Since opening up about my HIV status, I’ve answered a lot of personal questions. Questions I would’ve never answered just a few years ago. But I know that the road to ending the stigma and eventually ending HIV will take some discomfort in the form of me getting really personal. It’s the very least I … Continue reading Does anyone like a needle in their child’s arm?
In my family, much like any other Latino family-we’re loud. The colors on our walls are bright, the food is seasoned with a cornucopia of flavors, we hug a lot, we kiss a lot. Everything we instinctively do, the cultural practices and traditions of who we are is a nightmare for autistic children. My son … Continue reading Maximus The Great: Being Latino & Autistic is hard.
Being the parent to a special needs child would be so much easier if the world wasn’t full of reminders that you’re kid, and thus your life are different or wrong, or sick, etc.
Miscarriage is an easy word to write. It is not however, easy to talk about. I’m sure as I continue typing away at this I will shed lots of tears and reopen the wounds of my heart that have (sort of) healed...well, as much as they can. But I’ll push forward because it happens, … Continue reading When your amiga suffers a miscarriage
So you’ve gone and done your Special Education Evaluation with your school district and you wait. It may feel like forever, I know but soon you will have your ARD meeting (ARD = Admission, Review, Dismissal) where you’ll review the options for your child within the special education system. After the evaluation, the school district … Continue reading Maximus The Great: 3 things you should before your first ARD
It's the day after and the stirring silence from friends and family is an indicator of the fear leftover from election night. But I have to put that away right now. Because my son needs me. I want to rant and rave and be pissed then take a deep breath and say ok, I'm moving … Continue reading The day after, I had bigger fish to fry.
He’s three. He’s had three birthday parties. Three Christmases. Three Easter holidays. He’s three and has had double as many assessments than birthdays, holidays, and years on this earth. They started when he first failed a milestone survey at 2 and half and his Early Head Start teacher asked me to meet with ECI. At that … Continue reading Maximus The Great: It’s Official.
Dear Maxaroni, My sweet boy. Did you know were named after a Roman general? We almost named you Hannibal-you'll learn about him later (trust me, your dad had about 100 books about him). He famously said "We will find the way or create it." Those words helped me power through the shock and fear I … Continue reading Dear Max, You’re High Risk
I cannot count the amount of times I laid in bed, postponing sleep, crying to my mother about how ugly I was. I felt ugly because I didn’t fit in. The gold strings that cascaded around my head, did not match the dark luscious locks of hair that hung down my mother’s back. I didn’t … Continue reading Compliments & Colorism
Once upon a time, my Esposo and I were newly-weds and I learned a valuable lesson on how water is not always your friend. Esposo was having his first guy hangout at the house...some Fraternity event, so no women allowed. Except me of course, because someone had to cook, right? Yes, that sounds sexist. But … Continue reading Pico de Gallo: Handle with Care!
Esposa Experience 