The Joy of Autism

My typewriter

A year-and-a-half ago, I had an obsession with typewriters. I bought them first for Adam, thinking that he would find the one with the right feel and sound as he was learning his keyboard. Adam’s father purchased a wonderful old Remington for me...

Published Fri, Nov 06 2009 1:56 PM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Writing

Blind, Autistic Woman Rakes Leaves To Pay For Dental Work.

Heather Stone collects leaves earlier this week at a home where she and some volunteers raked leaves to help Stone raise money to have dental work done. Stone has raised $41 so far toward a $12,000 visit. When I read this story I thought of Adam. How...

Published Fri, Nov 06 2009 4:46 PM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Uncategorized

The last sweet days of summer 2009

It was a happy and a sad day, Adam’s last day of the day camp he has been attending for the past three years. I remember when he was very little — around three — when I’d drive him in for a half day. I worried so much in those...

Published Fri, Aug 21 2009 5:46 PM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Adam, Autism and Learning

We All Grieve Differently

I came across a new blog, Hopeful Parents I hadn’t seen before. When I read this post, I just had to link to it from here. We all experience many deaths in our lifetimes. It can be the death of a relative, the death of a dream, the death of an expectation...

Published Tue, Oct 06 2009 2:50 PM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Acceptance

The Perfect Body

I thought many of you would be interested in this upcoming conference in Europe: The Perfect Body: Between Normativity and Consumerism. Here are the details and click here for the website: http://www.esf.org/index.php?id=5256 ESF-LiU Conference THE PERFECT...

Published Sun, Jul 05 2009 8:51 AM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Uncategorized

The Wild Boy

We all love to read to our children. I have my own favorites and Adam has his. He will sit calmly in my arms reading The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. His favorite are The Mr. Small and Mr. Giggles books. Adam can begin to tell me his favorite parts...

Published Wed, Nov 18 2009 9:50 AM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Children's Literature

Slipping Through My Fingers All The Time

“Barely awake at the breakfast table, I let precious time go by…” Hovering over the small stainless frying pan I cook his eggs, sunny side up. He always likes them sunny side up. I think it started when I started making them into “Baby...

Published Sun, Nov 15 2009 7:58 AM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Development, Single Parenthood, Joy

Lorraine Kerwood: “I didn’t perceive myself intelligent in any way”

Lorraine came to me by way of my own website, which attests to the power of the Internet in making connections these days. Reviewing her own work with recycling computers, and how she came to regard herself by way of other people’s view of her,...

Published Tue, Nov 24 2009 6:47 PM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Autism and Intelligence, Contributions to Society, Obsessions

Finding Me in Paris

After listening to La Vie En Rose, I booked a last-minute ticket to Paris. I leave next week to meet my girlfriend, Leda, who I became friends with while studying in Europe fifteen years ago. Leda is a pianist and her father is a well-known composer from...

Published Wed, Nov 25 2009 9:11 AM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Writing, To Get To The Other Side

The “Continuum,” The “Spectrum,” and Another Assumption That Needs Debunking

I really like what Temple Grandin is doing in many ways. I like that she supports different minds and describes very simply and concretely what autistic people need and might be able to do as work. There is one thing I’d like to point out to Ms...

Published Mon, Aug 30 2010 2:08 PM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Autism and Learning, Autism and Intelligence, communication, Autism and Employment, Sensory Differences

A Post About Ovarian Cancer for A Time To Shout Campaign

Elana and Mark Waldman of the Time to Shout Campaign have asked me to tell my story. Writing about being diagnosed with ovarian cancer makes me shake more than autism. Perhaps this is because I was diagnosed with early stage ovarian cancer two years ago...

Published Wed, Sep 01 2010 8:46 AM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Estee, Acceptance, Joy, To Get To The Other Side

More on BlogHer

Thanks to Shannon who wrote more on the BlogHer conference Autism Panel here, which I also wrote about in Isolated No More. I particularly liked this quote from Amalah: “There is joy and happiness and laughter in our homes, just like in yours. We...

Published Mon, Aug 16 2010 7:38 AM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Acceptance

The Gateway Project

Autistic Self-Advocacy Network Be Included in Autism Research The Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education (AASPIRE) and the Gernsbacher Lab believe in research WITH autistic adults, not just ABOUT autistic adults. Together, we...

Published Mon, Nov 15 2010 5:51 AM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Research

Learning Spaces

When we have that right space, that corner, whatever it is that we can claim for ourselves, we can loosen up, be creative and explore. It’s the same for children. The world is different. Therefore, learning should be different, and it is certain...

Published Mon, Feb 28 2011 2:45 PM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Inclusion

Early Mother’s Day Wishes for Autism Moms

As an only child and single mother to an autistic son, I have to be honest that I sometimes find myself grumbling about holidays. I know it sounds very cynical of me, but hear me out. Another hallmark holiday can make me feel left out. Our kids are supposed...

Published Wed, May 04 2011 5:31 PM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Joy, Parenting

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