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Mikey’s journal was a way for him to make new friends, connect with his peers and make small talk without strong speaking abilities. He brought it to school each day and sometimes he would get a quiet moment to share it with a peer.
By decorating the cover, we gave Michael’s peers more information about him. It allowed the kids to ask him specific questions and gave him a visual cue to help him find the words to answer. The captions for the photos helped Mikey’s classmates find answers even if Mikey was struggling to answer.
We share Mikey’s journal with you so you can see our family’s journey. Through the journals, I revisit different parenting decisions we made (the good, the bad and the ugly) with the goal of helping you feel less alone in your own parenting journey.
Feel free to reach out and ask questions or share your own experience starting a journal with your child.
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About the Author
Erica Mauro is a mom to two teenage boys, Will who is neurotypical and Michael with Autism and cognitive delays. She holds a BA in Psychology from Colgate University and a Masters of Psychology in Education from Columbia Teacher’s College. Before staying home with her children, she worked as an elementary school teacher. For five years, she served on the Board of Directors of the Molly Ann Tango Memorial Foundation, a charity dedicated to enriching the lives of children with special needs. In partnership with her husband Dave, she aspires to parent by using daily life as an opportunity for therapeutic intervention, seizing on real experiences as opportunities to build skills and strategies for Michael in a joyful, loving home environment. On the tougher early days, she just tried to get everyone safely to bedtime and start fresh in the morning. *wink* 
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