Host: Sheryl Glick R.M.T.

Special Guest: Carrie Cariello (http://www.carriecariello.com/)

In today’s episode of Healing From Within, your host Sheryl Glick author of The Living Spirit: Answers for Healing and Infinite Love welcomes Carrie Cariello author of What Color is Monday? How Autism Changed One Family for the Better. Carrie offers a positive perspective on the challenges of raising a child with autism without sugar coating some of the struggles along the way.

Carrie shares her daily experiences of raising a child with autism who views the world through a different lens and how the family has learned to adapt and as a result brought the family into a more cooperative and loving interaction focused on living and loving to the best of their ability.

Carrie says that many people and parents would focus on finding a reason for why their child is different but you chose to reflect on how to positively make life work for the family giving everyone the love they need to stretch and not break. Carrie tells us a little bit about her family, how many children she has, and where her son Jack falls into that order. As a busy mom of five kids-four sons and one daughter, she chronicles family adventures and experiences: most of which we can all readily relate to Her words to describe the chaos of life within a big family along with the quiet moments that seem so ordinary but are often extraordinary and can be expressed honestly and funny sometimes emotionally. She tries to notice the little things that often get overlooked in the course of a whirlwind of a day…but Carrie and her husband Joe try to keep each child as an integral part of the family and make it as special as it is.

Carrie, as most authors struggled for the best title to capture the feeling and message of the book. At first she thought about using the word, “snowflakes’ somewhere in the title because she thinks people with autism are all unique and fragile much like beautiful snowflakes. But, one day Jack asked her, “Mom what color do you see Monday?” She responded that she did not see the days of the week as having different colors, but Jack told her he did see every day as a different color. Sheryl as a Reiki Master Teacher suggests the chakra system or energy system of our bodies represent different life issues we experience in the course of a lifetime and each chakra is represented by various colors. Sensitive people during energy sessions often mention that they see color and certain colors seem associated with different emotional responses..so relating to the days as different colors may be Jack’s understanding or relationship to his processing of the world and finding beauty in his life and family.

Jack was officially diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when he was 2 years old and we somehow hoped as many parents do that he would outgrow it and some children do. Though coming to terms with autism as a lifelong diagnosis was difficult she had little time to focus on what was ahead. The day after Jack’s diagnosis Carrie learned she was pregnant with their fourth child. Carrie and her husband feel that having a large family as she had 3 more children after Jack’s diagnosis would be a gift and support system.

Sheryl wonders if Jack was locked into any specific routine at home that is different from Carrie’s other children or does she encourage he toe the line just as his siblings do? Having a family of five children was perhaps the best thing she and her husband might have done for Jack. He had a group of his own, in which each sibling seems to have a role of their own. When it comes to Jack his sister Rose is very nurturing while his younger brother Henry is the most demanding of him. Joey and Charlie are so intentional in bringing him into their fold. While Jack is not incredibly locked into any specific routine at home, he also must toe the line just as his siblings do. That’s not to say there aren’t difficult times..