I wear a lot of hats.  Writer is my newest one. I think of this one like a fascinator—stylish, glamorous, and proper. 

Some of my other hats are not as chic. 

There’s the bulky, heavy fireman’s helmet I’ve worn daily for putting out fires in my childrens’ worlds of autism and chronic illness. 

There’s the chauffeur’s cap, since I parent a 24-year-old who cannot drive. 

And like any of us navigating this autism terrain, I can skillfully wear two hats at once—mother and advocate. 

My goal in writing is to give depth to people’s understanding of autism. It’s kind of crazy that there is one term to describe a condition that presents such variability across the spectrum. Autism isn’t a missing puzzle piece.  It’s a 10,000-piece jigsaw puzzle with no picture on the box. None of us can figure it out alone.

I was born and raised in Chicago by Irish immigrant parents. For the past 12 years, I’ve called Annapolis, Maryland home. So now I also wear a captain’s hat (well, my husband does). I have been a litigation lawyer, a general counsel for a trade association, and a corporate training consultant, but primarily an advocate (and occasional caddy) for my 24-year-old son on the spectrum, who happens to be a talented golfer. 

For the past three years, I’ve worn the advocate hat for my teenage daughter who contracted a long COVID chronic illness (POTS) during high school. 

I received my B.S. in Journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and my J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. In hindsight, I should have gotten a doctorate in psychology, but I’m learning that on the fly.