R-E-S-P-E-C-T

I revisited my autism book collection recently as I moved my office / home school into the playroom. Amazon's stock must have gone up when we got Little Frog's diagnosis - the collection is immense. I noticed that certain books came back to me like old friends. When I stopped to consider what they had in common the word Respect immediately jumped out. These books, many of which were written or contributed to by people with autism, gave me a perspective much different than the ABA manuals, diet books, and other "how to fix behavior" books I'd come across or been referred to by educators. These books gave me a glimpse of what it might be like from Frog's perspective. Above all, these books told me that my son is who he is for a reason and it's OK. They showed me how I could be helpful in showing my son the world and teaching him how to get along in it without worrying about changing him. These books allowed me to let go of some of the worry and the frantic search for answers and just enjoy building a relationship with Frog. I still worry about what the future holds, a hostile world, and the pitfalls along the way, but I've learned that my little boy is a very strong and resourceful individual and I know he will find his way - his family will be here to help.

The Child with Special Needs






Engaging Autism






The Soul of Autism






Autism and the God Connection






The Fabric of Autism






Lucy's Story






Autism and the Myth of the Person Alone






The Autism Answer Book

Contact Information

Frog has reached the age where most of his peers are memorizing their address and phone number and learning how to recite them to a trusted adult in an emergency. Frog is non-verbal and while he has ways of communicating with family, he typically avoids strangers. We had been concerned about what would happen if he got separated from us when we were away from home. But a couple of months ago he left our front yard and was found in the middle of the intersection in front of our house, by the assistant superintendent of schools no less. Because he was not able to give any indication of who he was or where he belonged, the police were called. This happened within about 7 minutes of him leaving us at the dinning room table and squeezing through a gap in the fence. We've looked at various tracking devices, but they all seem cumbersome and some are quite technical (would probably not stand up to submersion is a fountain or puddle). We have tried various bracelets in the past, but they were too irritating and distracting for Frog. Our current solution is this temporary tattoo



We ordered it from Safety Tat and had my cell phone number put on it. Fortunately, we haven't had a chance to "use" it yet. But I feel better knowing that Frog can "give" his phone number if the need arises. It is bright and colorful and a little sparkly, but you would have to look really close to read what it says. My hope is that it would appear to be like any temporary tattoo the other kids might be playing with unless someone was looking for a way to identify my child. It washes off with a little soap, warm water and a little scrubbing.

For more Try It Tuesday posts go to 5 Minutes for Special Needs

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