Mike and Dad on Visiting Day, Willowbrook (from ‘My Brother Michael’)
Tag Archives: childhood
Willowbrook, Another Chapter… Childhood’s End (from ‘My Brother Michael’)
Mom’s search for a place for Mike was long and arduous. In the 1950s, medical professionals were not accustomed to take care of individuals with my brother’s condition. Mike is autistic (a relatively unknown condition at that time), low functioning (using the parlance of the time: ‘retarded’), and nonverbal. He was placed at Willowbrook, an […]
I just wanted to be helpful… (from ‘My Brother Michael’)
My Brother’s Keeper… (from ‘My Brother Michael’)
Raising a child must be difficult. Interactions between and among children are complicated. Add in the parents and… well, books have been written about complications that can ensue. Having one child who commands most of the attention simplifies matters, in a way. Life goes on, with the attention given where it is needed most. Mom […]
Dave and Me in the Front Yard… (from ‘My Brother Michael’)
Dad must have taken this photo. I wonder were Mike was… I wish we still had that 1949 Chevy.
The Three Brothers…
I always liked the photo of the three pumpkins. The original print has those fluted edges common to photos of the 1950s. I didn’t realize for many years that the middle pumpkin was the only one with an unhappy face.
Other Sibling… (from ‘My Brother Michael’)
Blocking out… (from ‘My Brother Michael’)
Younger Brother, Dave… (from, ‘My Brother Michael’)
Mike’s Affect on My Childhood (from ‘My Brother Michael’)
As much as my book, ‘My Brother Michael’ is about my big brother Mike, it is also about how his condition (autistic, low functioning, nonverbal) affected me and our family. It is slightly embarrassing reading this, years after I wrote it, but it is also important to acknowledge autism’s role in the family environment.
