Autism and developmental disabilities Archives

Why Do I Have a Problem With Mental Disorder Labels When They Bring So Many Benefits?

When my son Diego was little, his autism label memorably got us a disability pass at Disney World with magical line-skipping powers. Currently, labels give him access to Department of Developmental...Read More →

Embarrassing but True: I Want to Be an Influencer

Here's something I've decided to be forward about: I aim to be the most prominent influencer I can possibly be. I know it sounds arrogant and silly. I’m no celebrity or fashionista, nor do I have...Read More →

The Very Best In Me: I Am Patient and Likable, Thanks To My Special Son

It’s no secret that parenting is damn hard. It brings out the worst in you and unearths some of the best a person can give. This piece is about the latter. The Patience of a Saint “Dani has the patience...Read More →

Autism Travel Blog: Adventures in London and Paris

Monday, June 19, and Tuesday, June 20- NYC and London Thank You for Your Patience Nothing ever goes according to plan. The first step in our Europe trip seriously deviated from the plan. Five minutes ...Read More →

Autism, Superpowers, Dogs and Love

Winter is treadmill running season for me, and given my nerdy, guilt-driven personality, I can’t just watch Netflix series for entertainment. I also must watch educational type content -you know,...Read More →

Birthdays and Autism: National Diego’s Birthday Awareness Day

If you’ve read anything about Diego, you know he’s keen on birthdays, all birthdays, but especially his own. Diego's birthday fixation is unusual, not only in its intensity but also given his autism. ...Read More →

Making Sense of an Autism Diagnosis

Remember when autism used to be the rarest of conditions? When it would conjure up either Rain Man or the one autistic person you’d ever met in your life? For me, it was the boy at the beach who walked...Read More →

Seven Big Ideas on the Astounding Benefits of Tiny Habits

I was reading the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, and suddenly it hit me: the person I know with the best habits is autistic and intellectually disabled. He reads at a first-grade level and his myriad...Read More →

Autistic Ingenuity: 6 Highly Effective Strategies to Get What You Want

It takes Diego’s cousin Eugenia (who’s the same age as him) a few text messages to arrange an outing to a bar with friends in Manhattan. Should Eugenia decide to work remotely from Mexico City for a...Read More →

The Power of Prayer: It’s Not What You Think!

I’m too skeptical or lacking in faith to believe God intercedes when we invoke him in prayer. I mean, if I were to ask God, “Please, God, don’t let my son be one of the unnamed casualties from this...Read More →