Julian’s face was the picture of bliss, at least his kind. His eyes were closed and his smile was so wide that it nearly rose up to meet the tips of his ears. I’d walked into my son’s room to witness this scene. Julian, sprawled out on his bed, surrounded by toy animals, books and Disney dvd boxes [...]
Archive for the ‘Autism’ Category
Chillin, Julian Style
Posted in Autism on September 13, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Julian’s Doing WELL
Posted in Autism on August 13, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Julian stood before the small gathering giving his presentation on a poster he designed for the Piedmont Wildlife Center. This was the closing event for what had been six weeks of growth and enjoyment for Julian in the WELL Program. As he explained his process of researching the animals that are housed at the center, [...]
The Measure Of A Young Man
Posted in Autism on August 7, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Recently our family attended a celebration/send off for the son of two of our dearest friends. The young man was headed off to college. Family and close friends gathered for an evening of dining, dancing and joy. Julian and our friend’s son are in the same age range, so for us this was a very [...]
Father To Father
Posted in Autism on June 17, 2011 | 1 Comment »
His face was a mixture of mild uncertainty and anticipation. Andrew, a new acquaintance, was asking me about my experience with Julian and Jared. Like me he has two sons, about two years apart in age. The eldest, as is the case in our family, has autism. The difference is Andrew’s sons are much younger [...]
Dad, About Girls…………
Posted in Autism on May 28, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Julian and I were seated at the kitchen counter eating lunch and discussing Disney animated characters, actually he was giving me a tutorial on the different villans featured in those movies. It is his considered opinion that Scar (The Lion King) and Frollo (The Hunchback of Norte Dame) are far and away the most diabolical. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, [...]
The Magical Bag
Posted in Autism on April 24, 2011 | 2 Comments »
I recognized the familiar facial expressions, however subtle, as the lady approached. Her face was covered with befuddlement accompanied by a small measure of disapproval. Julian, unaware of her at first, was blissfully engrossed with the items in his hands. A toy zebra and a large gift bag covered with Disney characters, a very large bag! We had just visited a [...]
Mom, Dad Look At This!
Posted in Autism on March 16, 2011 | 3 Comments »
Julian focused on the picture of the leopard and began to smile. We were visiting a bookstore when the picture book, featuring big cats of the wild, caught his eye. “Hey Dad, I want that book.” This was the first time since last summer that he had initiated real dialogue or shown any significant interest [...]
Shake Your Groove Thing, Julian
Posted in Autism on February 21, 2011 | 6 Comments »
Jared was in the middle of the dance floor displaying his impressive dance skills with an energetic performance of “The Dougie”. Ask the nearest teenager, he or she will educate you. Julian was standing in the rear of the room with his mom. This was a birthday party for the son of two of our [...]
The Warming Wave
Posted in Autism on January 20, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Julian and I were walking through a hospital lobby the other day, he had a doctor’s appointment, and as we passed people he constantly waved, to everyone! This is born out of early efforts by Martina and me to get Julian to engage with other people, something that can be very difficult for persons with [...]
Goodbye Grandma Kendrick
Posted in Autism on January 3, 2011 | 4 Comments »
Julian stared intently at his grandmother. I hadn’t seen that level of focus in his eyes in quite some time. His maternal grandmother, Mrs. Ruth Kendrick, lay just a foot away from him in a hospice bed, laboring to breath. She would end her marvelous and impactful eighty-nine years on this earth a few days [...]
