The Family Thing - By Chantal Sicile-Kira

Even since Chantal Sicile-Kira found me on Facebook (for which I'm thrilled) I've had the opportunity to read many of the important things she's written about autism. Her latest blog entry on Psychology Today is one of her best.

In her post, Chantal touches upon some of the less obvious areas where autism affects a family, especially the grief (that many experience but few know how to express), the misplaced anger (oops, sorry about that), and the impact on siblings. Even something as simple as finding a baby sitter - something we struggled with - appears to be a minor issue but can become a major contributor to stress.

Chantal has a new book out called 41 Things to Know about Autism, which I'm looking forward to reading. According to Temple Grandin, it's "a wonderful first introduction to autism for parents, teachers, relatives, and neighbors of a child on the autism spectrum".