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Autistic Like Me: A Father’s Perspective

I am lending my support to a documentary project. I think that raising awareness for Autism, and the affect raising a child has on fathers is something that needs to be done. This isn’t saying that moms aren’t important. This is saying that dads are equally important and need as much as we don’t like to admit it, we have feelings and frustrations too. ================== “Autistic Like Me: A Father’s Perspective” is a soon-to-be-released documentary/advocacy film. To contribute to the outreach campaign and help spread awareness and understanding please visit the website. Here you will also see that for donations made to the film, there are perks such as mentions on NY Metro Parents media outlets as well as Super Duper Fun Decks, which are engaging, educational card decks, and are a perfect learning tool for children. They are also particularly helpful for children on the autism spectrum. The

Writing Prompt – Dog Days of Summer

The Elusive Tail You could hear Jake panting from the clothes line pole, which was a good 50 yards from his dog house. He looked tired. Laying on his side, chest heaving. You would be tired too if you had just ran in a circle 500 times trying to catch that other dog. You know, the one whose tail wags whenever you are happy? The faster Jake runs, the faster that tails goes to get away from him. “Jake,” called his owner, “wanna go for a ride?” Immediately, Jake’s ears perk up, he lifts his head, you can see the joy in his eyes as he struggles to his feet, as if he is thinking. “oooo, a ride…. yep, let’s go for a ride…. and I can stick my head out the window?” There is nothing that Jake loves more than a ride in the truck. All those amazing odors…

When clever discipline becomes child abuse

Remember the story a few months ago about the 15-year old girl who was forced to get up in front of the whole school and announce that she was pregnant? Or the 14-year old boy whose parents forced him to stand on the street with a sign declaring that he’d receive Fs on his report card? New research is just now confirming what most sane parents already knew: humiliating punishments actually do more harm than good. And that’s certainly the case with the newest entries into the “it-seemed-like-a-clever-idea-at-the-time” category of parental stupidity. A teacher in Florida made students who arrived late to school wear a wide dog collar that she called the “cone of shame.” And we certainly don’t want to overlook the Minnesota parents who, upset about their 12-year old daughter’s school performance shaved her head and made her run around outside wearing a diaper. The mother and her boyfriend