn off the screens, write a thank you letter after a job interview.
When our young adult children are neurodiverse, the issues families face can feel more potent.
That’s why I am developing workshops to support parents whose neurodiverse young adult children are struggling.
June 24, 2025
Comedian Ray Romano has a great quote about rearing a family: "Having children is like living in a frat house — nobody sleeps, everything's broken, and there's a lot of throwing up."
If that quote expresses the unpredictability, chaos, and general craziness of a house full of typical kids, raising neurodiverse kids ups the ante 10-fold. Whether our kids struggle with mental health issues, emotional challenges, or cognitive delays, learning to recognize their triggers, anticipate their demands, and advocate for their rights – all while juggling other family and work priorities, as well as our own needs – can be downright overwhelming.
June 3, 2025
Here’s a primer for what parents of neurodiverse kids should not do:
• Don’t tell your kids with learning differences they’re lazy.
• Don’t tell your ADHD kids to just sit still.
• Don’t tell your anxious kids to suck it up.
• And under no circumstances should you expect your neurodiverse kids of any kind to act like everyone else.
May 20, 2025
Raise your hand if you have struggled with self-doubt as a parent? How about as the parent of a neurodiverse child? I see you! I have been there, and I know what it feels like to wonder and worry if we are saying the right things, teaching lessons in the best way, focusing on the highest values, skills, and truths.
May 13, 2025
We are all living in a world full of challenges, chaos and conspiracy theories that can keep us teetering between laughing and crying (hello flat-earthers). That kind of heaviness might weigh us down, maybe even leave us feeling helpless. When I think about what I can do to help relieve some of this pressure, I come back to the idea that, while I may not be able to heal the whole world, I can make improvements in my own little corner. My hope is that – just as ripples on a pond move ever outward – my positivity can also extend far beyond its starting point.
May 6, 2025
Ah, Mother’s Day! Breakfast in bed, summer basil planted in the garden, peace and good will among all siblings… well, maybe.
Mother’s Day invokes so many memories, sometimes I honestly get teary recounting the acts of love.
And yet, motherhood for those of us raising neurodiverse children can be a different – and often difficult – path to travel. In appreciation of Sunday’s upcoming holiday, I offer these thoughts on raising our very special children.
April 29, 2025
In 1988, United Artists released the Academy Award winning movie Rain Man, introducing autism to the general public and to me. Like many other movie goers, I didn’t quite understand the condition back then – what it was and how it affected people. Rain Man was my debut, and it left me curious to know more. In fact, the movie, which received both applause for its depiction of autism as well as criticism for stereotyping, left many people interested. In response, funding for autism research increased in the 1990’s significantly.
Fast forward to April 2025 and the current Secretary of Health and Human Services’ claim that by September 2025 – yes, that’s right, just five months from now – he would have the answer to what causes autism. And, he said, “we'll be able to eliminate those exposures,” assuming the science would back his claims that environmental toxins cause autism.
April 22, 2025
As we approach the end of April and Autism Awareness Month, let’s talk about autism in all its forms. And really, autism -- as it is defined today -- shows itself in many, many ways.
Three of my four sons fit somewhere on the autism spectrum, from mildly to moderately affected. They are lucky in many ways, not least of which is growing up at a time when there is much more understanding and acceptance about how differently some people interact with the world around them.
April 8, 2025
I’m a patient person by nature. I don’t mind repeating myself, the incessant patter of noisy kids doesn’t bother me, and I am willing to put less-important goals on the backburner while I focus on more pressing needs. But let’s be real, sometimes our kids’ actions can test the very best of us.
April 1, 2025
When my boys were young, life was hectic. I mean up-in-the-middle-of-the-night, temper-tantrum, when-do-I-get-to-shower? kind of hectic. With four young boys, all falling under the neurodiverse umbrella, I was overtired, overwhelmed and over-extended. But I had some non-negotiables: I found time almost every day to exercise and spend time outdoors – for me, I knew I needed these things to stay mentally fit. I walked instead of driving to appointments that were close by, I used my lunch hour to fit in a run, and I took my boys on “adventure walks” on vacation days.
My desire to stay active and feel the sun on my face isn’t for everyone, but the need to prioritize particular activities that help us stay whole when we are caring for others is universal.
March 25, 2025
Last week, on Friday, March 21, 2025, President Trump announced that the federal Department of Education would no longer supervise the special needs programs provided primarily through I.D.E.A. since 1975.
Issues on the national stage get personal very quickly when they affect our families.
March 18, 2025
When my youngest son was in preschool, he was the boldest kid on the playground. He lost recess privileges because he wouldn’t abide by the school’s safety rules (Who says he’s not allowed to climb to the top of the jungle gym… and maybe jump off?). He happily ran to greet kids on the street he recognized from the baseball diamond or the soccer field, and he was never intimidated by the big kids on the bus. But something changed when he was in grade school.
March 4, 2025
When our kids are young, it is easy to -- even expected -- that we structure their lives from breakfast to bedtime. As they grow, however, we are meant to release the reins so our children can learn to make their own choices and live with their decisions – good and bad. But what happens when our children are on a different developmental timeline?
February 25, 2025
When my boys were younger, our local school district spent time and money on programs about bullying – cyber and IRL – and how parents could support their children who were victims of bullying. We heard from psychologists, school administrators, and other child professionals. There was much conversation about how to help our kids if they were being bullied (“Stand up for yourself!” “Just ignore it!”), but these panels and conversations did not address a possible result of bullying: trauma. And they didn’t address how bullying and other types of trauma can affect the neurodiverse population in particular.
February 18, 2025
On the heels of Valentines Day, I have been thinking about how we show our children love. Listening, I believe is the surest way to create an atmosphere where tenderness, respect and caring can thrive. To that end, I offer four lessons I have learned listening to my wonderful, noisy, neurodiverse sons.
February 11, 2025
Adaptive technology in the classroom and at home offer help in myriad situations, and contrary to some assumptions, they are not a crutch. Not only do they not get in the way of our children progressing, but they actually can also lead to success and growth where our kids would otherwise be hampered by circumstances beyond their control.
February 4, 2025
When my son was a toddler, we moved to a new community, and I joined a neighborhood playgroup. I looked forward to getting to know other parents and building friendships while my kids played with their own new friends. But while the other boys and girls were beginning to build block towers together and giggle harmoniously, my son was off to the side, totally engaged with his toy and totally unengaged by anyone else in the room. Sometimes there were tears, sometimes there were tantrums. Rarely was there easy-going play time.
January 28, 2025
To steal from (and slightly alter) the movie Good Will Hunting: “My boys are wicked smart.”
Today, as young men, my boys are physicists, rocket scientists, mathematicians and so much more. And yet, they did not all graduate at the very top of their classes. Intelligence, ability and grit do not always translate to top grades in school. Dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and other learning disabilities can get in the way of succeeding in the classroom. The key is helping our kids recognize and appreciate their abilities while at the same time learning to tackle the obstacles that learning disabilities may put in their way.
January 21, 2025
When my boys were young, there were days so challenging, the best I could do was to simply survive until bedtime. I was rushing, managing, pushing, and pulling just to get through the day. There was no time to stop and adjust, let alone smell the roses. I was barely keeping my head above water.
It’s counterintuitive, but I have come to understand that those overwhelming times are when it is most important to take the time to adjust and even smell the roses.
January 8, 2025
January 1 is the day many of us create New Year’s resolutions and prepare ourselves for growth, learning and breakthroughs. For parents of neurodiverse children, especially young adults, we may wish to encourage self-improvement.
December 25, 2024
5 Tips to Ease Kids' Overwhelm at Gatherings.
Ah Holiday Time. Good food and good cheer. Peace and tranquility. Visions of sugarplums dancing in my head…
November 11, 2024
One afternoon years ago, at the end of the school day, my oldest son came bounding in through our mudroom door, exhilarated with important news from his fourth-grade class. “Mom!” he called out, “I have ADHD!” Yup, you certainly do, but fill me in please…
October 8, 2024
I remember that day so clearly. That phone call. The doctor’s diagnosis, my uncertainty. Sometimes people talk about feeling relief: Well, at least we know what we are dealing with, at least now we can understand and find solutions. But first there was fear, the fear of the unknown. And this was about my son and a special needs diagnosis, which made it even harder.
September 1, 2024
Growing up, I was one of those kids who loved playing with and caring for children. I babysat, created scavenger hunts for my little brother, and spent my favorite summers as a camp counselor. Not surprisingly, I always dreamed of a big family.