Comments on: Where Would You Choose to Live?: Q & A with Mom-NOS

By: Autism Vox » Demeter and the Autism Mother

Autism Vox » Demeter and the Autism Mother — Wed, 23 May 2007 06:18:52 +0000

[...] things—-one being the questions that Mom-NOS sent me over a month ago as part of the Interview Meme. I responded to one question, “where would you choose to live,” here. Another has been [...]

By: Autism Vox » Migrations, Art & Biothetics: All about autism

Autism Vox » Migrations, Art & Biothetics: All about autism — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 13:51:34 +0000

[...] New York metro area in the search for the best for their autistic child; they are part of of the autism migration. Still out on the West Coast, 5-year old Elliot James Sylvester lives in California and expresses [...]

By: Moi ;)

Moi ;) — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 03:53:41 +0000

Starting over in school? UGH. Perish the thought. This one’s bad enough.

Bug is one of those borderline kids where people think “there’s something about him but they can’t put their finger on it” when they hear him talk. He may be able to live on his own – I don’t know about driving, but everything else looks to be within his reach as long as things stay on their current path.

I always thought that it might be smart someday to move to Europe or somewhere where Bug’s “English” doesn’t have to be perfect. He would pick up a foreign language quickly, I think, and at least he’d be able to have somewhat more of a normal life, not be picked on, etc. Not that someplace else doesn’t have their share of bullies. But he wouldn’t SEEM out of the norm, and so might be able to live in peace. That to me is more important than anything…..

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 23:43:04 +0000

Grant: Thanks for this mediation—a corollary with “no geographical cure that we’ve felt more than often is that of running away—-just wanting to leave a school or situation and start over, but never really figuring out what went wrong before, and so never really addressing any of the problems. Your mention of people you’ve met traveling to escape “boredom, misery, bad relationships, aimlessness, and other not-so-good situations at home stateside” is a fitting analogy. The grass always does look greener until you’re standing on it, no?

By: Grant Barrett

Grant Barrett — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 16:06:57 +0000

I love that expression: “no geographical cure.” It applies to so many things. When I used to travel more in foreign countries, I’d often encounter people who were escaping boredom, misery, bad relationships, aimlessness, and other not-so-good situations at home stateside. Being on the road was never a cure for it. They were worse. Come to think of it, they were very much like your Charlie might have been: outside of their homes, disconsolate and uncomfortable, but unable to come to where things could be sorted out.

“No geographical cure” could also apply to companies who are constantly seeking tax breaks from municipal governments, under the threat of taking jobs elsewhere. Owners of sports teams do this, too.

Anyway, brilliant piece.

By: KC'sMommy

KC'sMommy — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 15:12:47 +0000

Hi,
I think it’s super cool that Charlie doesn’t leave the yard! He’s such a smart fella! He sure does sound happy and comfortable in his home.
I get so scared when I think of K.C. as an adult. The thought of services for him, will he be able to get services? I hope that there is more programs geared towards adults with Autism, I haven’t seen too many in AZ. Maybe a program that can teach an Autistic adult a job. That would be cool. It’s not that I am afraid of K.C. growing up it’s the thought of having no services or help for him, that is so scary.

By: Autism Vox » Since there are 1 in 94 children with autism in New Jersey…..

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 12:28:43 +0000

[...] am rather partial to New Jersey, as we gave up some things to come and live here. Charlie is some 22 younger than Steven Greenberg but I know the day will come, sooner than soon, [...]

By: Julia

Julia — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 01:34:40 +0000

Um, people wear white?

I gave up wearing white before I had kids, even.

Mud washes out of denim a lot better than it washes out of cotton knit. So C. doesn’t wear knit leggings to school or out in the yard anymore.

By: Beth

Beth — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 21:52:01 +0000

Very powerful words. I, too, remember the feeling of leaving our beautiful home on the west coast to move back east to be closer to family (and support systems). Things haven’t (yet) turned out quite the way we envisioned them, but there is a greater sense of peace and knowledge that we are making the best choices we can for where Nik is now.

By: kyra

kyra — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 21:07:27 +0000

oh, i love that you’ve found a place where “charlie feels so at home and where he can be and grow up to be himself.” what a powerful statment and what a powerful gift that is for your son. no. there is no geographical cure, as you say, but it sounds like this peaceful ease in charlie has much to do with what you and jim worked so hard to find and provide for him, in school and at home.