All in family

Sultry

Sultry

Anoushka
family, london, autism

“Walking up our road on a sunny day entails staccato sprint bursts through the sunshine, followed by a painstaking crawl through the shade cast by the large plane trees which line the street.”

Luciana

Luciana

Anoushka
autism, family, culture

“A bouncy swimming pool stood before them. Their two avatars then spent some time jumping up and down happily on her wild and wonderful invention. What a joyful reward for letting someone in”

Bubbles

Bubbles

Anoushka
autism, family, london

“When Spike was smaller, I remember giving him gifts that he liked so much, he couldn't look at them directly - only squint at them using his peripheral vision.”

Libellum

Libellum

Anoushka
family, culture

“The witch had a cat familiar, but it remained in a wicker hamper, securely belted to the rear of the broomstick. I clearly doubted the physical probability of a small cat hanging on to the vehicle…”

Sometimes

Sometimes

Anoushka
autism, family

“Sometimes, when we are asked "How was your day?" or "How are you?", we want to cast aside the "fine" that is bubbling on our lips and actually tell you.”

Railside

Railside

Anoushka
family, london, travel

“Things were turned around for Spike when he found a tall, straight stick and announced that he was "taking it home to put in my bedroom. If I get a bad leg, I'll have a stick!"“

Future

Future

Anoushka
autism, family

“When we met with Spike's paediatrician for the first time, the words poured out of us like milk. We were grateful for a chance at certainty after months of carrying around this leaden question. "Is he autistic?".”

Pablo

Pablo

Anoushka
autism, family

“I took 10 minutes out of my day to watch the first episode of "Pablo" on CBeebies. It's a ten minute show, mixing live action and animation to tell the story of 5 year old Pablo, who is autistic.”

Fred

Fred

Anoushka
family, memoir

“We had caught him on a fishing trip, having initially mistaken the piscine scrap for a piece of weed. I feel bad now, for yanking him out of his lovely big pond and slish-sloshing him home in a Bejam bag.”

Only

Only

Anoushka
autism, family, memoir

“The boys' relationship has never been characterised by conflict, they accommodate and give way to each other like they do for no one else. Very gradually, companionship sprouted like a persistent plant on bare earth.”

Light

Light

Anoushka
autism, family, memoir

“Spike lay sleepy amongst the rumpled sheets of our bed. He squinted, raised his hand next to head and opened and closed his pudgy starfish fist. He had made the Makaton sign for "light".”

Graffito

Graffito

Anoushka
family

“In the event of any playground injury, I would act as self-appointed triage, deciding whether the wounded party needed to be taken to the school nurse, or whether to sacrifice one of my beloved antibacterial wipes/plasters.”

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