Friday, October 13, 2017

Writing About Autism by Melanie D. Snitker


I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of Halloween. While there were a few times my brothers and I dressed up, most of the time we just picked out some of our favorite candy and watched movies as a family (sometimes followed by a slumber party in the living room). That was completely fine with me. I've never been one for big crowds or putting on costumes.

When my husband and I had our first child, we really didn't give much thought to Halloween. We took our son to a pumpkin patch each year because it was fun, and there were always great opportunities for photos to mark each fall. But we never really considered taking him trick-or-treating or having him dress up in costume. 

You see, our son has autism and social interactions are very hard for him. It's difficult enough for him to look at someone's face, determine their mood, interpret the words they speak, and put it all together fast enough to respond appropriately. Add in a large crowd of people, and you can see why we never considered going.

The Halloween before he turned six was the first year I'd heard of trunk-or-treating. It was an event a local church put together where members of the church decorated their vehicles and handed out candy. It sounds like fun, and we decided to give it a try. We asked him if he wanted to dress up and go. He said he did. We took him to the church where we went on a hay ride, and he could try trick-or-treating in a very small area. 

That was when we discovered our son's love of Halloween. It isn't the candy (he might eat a sixth of what he brings home because of his sensory eating issues). And he still doesn't like crowds. But what he does like is the fact that everyone is dressed up, often with masks on, and he isn't expected to make eye contact. In fact, even if he does make eye contact, he doesn't have that added pressure of trying to discern whether the person is happy or sad, asking him a question or just commenting about his costume, etc. That person is simply the character he or she dresses up as. 

Halloween takes away many of the social pressures he faces regularly. On a day when everyone pretends to be someone else, our son can feel free to be himself. 

~*~

Raising a son with autism certainly comes with its share of challenges and rewards. I wanted to find a way to share some of the experiences with others and to give people little snapshots into the life of a family who is touched by autism. 

When I wrote the first book in my Love's Compass series, Finding Peace, I included a little boy named Gideon who has autism. Before I'd finished the book, I knew Gideon and his mom needed their own story. 

In Finding Faith, we get to know Gideon and his mom, Serenity, as they struggle to adjust to some major changes in their lives. Here's a little more about the book: 

Single mom Serenity Chandler is determined to do anything to provide better opportunities for her son, Gideon. Moving away from her family support system so Gideon can attend a special school seems like the right choice, even if it means her entire life is about to change. 

The satisfaction of helping children and being a part of their lives is one reason Aaron Randall loves his job as a music therapist. When Hope Academy instills a dating policy, he doesn't give it a second thought. Until the new coworker who'd caught his attention turns out to be the parent of one of his students.

Any relationship between them will put his job at risk. The more time Aaron spends with Serenity and Gideon, the harder it is to ignore what they could have together. With Aaron's job and Gideon's education hanging in the balance, they'll have to rely on faith to find their way.


~*~

It is my hope that Finding Faith continues to touch and inspire others. I want those who have no experience with autism to catch glimpses of what it's like. And for those who do live with autism on a daily basis, I want to remind them they aren't alone.

~*~


~*~

12 comments:

  1. As the parent of an adult child with Asperger's syndrome, this is a subject near and dear to my heart. Can't wait to read Finding Faith.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jean! Parenting a child with autism is definitely both challenging and incredibly rewarding.

      Delete
  2. Special children are only given to very special parents. You and your husband are indeed blessed Melanie. You are a new to me authors so I look forward to getting to know your work. I too am a special child and am blessed to have been born to my parents. Finding Faith is going in my wish list. Warmly, Millie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awwww, thank you, Millie! <3 I'm so thankful that I've had the opportunity to meet you. I've enjoyed chatting over the last couple of days! Having a special child truly is a blessing <3

      Delete
  3. Beautiful, Melanie. Thanks so much for sharing and looking forward to reading Finding Faith.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm so glad you found Halloween trunk or treat. I know how difficult it can be to find things for children that have issues with crowds. My grandson is somewhere on the autism spectrum. Crowds, classrooms, restaurants and noisy places in general are overwhelming for him.
    I wish you many blessings as you face the joy and challenges.
    I added this book to my wishlist, I read the first three a couple of years ago.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Andrea. Crowds are definitely a real challenge for kiddos on the autism spectrum. Another thing that helps our son - and maybe it would help your grandson as well, is for him to take a pair of headphones. They are specifically headphones made for gun ranges because they block most of the background noises but he can still hear our voices. They've been a lifesaver many, many different times.

      Delete
    2. Yes, the headphones for gun ranges! My daughter has several sets of those.

      Delete
  5. My nephew has Aspbergers and he rarely leaves the house. He is an expert on a computer, though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's great he's so good with computers! My son loves anything electronics as well lol

      Delete