Two men embarked on a journey to put a new face on autism—one with humor and soul and empathy. Filmmaker Gerardine Wurzburg went along for the ride. Her new documentary, “Wretches and Jabberers” will be shown in Chicago on Thursday, May 12, as part of a nationwide event: 100 Cities. One Night for Autism. […]
My youngest son Luke didn’t get the nickname Tasmanian Devil because he likes to sit still. And while he’s almost completely non-verbal, he is wholly capable of communicating his wants and needs (though sometimes not in ways most people expect). No surprise that we’ve been hesitant to expose him to live theater, imagining our […]
In the season of giving thanks, I often think of a family I will call the Renfields. Their first child, Ray, was diagnosed early in life with moderate autism spectrum disorder. Some parents are overwhelmed by such a finding, but the Renfields stayed positive. “This is a child with real strengths,” the dad told me. […]
Nine years ago, while following my two and three year-old boys around the park, I was shocked by the complete lack of manners of a group of young children who just joined us on the slide. At least my children knew their please’s and thank you’s I thought, congratulating myself on a mothering job […]
When a child hurts, a parent will do anything to help him. Thus, when Rupert Isaacson found out his son Rowan was autistic in 2004, it was a momentous year. Not only because he discovered the source of his son’s tantrums and non-communication, but also because Rowan met Betsy. A horse. When child and horse […]
