Goodbye and God Bless, Gail Kastorf
I learned today that autism support guru Gail Kastorf, has died. My heart hurts hearing this because Gail was my very first support group leader. Gail was the one who showed me I was not alone. Her pamphlet, from the Autism Support Center in Danvers (1993? 1994?) was the first hands-on information I had every been given about autism. I wrote about Gail in my first book, Making Peace With Autism, Shambhala, 2006):
Reaching Out
My next step was to locate other people like me. I called the local branch of the Department of Mental Retardation, [as Department of Developmental Services was called back then], which ran an ...
Source: Susan's Blog - February 23, 2023 Category: Child Development Authors: Susan Senator Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
A Successful Group Home
Please enjoy my latest piece in Psychology Today, about what makes for a successful group home for developmentally disabled adults. You may be surprised by what I think. Read it here. (Source: Susan's Blog)
Source: Susan's Blog - October 23, 2022 Category: Child Development Authors: Susan Senator Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
The Particularly Painful Isolation of the Autism Parent
Isolation is a huge and common problem these days. We hear about it in the context of Covid-19 and children staying home, whether because of safety concerns, or quarantine. The autism parent, however, faces these challenges as well as unique issues particular to their child’s situation. Today my thoughts have been heavy and colored with this special form of isolation. Because I am a lonely and isolated autism parent. I always have been.
For autism parents like me, our sense of alienation and Other-ness begins at the earliest stages of parenthood, when we realize our children are following a different path than expecte...
Source: Susan's Blog - February 3, 2022 Category: Child Development Authors: Susan Senator Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
Answering the Call
The call came, as always, when I least expected it. Of course it does, because if I had been expecting it I would have called him first. But there I was, blithely going about my business, doing my work, as if I were like anyone else. But, you see, I’m not. I am an autism mom and that means I need to be life-or-death alert like a rabbit, on call like an ER surgeon. My beautiful bright son Nat is now 32 and so capable, so competent, mature, and dependable. But he is strung so delicately, like a fine old Stradivarius, and his music is just as beautiful, but it doesn’t take much to knock him out of tune. I love him s...
Source: Susan's Blog - December 2, 2021 Category: Child Development Authors: Susan Senator Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
Dancing With My Mom
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I started bellydancing in June of 2006. Recently I got my 82 year old mother to try it! This is the story, run by my alumni mag the Pennsylvania Gazette. Enjoy! (Source: Susan's Blog)
Source: Susan's Blog - August 31, 2021 Category: Child Development Authors: Susan Senator Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
Nat Taught Me How To Garden In Peace
My August piece in Psychology Today is about accommodations on a personal, down-to-earth level. In other words, Nat taught me how to garden in peace. (Source: Susan's Blog)
Source: Susan's Blog - August 28, 2021 Category: Child Development Authors: Susan Senator Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
Creating a Sustainable Life in Autism Adulthood Parts 1 and 2
Please enjoy my July 2021 Psychology Today piece. I’m hoping to do a series covering a few different ways that we are preparing for the future when we are no longer able to be Nat’s guardians. We are slowly breaking in Nat’s two younger brothers, Max and Ben, to the concepts of SSI, ISP, group home life and day program happenings, which I’ve covered here, in Psychology Today June 2021. I’m also recording other strategies I have found helpful, to come. (Source: Susan's Blog)
Source: Susan's Blog - July 25, 2021 Category: Child Development Authors: Susan Senator Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
Preparing Adult Children Emotionally for Their Future as Autism Sibling Guardians
My June 2021 column for Psychology Today is the first of a forthcoming series where I describe the process of getting my two younger and neurotypical-ish sons, Max and Ben, prepared for the future as Nat’s guardians. What will it entail? How did we discuss it? You can read about it here. (Source: Susan's Blog)
Source: Susan's Blog - June 29, 2021 Category: Child Development Authors: Susan Senator Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
Autism and Lockdown as Rebirth
I hope you enjoy my May column for Psychology Today, about how Nat’s arrival in my life functioned as a rebirth for me. Then, living with Nat as an adult during the Covid Lockdown caused me to recreate my life yet again. (Source: Susan's Blog)
Source: Susan's Blog - May 20, 2021 Category: Child Development Authors: Susan Senator Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
That Night I Smoked Weed With Nat
Please enjoy my latest piece in Psychology Today! I’ll try to blog more from now on! (Source: Susan's Blog)
Source: Susan's Blog - May 3, 2021 Category: Child Development Authors: Susan Senator Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
The Ancient Appeal of the Firepit
Please enjoy my latest piece in Pyschology Today, about the appeal of the firepit during the Covid era, especially to a nerdy little family like mine. (Source: Susan's Blog)
Source: Susan's Blog - November 17, 2020 Category: Child Development Authors: Susan Senator Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
How to Just Bee
If I had to come back as an insect, I’d want to be a bee. Imagine having your nose stuck deep inside flowers all day and then coming home and making honey. On summer days I’m a human bee. I’m working in my garden as much as I possibly can — despite a little arthritis, the threat of ticks, and poison ivy.
Most people love my garden when they pass by walking with their masks and their dogs. Most of them also say that they couldn’t do it — they cite reasons like black thumb or too much work — but I wish they’d rethink that. Gardens are good for the soul and good for the plan...
Source: Susan's Blog - September 20, 2020 Category: Child Development Authors: Susan Senator Tags: Uncategorized color creating flowers gardening perennials Source Type: blogs
The March of the Flowers
Here is the sacred order of the flowers. Use this list as a way of putting your garden together. I’ve listed bloom times, colors, and most of the heights. Your work here is to figure out how much sun you have because these are mostly full sun. Every now and then a supposedly sun-loving plant will survive (gasping and leggy) in partial sun but it’s no fun for either of you.
Now go forth and garden.
March
1) crocus 2) snowcaps (white) 3) scylla sibirica (blue, low-growing, spreads beautifully) 4) hyacinth 5) forsythia 6) heath (piney flowering low shrub that spreads)
April
1) Bulbs like daffo...
Source: Susan's Blog - September 20, 2020 Category: Child Development Authors: Susan Senator Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
Playing With My Autistic Son
At 57, I’m finally the mother I wanted to be. Read about it here, in my latest blogpost for Psychology Today. (Source: Susan's Blog)
Source: Susan's Blog - August 29, 2020 Category: Child Development Authors: Susan Senator Tags: Uncategorized autism autism in adulthood parenting playfulness psychology Source Type: blogs
Autism Vacation: Not Quite a Piece of Cake
Here is my latest piece for Psychology Today, “Autism Vacation: Not Quite a Piece of Cake.” Enjoy! (Source: Susan's Blog)
Source: Susan's Blog - August 3, 2020 Category: Child Development Authors: Susan Senator Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
