Opinions & Insights on Autism…

The Awe in Autism blog is hosted by cofounders Kim Covell and Deborah French. Both are moms, each with three sons; Kim's son Dylan has autism. The posts featured here are alternately written by Kim and Deborah, and aim to address autism from two angles – a parent's perspective and the observations of an informed onlooker.

The Awe in Autism: A Spectrum of Creativity

This post is a bit long, but I’ll ask you to bear with me. My mind and heart are full to the brim, and there’s much I want to share with you. (And, OK, I’m notoriously long-winded — at least that’s what my three sons say … though that’s not quite the way they put it.)
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Light Through a Prism: Reflections on the Spectrum

Alot has happened in the six or seven years since my world changed and suddenly included the word “autism” in my daily conversations. My free time became devoted to reading books and articles on autism. I had to sort through the building tension regarding vaccines and whether or not they could be the source of my son’s disability. I had to try to understand how to help a child with autism learn, and I had to become a lobbyist on his behalf and on behalf of others with autism in an effort to ensure that schools also learn the best ways to teach children with autism.
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A Time to Tear Down, a Time to Build

If you’re a friend and supporter of Awe in Autism, you may have noticed some lag time in our online activities. Yes, we’ve been a little less vocal in the past few months, but we’re not going away; we’re making some big changes for the better.
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Blessed By Autism

As I write this, Thanksgiving is just days away, and the holiday season begins. Despite lots of stress and some big challenges over the past months, I anticipate these occasions with a renewed sense of awe.

When obstacles seem to be around every corner of our lives, it’s often hard to feel thankful. But I’m reminded that it’s the obstacles, in fact, that allow us to be thankful. If not for life’s challenges, what would we have to be thankful for?
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‘You Are the Stars’

When I heard the news of Sargent Shriver’s death on January 18, just two days before the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s inauguration, I was struck by the impact a single individual can have on many people — and how actions, more than words, define a life.
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Autism Jokes?

I occasionally follow the discussion on Wrong Planet, a site that bills itself as “the online resource and community for Autism and Asperger’s.” I recently stumbled on a post from someone on the spectrum who had been treated cruelly by kids making autism jokes.
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The Making of a Superhero

In the waning days of summer vacation, before the start of school, I took my two youngest boys to the pediatrician for their annual check-up. Besides the usual weigh-in, height check, listening to the heart and a peek in the ears, these days a child’s physical consists of a litany of questions from the doctor.
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To All Our Friends …

My husband was in a serious accident two weeks ago; he was hit by a truck while on his motorcycle. Thankfully, none of his vital organs were damaged, and he will eventually recover. However, his leg was crushed, requiring two reconstructive surgeries; he has been in considerable pain, and will not walk for several months.
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Different… and Good!

It dawned on me not too long ago that I am the mother of three “only” children. Each of my sons, it seems to me, occupies a place in the universe that is separate from that of their two brothers — and so they could each feel themselves an “only child.”
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Are Internet “Friends” Really Friends?

I have to admit I didn’t know what I was getting into when Kim and I kicked off this website. Sure, I knew we’d need to put in lots of time filling the site with high-quality content … I knew we’d be busy posting articles, updating our Facebook page and sending out tweets. What I didn’t know was how personally involved I’d become with the people we’d connect with – people I’ve never met, and probably never will.
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