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The Face of Grief Before and After the Autism Spectrum
My husband Cedric and I used to joke we should have known from the beginning our extremely introverted daughter preferred not to be bothered with the rest of the world. Despite trying to arrive early at 35 weeks, at 42 weeks labor was induced and Jordan arrived. I remember the nurse saying,...
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The Newborn and the Child with Autism: The Advice is the Same
As a parent with a 25-year-old son with autism, I am often asked what advice I would give to parents with a newly diagnosed child. My response is the same advice I give to new mothers as a nurse on the maternity unit. Parental emotional adjustment to a new baby is analogous to the adjustment to...
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Supporting Grandparents of Children with ASD – The Story of a Grandmother’s Adult Daughter and Her 12-Year-Old Autistic Grandchild
Early on, doctors had given them little hope, announcing that her granddaughter would never talk, play with others, or make eye contact. She proudly tells the member of the Grandparents Support Group of children on the autistic spectrum that, although her granddaughter struggles, she is now in a...
