Musings and What-not

I am working on being a parent who educates first and reacts second. Too often, I read or hear about a parent apologizing for their child's disability/disorder, and I just want to jump on the nearest plane, fly to their town, and lay the smackdown on the person that messed with their child. Of course, it is only minutes later when I remember that this approach has and will continue to get us, the dis abled community absolutely nowhere. But I do wonder why parents feel the need to apologize, especially to people who are rude, condescending, and ignorant. I mean who really should be "apologizing"? The special needs child who may not understand that certain behavior could be deemed inappropriate and/or disruptive or the adult who is oblivious to the fact that they are not interacting with a neurotypical ( NT ) child? Or... Are apologies even warranted? Another thing I think too much about is discipline. As parents to special needs children, are we not to discipline them?  Is...

I know I didn't read that right.  I can't believe the pressure actually got to thick-skinned Denis.  I can't believe it. About an hour ago, Boston Herald reported, C omedian Denis Leary , best known for pushing the envelope of convention, apologized yesterday “to all parents of children with autism” after the mother of a stricken Saugus 6-year-old dared him to spend just one hour of challenging daily life with her son. “I have nothing but admiration and sympathy for the people I know who are raising children with autism. In fact, they were the inspiration for the chapter I wrote about the subject,” the Worcester native and author of the provocative forthcoming book “Why We Suck” said in a statement to the Herald. I don't know what to say.  I'm actually at a loss for words. Hold up!  Hold up! His book's coming out on the 18th (21 days from now)!  What better way to get us to buy his book than to publicly apologize for insulting our children.  Good try, Denis, bu...

The people who are criticizing the "Autism Schmautism" chapter in my new book "Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid" clearly have not read it. Or if they have, they missed the sections I thought made my feelings about autism very clear: that I not only support the current rational approaches to the diagnoses and treatment of real autism but have witnessed it firsthand while watching very dear old friends raise a functioning autistic child. Okay, Denis.  You got me.  I didn't read your book.  I saw the comment, put on my armor, and was prepared to battle... major battle! Do I owe you an apology?  I'll concede.  I do.  I should have done what I normally do, and that's to get the facts BEFORE I react. But you see, I wasn't only reacting for myself.  I was reacting for my son who does not and would not understand that those few lines were "teasers" to something "meaningful". Does this mean that I will g...