A Dad's Diary

Two fathers explore life with children on the autism spectrum.

by Tony Lyons and Ken Siri

1 in 88, coming soon. To all.

It would be nice if the folks running for President even discussed this for a brief moment. As this release says, polio was considered an epidemic at the rate of 1 in 2,700. Autism is now 1 in 88, 1 in 48 boys. Why does the CDC and the government do nothing, but "awareness" campaigns? Read More

Hope on the Beach

Last month I went, for the first time, to the annual National Autism Association conference in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida. For those of you parents who have yet to attend this or a similar conference I highly suggest you do so for two reasons, information and hope. Read More

The Cab Ride

A couple weeks ago Alex and I were cabbing (yes that is a word in NY) on the Upper East Side to his Saturday sports program (KEEN, great program and free!). A nice fellow recently hailed from Egypt picked us up. Now typically Alex is content to stare out the window and watch the world zip by as it can only in a NYC cab (those of you who have had the pleasure I am sure can attest).</ Read More

The Navy SEALs of Parenting

The Navy SEALs of Parenting Read More

The Autism "Growth Rate"

Friends of mine were over for dinner last night, a rare occasion, but Alex was in a great mood these last few weeks - he is immensely better when the weather is cooler (more on that in a future post), so I took a chance on company. And it worked out great I am happy to say! Read More

Autism and 9/11: The Challenges Faced by a Single Dad

On the anniversary of 9/11 I am remembering many things about that day. As a New Yorker, I recall the day itself, those I know who perished, and the eerie still of the great city. As a dad, I recall the effort to call outside of Manhattan and get word of Alex (who lived in Virginia with his mom at the time). Read More

So, What Happened to Alex?

I am often asked what I think happened to Alex. Well, I'll give it to you straight, Alex was failed by the medical community and government. Read More

The Autism Abyss

Welcome to my blog. I will be writing on the day-to-day challenges and triumphs in the world of autism from a single dad's perspective. Let me first introduce you to my son, Alex (pictured left with dad on a good day at the sensory gym). Read More

The Complex Issue of Government Funding

I've been hearing a lot about how schools and the government are not doing enough for kids suffering from autism and generally I agree with that. Read More

A Proactive Approach to Treatment

I just read a book called The Brain that Changes Itself and it's given me a lot of ideas about treating autism. Read More

The Problem of Causation

The most difficult thing about trying to figure out how to combat the symptoms of autism is the problem of causation. Read More

My Daughter Lina

Since I'm going to be writing here about life as the father of a child with autism, I thought it would be appropriate to give a little backgrond on my daugher. Read More

Vaccines and Allergies

My new book 1,001 Tips for the Parents of Autistic Girls recently went to press. Does anyone want to see some teaser tips? My other book, Cutting Edge Therapies for Autism came out in the Spring of this year. Both these books show how much work is being done to understand the underlying causes and potentially helpful treatments for autism. Read More