"Same Child, Different Day" Site Closing: Where to go now

Because of the useful and relevant information it provides, "Same Child, Different Day" will stay up and available. However, I will no longer be monitoring this site. Our life has taken a different direction, and I've developed two new blogs to reflect that.

"Read All You Want" is my writing blog, and I will be using it as a writing portfolio as well. It has autism anecdotes, but now only as they pertain to my writing. Please click here to see what it has to offer.

The second blog, "Our Journey, Our Way," touches on how autism affects us as we travel through life: to restaurants, bowling alleys, arcades, beaches, parks, theme parks and any other travel experience.  Please check it out, and feel free to share and comment.

In fact, please share this post, and bring your and our friends to another look at life with autism spectrum disorders.

Thanks for your loyal support, and I look forward to traveling with you and writing for you on my other blogs.

Off Topic: My Wife's New Family Blog

No, I don't mean my wife has a new family (though sometimes I see her daydreaming...). Lori has decided to throw her hat into the blogging fray with her new blog Nothing More, Nothing Less.

In it she talks a little bit about each of our kids, her frustrations and fears, her attempt at tackling college with all that's going on around us, and putting up with me (which, I would have thought would have been the most pleasurable of experiences...you think you know someone).

Anyhow, if you get a chance, please stop by her blog and give her your thoughts, encouragement and suggestions. Oh, and remind her what a great guy I am.

Really.

Do it.

Please...

~Jon

Some December Tidbits from "Same Child, Different Day"

I just realized that this must have been a busy month. I haven't posted anything in almost 4 weeks which, no matter what has been going on, is a rarity for me! There has been much ado in both our autism and non-autism worlds, and I guess time just got away from me. I mean, holy cow! Can you believe another Christmas has come and gone? Here's where we were last year with this blog: Same Child, Different Day Content - I was still describing the chapters of the booklet and was only on the 4th post! This is the 45th post, and so many people say they have been helped by both this blog and the booklet "Same Child, Different Day: One family's experiences during the first year after a child's autism diagnosis": Review, Reader Critiques, Global Reach, Radio Interview.

I wish I could write more often; I should write more often. But I can only do what I can do. As I have done once before (and am sure I will do again), here are a few tidbits from the past few weeks, both related and unrelated to our autism work --- because it all relates, doesn't it?

• Our new business is forming nicely! I'm just waiting for the VT tax department to get back with me on a couple questions, and I need to finish designing one form on my end. I have a meeting with BROC Micro-business --- a free, community-based service in our city which helps new entrepreneurs --- on January 7. If this all works out (and it has to), in the end it will mean much more time to spend with the family. God knows, Lori could use the help! How do you manage work and therapies?
• Speaking of Lori, she'll be starting college in the summer. She'll attend the Community College of Vermont and is looking to concentrate on Pediatric Physical Therapy. Has dealing with autism inspired you in any way?
• I published an article on Associated Content in opposition to our state Medicaid department making the unilateral decision to reduce Nolan's coverage. Since our local papers wouldn't print it, I took it online. One reader was prolific in her comments, and feels that my opposition is counter to the best interests of Nolan. I tried to explain the crux of the article regards the state agency making an unqualified reduction. The commenter implied that, regardless of the entity making the decision, we are using our therapists as a crutch. Please slide over to the article and post your comments. I value your opinions.
• We wrote a 4-page letter to the state, requesting they reconsider the above decision. Surprisingly, a week later they wrote back that they had, and his services are once-again covered to an acceptable level. Tell us if you have ever had to battle with state agencies.
• Then, we found out from our private insurance company that they (the insurance company) should not have been covering Nolan's services based on his diagnosis. So, to make an already-frustrating situation even worse, I'll have to battle with them, along with my illiterate state legislature that doesn't believe autism should be covered by insurance. Does your state require insurance companies to cover autism therapy services?
• (Downer Alert!) We found Christmas to be tough this year. As far as I'm concerned, Christmas in our house is about the kids. Lori and I like to give each other gifts, too. But as long as the kids get taken care of, and are excited Christmas morning, our job is done. Well this year we were looking for a great reaction from Nolan, based on some of the strides he has recently made. We'd hoped, anyhow. Instead, while his sisters eagerly tore open gifts and screeched happily, Nolan paced the house, covering his ears and making noises akin to Taz of Looney Tunes fame. He did play for hours with one of the toys we bought for him (an inflatable ball pit with a tower and "ball" waterfall), but somehow, it just wasn't the same. My good friend Deanna, who is always the most wonderful voice of support, encouraged on Twitter, "you may have a long way to go, but remember the journey is worth it. Sometimes hard to do, I know...". You can say that again, Deanna! Tell us about times the frustrastration that can be associated with autism has affected your family and how you have coped.

~Jon

Off Topic: My New Writing Blog

This is a quick post and way WAY off topic --- As some of you may know and/or realize, I like to write. At the risk of sounding like I'm patting myself on the back, I think I do a pretty darn good job, too.

For a while now, I've been posting the odd article or two on Associated Content and that has been alright. But my first true love is the short story. For a couple of months now, a fellow blogger friend has been nagging (nee, encouraging) me to post some of my works.

Sure, it's dangerous putting your creations out there for free for the world to see, but for me, that's just the point. So I've created a blog dedicated solely to my writing. It may not be Harper's Weekly or New Yorker, but it is somewhere to be seen.

So if you are interested in that sort of thing, please stop by Read All You Want and, you know, read all you want. It doesn't matter, 'cause I'll make more! Click on that link above, or here: http://jonwrites.wordpress.com/

Hope to see you there.

~Jon

Same Child, Different day celebrates ONE YEAR!

Same Child, Different Day: One family's experiences during the first year after a child's autism diagnosis has been published and distributed for one year this month! What a great thing to be able to say. So much has happened and so many people have been touched by this family autism resource. It has travelled across the USA, from Massachusetts to Washington state. It has reached the souls of folks from Alberta, Canada to Durban, South Africa. You are the ones who have made it all possible.

For those not yet familiar with this autism booklet and some of the results from it, let me share with you a few of the highlights that may be of interest.

• The booklet is a nice, compact manual that shares some of my family's anecdotes of what has happened during our son's first year after he was diagnosed with autism. So much more has happened since that first year, but our initial experiences are the focus of this booklet
• The chapters deal with everything from bed time to taking time for yourself. It also includes a section with concepts and terms as well as a short but handy reference section
• This autism reference booklet lead to the start of Rutland, Vermont's now-annual "Celebrate the Spectrum", a month-long series of events throughout April, which you may know is National Autism Awareness Month --- which in turn lead to the enhancement of Rutland's Exceptional Parents of Exceptional Children (EPEC), our own local autism support and awareness organization
• The manual is included in Autism Speaks' resource listings (Manuals & Toolkits) which brought the booklet into the hands of friends in Canada and South Africa
• Jon Gilbert, the author of the booklet, is available to speak to your autism awareness group, ASD class or any facilitated gathering. He can speak for an hour or a day; in his local New England area or with your group on the west coast --- just send an email by clicking here
• And there is so much more!

Please, pick up your copy today by clicking on the PayPal button in the sidebar. Please tell anyone you know who could use a copy (or a group that hasn't purchased booklets yet) so we can let them in on everything, too.

Let me know if I left anything out, if you'd like me to include you site's web link on our pages.

All the best and thanks for the great year!

~ Jon

Our New Web Page

Here's just a short note to ask you to please check out the new web page for Exceptional Parents of Exceptional Children (EPEC), www.geocities.com/rutlandepec or you can click here!

Help for a Recent Autism Diagnosis

We live in central Vermont, in an area that's easily an hour away in any direction from the nearest Interstate highway. Our small state is only pierced by two of these international thruways and, unlike many of our neighbors, rest stops are few and far between. As a matter of fact, on these limited access highways, there are only a couple of manned information points and to miss one can literally mean you've missed them all.

There are information booths in most of our picturesque our towns, and many businesses support racks of free giveaway guides. But sometimes you have to travel miles off the beaten path to find the kiosks or get good directions. And sadly, Vermont probably coined the phrase "You cain't get they'uh from hea'yuh". More sadly: while you're looking to find where you're going, you can miss a lot of the beauty that's right beside you.

What does that have to do with anything? Well, it's true that this blog is about our autism booklet Same Child, Different Day. But I also want you to know that we are available to you as a resource. For those just hearing that your little one has autism can be utterly overwhelming. We want to be your Welcome Center rest stop on this mapless, sign-free highway.

You have hundreds of questions, and hundreds of places to look for answers. There's such an overload, you may even find that you need to pull over to the side of the road and cry. But if you pull in right now and ask for directions, we can give you the insight of a family living the difference. Slip off the information superhighway and send us an email (jongilbert@rocketmail.com); we'll answer your questions --- and if you'd prefer to talk as opposed to electronic words, we can make arrangements for that.

We don't want you to feel that this is the end of the beginning, or the beginning of the end. You are at the beginning of the beginning: the Welcome Center. The autism journey is a crooked road rife with hair-pin curves, dead ends, forks, cliffs, hills and valleys. Hardest of all, most of us don't even know exacly where we're going.

Let us know if you'd like to carpool.

~Jon

Welcome to Same Child, Different Day

Same Child, Different Day: One family's experiences during the first year after a child's autism diagnosis is a 50-page booklet that was written by the father and family of a child with autism.

The title refers to the essence of the experience: Though your life and lifestyle will be an ever-changing journey, nothing about your child is any different, simply because of an autism diagnosis. The manual is meant to provide some insight into what you might experience during this first confusing year. It in no way shows what will definitely happen to your family or your child or suggest what you are bound to experience; but it does share with you some of what we encountered. Of course, your results will vary.

In Same Child, Different Day you'll find:
[] Casual, entertaining (and sometimes even humorous) anecdotes
[] Practical information from parents dealing with autism every day
[] Useful concepts and terms you are likely to encounter
[] Encouraging suggestions to help you get through each day
[] A starter list of useful references you should find helpful
[] And much more

If you're part of a group or organization serving families of autistic childern --- or you simply have more questions about this informative booklet, please send an email to: jongilbert@rocketmail.com for answers, pricing and bulk ordering information.