From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism Blog

The Summer Begins

Devon Alley — Sat, 25 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

A.'s last day of school was this past week, and we've been able to watch her transition into summer life. It's always interesting, because, as much as A. complains about going to school, in the summer she always complains about being bored. Summer is...(read more)

From the Archives: A Southern Gal In Need of Sensory Input

Devon Alley — Sat, 18 May 2013 10:23:00 GMT

In these snippets from the archives, my daughter accuses me of being echolalic, and she desperately needs some increased sensory input after I pull her out of her regular routine. September 1, 2006: As A. and I were walking up the stairs to our apartment...(read more)

I Take The Conversations When I Get Them

Devon Alley — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:21:00 GMT

To be fair, my daughter's overall reclusive nature and tendency to avoid conversations with her parental figures has, I believe, more to do now with the fact she's quickly approaching 14 years of age than it does with the fact she's autistic, but that...(read more)

From the Archives: Happy Mother’s Day! … in August.

Devon Alley — Sun, 12 May 2013 00:42:00 GMT

In this entry from the archives, my daughter becomes obsessed with the idea of creating a perfect Mother's Day for me... in the middle of August. August 30, 2006: Tonight, my daughter became suddenly obsessed with the concept of Mother’s Day. She told...(read more)

Lessons in Driving

Devon Alley — Sun, 05 May 2013 21:56:00 GMT

My daughter teaches me so many important lessons, especially when I take a moment to pause, and listen. This weekend, my daughter taught me a few important lessons in driving. It's amusing, because I'd had a dream Friday night that I was trying to teach...(read more)

Stim and Let Stim

Devon Alley — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 02:01:00 GMT

A. wanders through the house, talking loudly to herself, performing skits in her head, sometimes even yelling and shouting the parts, using strange squeaky voices for the different characters in whatever playlet she is enacting. If you ask her what she's...(read more)

From the Archives: Germany Wrap-Up

Devon Alley — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:24:00 GMT

In this entry from the archives, A. and I wrap up our last days in Germany, and prepare to "return to English." July 28th, 2006: Well, I have about 36 hours left to spend in Germany. Despite the lack of air conditioning, I am really going to miss it....(read more)

From the Archives: Exploring Aachen, Berlin, the Eifel, and the North Sea

Devon Alley — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:55:00 GMT

In this entry from the archives, as we continued our summer trip to Germany, A. and I explored many different cities, and she even made a fast friend despite the language barrier. July 16th, 2006: I'm totally behind in relating my adventures, so I don't...(read more)

Surprising Me Every Day

Devon Alley — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:00:00 GMT

Recently, it seems as if A. has matured a great deal on an emotional level. The other day, as we were pulling out of the driveway to go to school, she realized that she'd forgotten to pack her drawing notebook. In the past, such a realization would lead...(read more)

From the Archives: Adventures in Germany, Part One of Many

Devon Alley — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 01:22:00 GMT

In the summer of 2006, I took my daughter to Germany to visit with my dear friend Susanne, who'd been with me when A. was born. We spent about six weeks exploring cities like Aachen, Cologne, and Berlin, and it was fascinating to watch A. adapt to an...(read more)

A Jolly Personality

Devon Alley — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:01:00 GMT

There are so many things my daughter does that complete surprise and delight me, but the evolution of her sense of humor and comedy is definitely one of the big ones. A week or so ago, we were visiting with family, and for some reason, A. was inspired...(read more)

From the Archives: Angels in Greene County

Devon Alley — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:53:00 GMT

In this entry from the archives, I share one of my favorite pictures of A. of all time. (Also, please be aware that this was long before I'd ever seen the "Don't Blink" episode of Doctor Who, so I didn't realize for many years how terrifying this picture...(read more)

Look At The World Through Her Eyes

Devon Alley — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:41:00 GMT

Today is International Autism Awareness Day. Because of this, people are wearing blue, sharing posts on social media sites, and I follow a number of people who both celebrate the day by "lighting it up blue" as well as people who criticize the day for...(read more)

Love is the Spirit of this Church

Devon Alley — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 23:15:00 GMT

If you've been following my blog for a while, you should know that A. has a history of difficulty in attending church. During the height of her difficulty, I actually kept her from attending church altogether for about a period of six months. At the time,...(read more)

From the Archives: The King Of All Cosmos

Devon Alley — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 01:43:00 GMT

In this entry from the archives, I'm amused by the way that strangers interpret A.'s obsessions and conversations, specifically when she refers to video games with which they are unfamiliar. May 22nd, 2006: Whenever A. gets obsessed with something, it...(read more)