Author Archives: slcantwell25

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About slcantwell25

A writer focused on the transforming power of memory, autism, parenting, and the ways we know what we know.

Freak Business

Posted on January 6, 2012 by slcantwell25

At age nine, Colin has entered a volatile stage. Tears and tantrums come easily, often, and unexpectedly. He talks loud much of the time, all but shouting in typical conversions. He commands and interrupts. He ignores repeated requests, even pleas, … Continue reading →

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Notes from Tutors

Posted on November 4, 2011 by slcantwell25

Colin’s ABA* tutors, at least a dozen in the last five years, play a singular role in his life, even the ones that come and go after a few months. Several tutors have watched him grow up, rarely going more … Continue reading →

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Imaginary Countries

Posted on November 4, 2011 by slcantwell25

To keep Colin occupied at church, I hand him a dozen blank index cards and a ball-point pen. He works steadily through the hour, head bent over the cards. He writes with care and pauses between words. I can’t tell … Continue reading →

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The Dead-end of Blame

Posted on July 29, 2011 by slcantwell25

I made a decision and I know that was how it had to be, and I did not blame anyone.                                               —Czeslaw Milosz, “Yokimura” I. In the first years after our son’s diagnosis, we attend only one autism conference. We’re … Continue reading →

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From One Spring to the Next

Posted on May 5, 2011 by slcantwell25

I have a notebook where I jot down—usually in the middle of the night—impressions about Colin’s adventures with his brother Quinn and his sayings. Here’s a sample from last spring to now. 

Posted in From the Notebooks | Tagged | 2 Comments

The Music of the Spheres

Posted on January 2, 2011 by slcantwell25

Colin, our son with autism, fell into crisis at his brother’s birth—throwing more tantrums than ever, waking up at night, ignoring the usual comforts from us, and even refusing to eat. Such scenarios are common enough for children when new … Continue reading →

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What I Can Only Be Told

Posted on December 13, 2010 by slcantwell25

My parents tell me when I was an infant I didn’t cry in the morning but waited quietly in my crib humming and playing with my toes until my parents arrived. On random Saturday mornings when my father didn’t have … Continue reading →

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What the Sky Diver Knows

Posted on December 7, 2010 by slcantwell25

When we entered the neuropsychologist’s office in January, 2004, our two-year old son, Colin, went straight to the crayons, puzzle pieces, marbles, board games, and colored wood blocks—moving from one object to the next, exploring the room, stopping only to … Continue reading →

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One Boy’s Way of Knowing

Posted on December 6, 2010 by slcantwell25

I won’t skirt it—autism takes a whopping bite out of the natural sweetness of life—for both the one living inside it and the family living in its orbit. Autism also brings unexpected wonders. I’ll admit, I felt the bite long … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays | Tagged | 2 Comments