Sometimes when people see the description about my memoir, BLISS ROAD, about being the daughter of an undiagnosed autistic dad, they think I’m condemning autistic parents.
Not at all! Instead, my goal is to raise awareness about resources that can help autistic parents and their children deal with the added challenges a neurodiversity places on a family.
By resources, I mean those like MY PARENT HAS AN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: A WORKBOOK FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS by Barbara R. Lester, a licensed clinical social worker in Utah.
The description reads:
Discovering that a family member is on the autism spectrum is an experience that affects the entire family, and can particularly disrupt the family when it is a parent receiving the diagnosis. The situation can be difficult to explain to children, especially if a parent has not fully grasped the implication themselves, and any adult facing this challenge will be in need of a helping hand.
The author got that right! This workbook really would have helped my family when I was growing up. Unfortunately, my dad had the benefit of getting assessed and diagnosed. But the diagnosis for low-needs Autism Spectrum Disorder (previously known as Asperger syndrome) didn’t come about until 1992 when he was in his seventies.
But if you’re an autistic parent, or know someone who is, or know ASD people who’d like to become parents, this workbook could be a great resource for them! Please pass on the information.
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THE FALCON, THE WOLF AND THE HUMMINGBIRD a historical novel
BLISS ROAD, a memoir
WINTER LIGHT, a novel
THE WIND THIEF, a novel
GROWING GREAT CHARACTERS, a resource for writers