Featured Column
Saving lives with marrow donation
ulie and Brandon Williams are high school sweethearts who imagined they would have the “perfect little family” in the small town of Milaca, an hour from the Twin Cities. Julie is a special education program supervisor and Brandon a bus mechanic for the St. Francis School District.
Life seemed to be on track when Julie gave birth to their son Luke in July of 2005. Luke was a happy, personable, and healthy baby until he developed a respiratory illness in February 2006 that landed him in Children’s Hospital of Minneapolis.
Recent Pioneer Press Columns
Autism and emergencies
Patrick was a 19-year-old who didn’t have a friend to call his own. While living with his parents, he enrolled in a local community college, where he met a couple of guys who wanted to hang out. When his parents learned their son was going out for the first time, they were hopeful — and
[continue reading...]
When sirens are blaring: Step forward or step back?
I was planted just past the finish line at the 101st Boston Marathon, poised to offer kudos to my other half and his best buddy. They didn’t fit the image of Boston marathoners, lean and quick. They were middle-aged guys who had earned coveted spots on the starting line with dollars raised to support Boston’s
[continue reading...]
Recent reports of an uptick in domestic violence raise questions about why victims remain in the relationships and whether it is possible to successfully break the cycle. Deborah Lysholm of Apple Valley not only survived an abusive marriage, she went on to build a life filled with passion and purpose after leaving it. A frequent
[continue reading...]
Recent Blog Posts
NEXT A PROVOCATIVE PIECE.. As seen in the Huffington Post, April 2012 By Liane Kupferberg Carter Freelance Writer Huffington Post Blogger I don’t know how to do this. There’s no book for taking the next step. No Fiske’s Guide to Colleges. No Barron’s. When our son Jonathan was preparing to leave
[continue reading...]
Searching for the Magic Forest As seen in the Huffington Post, April 18, 2012. Time can be our ally. It can also be our adversary. For months now I have been marking its passage with ever-growing dread. By the end of May, our school district will have fulfilled its mandate to educate my son. As its’ obligation is being extinguished,
[continue reading...]
The Brain – Making New Connections On September 30, 2011, I wrote a column for the St. Paul Pioneer Press about Jimmy Reagan, a young adult with autism who is an emerging artist (http://bit.ly/ntyE0A). In this guest blog post, his mother, Peg Schneeman Reagan, provides a fascinating update. Over the last six months, Jimmy’s art has been growing in ways that
[continue reading...]
Camphill Communities: Supported living for adults with ASD A growing number of young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder are reaching adulthood. Families are searching for options and opportunities; for living arrangements that work and employment opportunities that are well designed and meaningful. In the coming weeks, I will highlight programs and opportunities that are in place. It’s a starting point for families like
[continue reading...]
Autism and the transition to adulthood: it’s not a sprint My guest blog post that appeared on Laura Shumaker’s San Francisco Chronicle blog (SFgate.com) on October 20, 2011. I sat down at the table for our 2 p.m. meeting and looked up at the clock. We were about to design my son’s last IEP (Individualized Education Plan) – the roadmap for his final services from
[continue reading...]
