Author Archives: paleololigo

Scientist (Paleontology, Geochemistry, Geology); Writer (Speculative and Science Fiction, plus technical and non-technical Science); Mom to great boy on the Autism spectrum; possessor of too many hobbies.

More Firsts – Old Skool

The Kickin’ it Old Skool Blog-a-Thon is encouraging us to share the following firsts. Do I dare?

  •     Your First Job
  •     The First Thing to Your Left
  •     Something You Remember About First Grade
  •     The First book you ever read
  •     The First Thing You Do In the Morning
  •     The First Food You Knew You Didn’t Like
  •     Your First Memory

Sure, why not?Continue reading “More Firsts – Old Skool”

The Gifts of Autism

I live with autism.

Not in myself, but through my son, who was given the diagnosis of PDD-NOS a few years back. His autism is considered ‘high-functioning,’ which poses all sorts of challenges.

You’d think it’d be ‘better’ than being ‘severely’ autistic, but the problem is with high-functioning, his autism is invisible. When the stims and other autistic tendencies arise from an otherwise ‘normal’ kid, eyebrows are raised and sometimes we get scowled at in the I-could-raise-your-kid-better sort of way.Continue reading “The Gifts of Autism”