theautismdaddy.com

As many of you know I work at Sesame Street, and was proud to play a small part in the launch of Sesame’s autism initiative back in 2015. So I just wanted to write a quick blog post to point you towards Sesame Street’s new autism content launching this week! In celebration of Autism Acceptance Month this April, we have released new resources focused on bullying, which disproportionately affects children with autism. Julia’s parents, big brother, and dog Rose appear in 3 new digital videos celebrating the importance of families.

And I thought about Leslie, my wife, telling me she wanted me to find someone. And although I could make a strong case that supporting my wife through cancer and raising a special needs daughter and a teenage daughter while working full time doesn’t leave a ton of time for makeovers, there’s definitely a comfortable complacence in a tested and true relationship that I had rested within. And what’s most different about dating now is not the Tinder/eHarmony social media virtual speed dating world, although that is certainly different, but me. At the same time I didn’t know what I wanted, I found myself keenly aware of what I did NOT want.

Since Dev’s diagnosis almost 11 years ago, people are way more aware of differently abled people. I need people to realize that your typical kids can ensure their own safety, but my child and many like him need safeguards in place for his well-being. Just because children like mine require more to achieve that goal, does not mean he is disposable or his life has diminished value. Laws for access to healthcare, to ensure safety and to provide for opportunities once our children become adults can take years and sometimes decades to come to fruition.

My 7 year old son, Leo was diagnosed as being on the moderate to severe end of the Autism Spectrum when he was 3. When I opened Leo’s book bag the other day and read the enclosed note about Career Day, I felt my shoulders sink, and a deep, anxious sigh exhale from my lips. And truth be told, while some of Leo’s classmates might have a firm grasp on what they see for their future careers, I would surmise, many of them don’t know, either. Leo’s challenges…everything he faces with such immense fortitude, and resiliency each and every day…