Family Room
Exploring life, with an adult with autism.
Comfort skills
If there’s a Maslow’s hierarchy to unpacking, Sam and I have worked our way up a level or two on the pyramid. We’re sleeping in our own beds, washing clothes,…
‘Metamorphosis is for insects, Mom’
The past month has felt like a purgatory, with Sam now four weeks into his new job in Modesto and me back at the house, forever packing. If it weren’t…
Overheard in the Wolfe House #330
Peggy: I think you’re on to something there, Sam. That sound is triggering what they call a sympathetic vibration. Sam: I wonder what the math is behind that. Related posts:…
So Sam and I are doing a thing
Sam put in for a transfer to WinCo’s warehouse in Modesto. He starts at the end of the month. I promised Sam I’d serve as moving manager. While this is…
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New! The second edition of Responsible & Responsive Parenting in Autism: Between Now and Dreams
With the second edition of Responsible and Responsive Parenting in Autism: Between Now and Dreams, Shahla and I are launching Love & Science Publishing and making our book more accessible, in more ways, to more families and clinicians.
Parents of children with autism have so much to learn and to manage, it’s easy for them to feel alone and become emotionally drained. But there is a framework for making progress, whether the child is newly diagnosed or an adult. The book received glowing reviews in two academic journals, with one calling it a "first-stop read" for parents, family members and caregivers.
The essence of any parenting journey relies on learning, connecting and loving. Each power informs the other. Each amplifies the other. Each power is essential for meaningful, courageous parenting. Shahla is a professor and clinician who’s worked with hundreds of autism families. I'm a science writer and parent of an adult with autism. We teamed up to help caregivers tailor both scientific information and cultural wisdom to their family’s needs.
“In their heartfelt guide, Shahla Ala’i-Rosales and Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe deliver a transformative approach to learning, connecting, and loving as both parents and clinicians. Brimming with practical advice, personal anecdotes, and proven strategies, this book equips readers with the essential tools to forge deeper connections and cultivate a nurturing environment where everyone can thrive. A must-read for anyone devoted to understanding and loving a person with autism, this work is an indispensable resource for both personal and professional growth.” - Dr. Bridget Taylor, cofounder and CEO of Alpine Learning Group
“The second edition of Between Now and Dreams should be required reading for anyone who knows someone parenting an autistic child. In clear and concise prose, the authors provide a parenting road map that is more empathetic than it is sympathetic, is evidence-based, and is accessible.
By the way, it is not enough to buy this book. You need to buy a copy of this book to share with everyone in your circle who would benefit from this level of enlightenment.” - Dr. Peter Gerhardt, executive director of EPIC
Learn more about the new audiobook, ebook, paperback and hardcover versions at betweennowanddreams.com. Or click the link below and order now.
See Sam Run: A Mother’s Story of Autism
"This is a book written from the heart by a mother nearly driven to madness by her son's maniacal behavior. But she slowly learns how to pay attention to what makes Sam tick, what makes Sam run. And as her journey of discovering what ails Sam unfolds, many parents will find themselves hooked."
-- George Getschow, Writer-in-Residence, Mayborn Graduate
Institute of Journalism at the University of North Texas
"See Sam Run is well written and poignant as well as emotionally satisfying for the reader. The author's narrative voice is strong, intelligent and authentic. Her story is one that is important to get out."
-- Dianne Aprile, Spalding University
Thousands of children are diagnosed with autism each year, with a rate of occurrence of 1 in 150 births, compared to 5 per 10,000 just two decades ago. This astounding escalation has professionals scrambling to explain why the devastating neurological disorder, which profoundly affects a person’s language and social development, is on the rise. Are we simply getting better at diagnosing autism, or is a modern health crisis unfolding before us?
Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe
Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe is an award-winning, former Texas journalist who recently returned to California, where she shares a home with her adult son with autism.
Her first book, See Sam Run, a mother’s story of autism, was published in 2008 by the University of North Texas Press. The book’s manuscript won the Mayborn Prize for Literary Nonfiction in 2005. Since its publication, she has been exploring themes in autism parenting and self-determination on Family Room, a blog hosted on this site. She teamed up with friend and colleague Shahla Ala'i-Rosales, an autism professor and clinician, to write Responsible and Responsive Parenting in Autism: Between Now and Dreams. First published by Different Roads to Learning in 2022, the book is now in its second edition following its word-of-mouth popularity.
She was among the first members of Families for Early Autism Treatment (FEAT) in California in the 1980s. Following the death of an autistic teenager shot by a Plano, Texas, police officer in the 1990s, Heinkel-Wolfe helped researchers at the University of North Texas find funding to develop one of the first police training programs on the topic. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of North Texas and a master’s degree in music performance from the Eastman School of Music.
