I’m trying to write more. It’s been too long. I’ve had a lot of new followers and made a lot of new friends over the years. So I’m going to reintroduce myself.
My name is Stacie, I am a lifelong New Jersey girl. I have been a journalist for more than 30 years. I’ve mostly written and edited stories about politics and business. This blog started as therapy for me and continued for several years. Then Covid hit, and I became overwhelmed and too devastated to write (you can read more about that in past or future blog posts). Getting back on the wagon is not easy but I know it’s therapeutic. Plus I get a lot of positive feedback, from fellow autism parents as well as people who say my posts have opened their eyes.
My journey with autism began more than two decades ago when my son was diagnosed with a mild form of autism. He was later re-classified to have Asperger’s. While no two people with Asperger’s are the same, common traits include difficulty with social interaction, repetitive behavior, and a focus on rules and routines.
My son was less than 2 years old when he was diagnosed. At the time, I had a newborn daughter as well. She seemed to be progressing well, hitting milestones on time, until there was a sudden and drastic regression before she was 2. So I was in my early 30s, working full time and struggling to come to terms with the fact that both of my babies had special needs.
My marriage did not survive the stress, for many reasons, many my own, but largely because it drove a wedge in a relationship that was never super-strong to begin with. My husband moved out when the kids were just 4 and 5. I moved with the kids from a big single-family house into a top floor condo, and I’m not gonna lie. It was rough. My daughter spent more time screaming and crying than laughing or smiling. My son needed hands-on help in school, plus I was working full time and my ex had moved an hour and a half away. I was temperamental, stressed, exhausted and overwhelmed.
Somehow I got through it, and I got stronger and better at being a mom, and along the way my kids progressed in their own ways, at their own speeds. Also along the way, I met my current husband, who became my rock, my heart and my other half. I truly hit the lottery with that guy.
Fast forward many years and I am still trudging along, still doing the best I can. My kids are adults and awesome, but we have had some big ups and downs recently. We face a lot of struggles and uncertainty. Contrary to some beliefs, autism is not just a child’s disorder. It is a lifelong condition, and in many ways it is tougher to parent an adult with autism than a child with autism. So I’m back at this blogging, and hoping it helps me as well as others.
I’ll stop there for now. You can find my past posts and my latest posts on my website, https://briellesvoice.wordpress.com. I am going to really try to make my writing a more regular thing. Thank you for reading and for coming along for this crazy ride – Stacie
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