I’ll never forget the first time I saw a police car pull into my driveway. Matthew was 13 years old, and had wandered from home to a bike trail down the street. Passersby noticed him cutting a large branch with a small but threatening pruning saw and called the police. Luckily, the officer that showed…
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Author Archives: Laura
I'm a fifth generation Californian and live in the San Francisco Area with my husband and three sons. My oldest, Matthew, is autistic and I've been writing about my experience raising him from babyhood to young adulthood for about 4 years. I've read my stories on NPR and published them in magazines, newspapers and anthologies, including Voices of Autism. My book A Regular Guy: Growing up with Autism is available at Amazon.
Matthew Shumaker: Rock Star
Written on January 22, 2010 by Laura
Have I mentioned how much Matthew likes Roy Orbison? He is actually obsessed with him and it is all my fault. About a year ago, Matthew went through a stage where he listened to Van Halen’s version of “Pretty Woman” over and over and OVER again. I suggested that if he loved the song so…
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Autisic behavior and nervous laughter
Written on January 15, 2010 by Laura
I cry when I am mad, and I laugh when I am nervous. Today’s post is CHAPTER ONE of my book. I think about this chapter a lot, especially when I notice someone stifling laughter when they observe Matthew’s quirky behavior. Nervous Laughter When I was eight years old, Uncle Russell came to visit. He…
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Experts from Harvard vs. Experts from Hollywood
Written on January 8, 2010 by Laura
I need to vent. Earlier in the week, a panel of experts released the results of a study finding that special diets help or don’t help autistic kids — or that food allergies, food sensitivities, or gut problems cause autism. The panel, chaired by Harvard’s Timothy Buie, MD, included 28 experts in 12 scientific disciplines,…
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Side Effects, Part 2
Written on January 1, 2010 by Laura
Back in July, I told you about how we started Matthew on Risperdal, and how the medication was a miracle. Risperdal replaced Geodon, a medication that helped stabilize Matthew ‘s mood swings, managed his rages and tamed his emotional outbursts. Geodon worked well, but made Matthew sleepy and caused his hands to shake. On Risperdal,…
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Merry Christmas!!!
Love, the SHUMAKER FAMILY Back Row: Matthew, Peter and Laura Front Row: John and Andy
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Christmas Lists – Autism Style
Written on December 18, 2009 by Laura
What do your kids want for Christmas? I’ll never forget the year Matthew asked Santa for a drain. “A train?” Santa aked. “No,” Matthew said, “a drain.” I asked fans of A REGULAR GUY: GROWING UP WITH AUTISM on facebook to tell me about their child’s holiday wishes over the years. Here are some of…
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The rant of an imperfect mom with imperfect children
Written on December 11, 2009 by Laura
I’ll never forget the Matthew’s first day of Kindergarten. He was placed in a special education class at our local school. I dressed him in a new red shirt and blue shorts that I had bought at The Gap. I combed his hair and took a picture of him for the scrapbook, hoping that someday…
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How do you define your child’s disorder?
Written on December 4, 2009 by Laura
My family spent Thanksgiving in Carmel with my dad. My aunt Carol, who hadn’t seen Matthew since he was diagnosed with autism as a toddler, was struck by how friendly he was. “I thought they were all in their own world!” she exclaimed. “I know I shouldn’t have to ask, but what is autism, anyway?”…
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Thankful for each day
Written on November 27, 2009 by Laura
Today, I am thankful for my friends and family, and I am worried. Yesterday, our dearest family friend fell during a bike ride, broke his leg, and hit his head. He is in the ICU of a local hospital. He is unconscious (the doctors want him that way since he has a breathing tube) and…
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