I love the theatre. I have learned though, that in order for me to actually go, I need to subscribe and commit to go on a regular basis. Can you relate? I won’t buy one-off tickets even with the best of intentions. Our Playhouse Square in Cleveland has an amazing Broadway Series that is great for this. I often call them my “seven dates per year.” There have been many times that I’ve arrived at the …
I Saw the Signs…
People often ask, and I have countlessly asked myself, if there were early signs that my son, Joshua, was on the autism spectrum. Almost since birth, Joshua was an arm flapper. That was probably one of the most outwardly visible signs looking back. Predominantly when he was excited he looked like a big bird ready to take flight. Joshua also had tremendous problems with eye contact. People now tell …
A Look Back at Autism: Denial, Part 2
At the end of part one of this series, I said no more denial for this family. That is mostly true and we began home based therapy for our son pretty quickly after his diagnosis, but it was still hard to talk about. I noticed it in interviews, and in training sessions with tutors that we never once said that he was the “A” word (autistic). I had reached the point where I could say …
A Look Back at Autism: Denial
Summer of 2003. I remember it very well. I was a stay-at-home mom and the happiest one that there ever was. I had two boys, 22 months and 4 months old. We attended library story time and play groups. We went to the park where Joshua, the oldest, could swing for hours. We were an active and happy family with great support systems and lots of love. I believed everything anyone would tell me that …
How Can You Describe the Importance of Communication?
Some of us are shy or introverted, so you won't see us giving a speech in front of a group, or leading discussions in a group setting. But we can still communicate. We understand what other people are saying to us. We can physically hear them. We can then reply, whether that is non-verbally by nodding our head, or by using our voice to respond. Unfortunately, this basic exchange of …
History of The Orange Effect Foundation
The following is an excerpt from a blog originally posted on The Content Standard. View the full post here. The Orange Effect Foundation (OEF) officially launched last spring, but its story began more than a decade ago, when Joe and Pam’s first-born son, Joshua, was diagnosed with autism. In those days, Pam was a stay-at-home mom with a healthy baby boy. But by the time her son was 18 …
