Today’s Special

April is Autism Awareness Month, and as Jeff said to Jill, “What the hell do we need this for? I’m always aware of autism!” Then an old friend of Jeff’s sent him an email saying, “I searched in vain for a Happy Autism Awareness Day card to send you.” Jill and Jeff, whose 9-year-old son Alex has PDD-NOS, then wondered what message these cards could carry. Would they be humorous or heartfelt? Caring or callous? They discuss some possibilities and the idea of caring for someone who is going through something you just don’t understand.

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Scads of movies and TV shows have featured developmentally challenged characters, from “Rain Man” to “Something About Mary” to “The Office.” As parents in the trenches of special-needs, Jill and Jeff offer their insights into some of these portrayals, and recommend what movies to catch, and avoid.

Some movies we mention (but don’t have time to discuss): “Bill,” “Pumpkin,” “I Am Sam,” and “Riding the Bus With My Sister.” Pascal Duquenne is a Belgian (not French) actor with Down Syndrome with roles in “Toto the Hero” and “The Eighth Day.”

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Saturdays, school holidays, vacations… anytime’s a good time to go crazy with Alex at home. He loves structure; we love to sit around and catch up on reading, do a little housework, sip coffee. In short, no structure. This is fine for an occasional weekend. But a long school break (and we’re on Day 9, with a few days to go) brings its own challenges. Here’s a slice of what it’s like and how we cope. This podcast is available in our archives.

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