Unapologetically Embracing Autism

  If you’ve been following Unapologetically Embracing Autism, you already know that my goal is to illuminate, celebrate, and honor the full spectrum of autistic experience. Today, I want to share something especially close to my heart: Cortland’s twice-exceptional profile — a story of astonishing strengths interwoven with very real challenges, a profile that often goes unseen, unsupported, or misunderstood. This is our deep dive into what “twice exceptional” really means, how it shows up in Cortland’s life, and why children like him deserve recognition, tailored support, and celebration. ✨ What Does Twice Exceptional Mean? The term twice exceptional (2e) refers to individuals who are both: Exceptionally gifted in one or more domains — academic, creative, intellectual, mechanical, musical, or abstract reasoning and Neurodivergent or disabled in a way that creates genuine challenges — such as autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety, or other developmental differences...

A Message to Autism Parents: You Did Nothing Wrong   Tomorrow, they are recycling old, debunked claims again. This time, it is the Tylenol-autism connection—a theory that has been thoroughly discredited repeatedly. The studies they are citing are fundamentally flawed: tiny sample sizes, skewed data, and cherry-picked results that would not pass legitimate scientific scrutiny. Yet here we are again, watching these people resurrect this nonsense and present it as if it is a legitimate concern.   It is not new. It is not valid. It is bullshit.   And with each recycled scare story, I watch as parents—especially mothers—carry another stone of guilt on shoulders already heavy with the daily challenges of raising our beautiful, complex children.   I am writing this as a mother raising a son who is autistic. I am writing this because I am tired of watching these backwards people recycle debunked theories and present them as if they are legitimate concerns. I am tired...