It's that time of year again—bells are jingling and everyone's supposed to be jolly. But if you're a parent of a child with special needs like autism and sensory processing disorder, the approaching holidays are enough to make you want to hide under the nearest table until the New Year.
How will my child cope with the big turkey dinner and all those family gatherings?
Ever since they brought autism to the front page (literally) with their awareness project, I've been smitten. Few major media players have deigned to talk openly about what individuals and families affected by autism experience every day, so I laud the Star for boldly going where no paper had gone before.
How do you feel about the C-word? Christmas, I mean. I know, I know, we're not supposed to utter the word anymore. It's not like we're a church-going family. My son wasn't even baptized. Still, I've always loved the rituals associated with the season. The hall decking. The carols. The sticky-sweet smell of baked goods.
