One of the first signs of autism I noticed in our son, Harry, occurred near the end of his year in kindergarten. Almost overnight, he began having difficulty making eye contact with me. As we went through the diagnosis process and I learned more about autism and Asperger's syndrome (the spot on the spectrum Harry seems to be orbiting), I noticed Harry only showed his mom and I affection while being a ”cuddly hamster.” What’s a cuddly hamster? It's when Harry talks in a very high nasal voice using squeaks and baby talk ("wuv" instead of love, "da-da" instead of dad, etc). Enter Avengers: … [Read more...]
Daughter’s Cleft Lip Makes Dad Question What is “Normal”
Editor's Note: A cleft lip, with or without cleft palate, is the fourth most common birth defect in the United States, affecting one in 700 babies a year. In this guest post, Roberto Santiago writes about his inner turmoil reckoning his daughter's quest to look "normal." It's a weird thing when your 4-year-old gets a nose job. Before you get upset, I'm not a pageant dad. This was a medically necessary nose job related to my daughter, Lou, being born with a cleft lip and palate. Since the day she was born, our surgeon has repeated the phrase “normal by five” several hundred times. … [Read more...]
My Special-Needs Son on the Run
Editor's Note: City Dads Group is proud to occasionally feature writing from members of The Handsome Father, a support community that helps connect, prepare and inspire gay fathers. In this inspirational piece, Craig Peterson writes about his special-needs son, Andrew. From the day I met my adopted son Andrew at age 5, he liked to walk in front. He wanted to lead. Meanwhile, my two younger sons were in no hurry. They liked to walk hand-in-hand with their new father and didn’t want to share me with anyone – including their older brother. But Andrew didn’t mind. He’d be off on his own … [Read more...]