One day when I was 17, I happened to be home alone with my father. As a result of three strokes a year earlier, Dad was paralysed on his right side and had lost his speech. On this particular day, I remember in vivid detail walking down the hall into
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Facing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Disorder AND Epilepsy (But NO SUDEP!!!) at 6:05 AM
I was awake at 5:30 this morning, had some breakfast, and was enjoying a mug (not a cup, a mug) of coffee when I noticed that the time was 6:05 am. Startled I jumped up to see if everything was OK with my son Conor. Conor suffers from severe autism
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Disorder AND Epilepsy (But NO SUDEP!!!) at 6:05 AM
I was awake at 5:30 this morning, had some breakfast, and was enjoying a mug (not a cup, a mug) of coffee when I noticed that the time was 6:05 am. Startled I jumped up to see if everything was OK with my son Conor. Conor suffers from sever…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Disorder AND Epilepsy (But NO SUDEP!!!) at 6:05 AM
I was awake at 5:30 this morning, had some breakfast, and was enjoying a mug (not a cup, a mug) of coffee when I noticed that the time was 6:05 am. Startled I jumped up to see if everything was OK with my son Conor. Conor suffers from severe autism
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism, Seizures, Meltdown, Recovery:What a Difference a Day Makes
A day can make a big difference in my son’s world of severe autism disorder, intellectual disability and epileptic seizures. Yesterday as I pulled up to his school to pick him up at the end of the day I could hear his voice inside the school and I knew things
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism, Seizures, Meltdown, Recovery:What a Difference a Day Makes
A day can make a big difference in my son’s world of severe autism disorder, intellectual disability and epileptic seizures. Yesterday as I pulled up to his school to pick him up at the end of the day I could hear his voice inside the school and I kn…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism, Seizures, Meltdown, Recovery:What a Difference a Day Makes
A day can make a big difference in my son’s world of severe autism disorder, intellectual disability and epileptic seizures. Yesterday as I pulled up to his school to pick him up at the end of the day I could hear his voice inside the school and I knew things
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism, Intellectual Disability and Seizures, When Together, Constitute ONE DISORDER
In the picture above, taken 3 years ago my son erupted in sudden self injurious behavior smashing himself violently in the head a split second after he had been on the swing at his old grade school, Nashwaaksis Memorial School; a split second after he had been very smiling and
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Run Jump Fly Boy Will Soon Return
With the return of Spring after a tough winter will come lots of outdoor time on our trails in the beautiful City of Fredericton with Conor. .Autism, seizures, seizure meds, reactions to seizure meds and this unusually tough winter will give way to spring and the Return of the Run
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Disorders and the 1st International Epilepsy Day, February 9, 2015
Monday, February 9, 2015 is the first International Epilepsy Day, a joint initiative created by the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) scheduled to occur annually hereafter on the second Monday in February to promote epilepsy awareness around the world. Epileptic seizures are
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Our Happy Conor is Back! And Dad Is Happy Too!
The top photo above was taken a year and a half ago, shortly after Conor recoved from a very serious adverse reaction to his seizure med at the time, Lamtrogine, which resulted in two weeks in the hospital including an emergency room visit and 6 days in the ICU where
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Society Canada Misrepresents Autism On Its Web Site Makeover By Hiding The Many with Autism AND Intellectual Disability
The Autism Society Canada web site was down briefly and I had hoped, notwithstanding past experience, that the ASC would have started presenting an accurate picture of autism disorders to the Canadian public and families with autism disorders. My hopes, faint as they might have been, were dashed again. ASC,
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: SUDEP The Global Conversation Combating The Myth That Seizures Do Not Kill
Many with autism disorders also suffer from epileptic seizures and should be aware of the risk of SUDEP, Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy. The following is a News Release about SUDEP the global conversation a joint effort of several epilepsy and SUDEP awareness ogranizations in the US, Canada and Australia:Families,
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Joy of Conor 2014
I will not pretend, I will never pretend, that autism is just a different way of thinking. Heather and I love our son too much to lie to the world about the nature of his autism realities, his severe autism, intellectual disability and epileptic seizures. Like many parents of autistic
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Conor’s 3rd Tonic Clonic (Grand Mal) Seizure
Two and a half hours ago Conor suffered his 3rd Tonic Clonic or Grand Mal seizure. (He also suffered an episode of rhabdomyolisis, a serious adverse reaction to his previous seizure medication). On the previous 2 seizures Conor was in a room by himself when they started, this time he
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Conor One Year Later!
Above: Conor this morning before Mom drove him to school at the Leo Hayes High School Resource Centre. Mom and Dad are very happy to have our Conor with us healthy and happy. Below: One year ago Conor was in the Intensive Care Unit of the Chalmer’s Hospital for
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: IDEA Disorder, Intellectual Disability-Epilepsy-Autism Disorder, On World Autism Awareness Day
Conor a year ago at the local ICU where he stayed for 6 days while the ICU professionals worked to save his life and return him to us in good health after a serious adverse reaction to his seizure medications. Other parents of children with severe autism disorders and intellectual
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Life in Conor’s "Back Yard", Fredericton’s North Riverfront Trail, in 2013
2013 was a challenging year for Conor and Dad health wise. I spent a week in acute care with some respiratory issues and Conor spent 2 weeks in hospital, including a six day stay in the ICU recovering from a life threatening adverse reaction to his seizure medication. Overall though
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Severe Autism Disorders: Conor’s Autism Progress: Teeth Brushing and Tickle Shaves!
Conor Doherty sporting a big smile after a quick tickle shave adventure with Dad this morning Many famous “autistics” were not diagnosed until they were adults and have turned their diagnoses into good career opportunities: John Elder Robison, Michelle Dawson, Ari Ne’eman and Mr. Ne’eman’s colleagues, the fellow corporate trustees of
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Excellent! Chalmers ICU Team Reaches Its Funding Goal to Purchase New Patient Monitoring Equipment!
The Chalmers Foundation has officially announced that it has met its funding goal and will soon be purchasing the patient monitoring system that is instrumental in helping the Chalmers Hospital Intensive Care Unit save many lives … including my son Conor’s for which his Mom and Dad will always be
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