Public Ponder

When My Autistic Son Begged Me to Take Him Home and I Didn’t

When we moved from Venezuela to Connecticut in 2000, especially that first year, we went into New York City often. We didn’t know anyone yet, and the novelty of the Big Apple still held a powerful pull....Read More →

Autism in Adulthood: Making Things Right for My Autistic Son’s Friend

We were on the train from the Bronx to Grand Central Station in Manhattan—my son Diego, his friend Owen, and me—when the conductor reached our row to scan the three tickets on my phone. Owen looked up...Read More →

Everyone Who’s Old

A man in his mid-eighties gets out of the passenger seat of a gray car parked in a handicap space at a Chase Bank. It’s one of his regular outings. Every week, he and his wife get cash by driving a mile...Read More →

My Autistic Son’s Obsession With Asking Where People Are From

My son Diego and I were getting off the chairlift at a ski resort outside Salt Lake City when I felt a pull on my jacket, followed by a snap. A moment later, I heard a voice behind me. “Your gloves,” ...Read More →

Naked and Dancing

Following a visit to the Botero Museum in Bogotá with my 31-year-old autistic son, I was curious to know what he made of the plush ladies Botero liked to paint and sculpt. “So, Diego,” I said, “What...Read More →