Beyond Homeschooling Autism

I have been asked a lot lately, in reference to homeschooling Jackson, "How do you do it?" Usually, I just shrug and say, "I don't know. I just do it."  But I got to thinking about that question and had a bit of an epiphany as a result. Homeschooling is not common where I live. People in the Falls Church area of Fairfax County, Virginia take a lot of pride in how great the public school system is here in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.  Most families, in my immediate community of Sleepy Hollow, are run by parents who both have college degrees and often advanced education as well.  Homeschooling is just not considered necessary or even practical.  I wouldn't say it is frowned upon, just not given much thought as a desirable alternative. To add to that, families from all of the world move to this area to get public educational services for their special needs children because of the high quality and diversity of offerings.  It really is an amazing educat...

It is Saturday, March 10th 2012 and 13 years ago today, I woke up to a very different life. Shockingly, I didn't drink coffee or wine.  I was organized and disciplined.  I was ideological and judgmental.  I had never heard of Osama Bin Laden, iPhones or autism.  If someone had told me what 2012 would be like, I would have laughed and said, "you left out the flying cars!" March 10th, 1999  Kitzingen, Germany I woke up at the crack of dawn because I hadn't been able to sleep in weeks.  I was 40 weeks pregnant and tired.  We lived in a tiny government issued, war-time apartment in a beautiful small town in northern Bavaria.   Paul's first assignment with the Army was in Germany and we were so young, but so wide-eyed and excited to be on this new adventure together. Although we had no family within 3000 miles, we had friends, many of whom have come to be our dearest in the world...Kathleen, Dan, Shauna & Stacey. Jackson was born at 4...