PARENTAL ADVICE
Reflections and Advice
from a 20-year-old
on the Spectrum
By Debra MOORE, PhD
I
first met Cosette and her mom when they were re-
ferred to me by their pediatric neurologist. He won-
dered if Cosette, then six years old, might have au-
tism. Our evaluation affirmed that yes, Cosette was
on the autism spectrum, that she was struggling,
and she needed assistance and resources. fit a neurotypical pattern! At home, they tried stickers
and charts. With a therapist, they tried social skills and
Parent/Child Interactive Therapy.
At that time, Cosette was often defiant and angry, hav-
ing frequent meltdowns and retreating into what her
mom called the “turtle” position. (When overwhelmed,
Cosette would curl into herself emotionally and physi-
cally.) She had early echolalia and used words inappro-
priately. She had severe sensory problems—visual, au-
ditory, and tactile. Some days she could tolerate touch;
other days she hated it. Twelve years later, when I was coauthoring The Loving
Push with Dr. Temple Grandin, I knew I wanted to in-
clude Cosette’s story. I wanted to know what happened
to that adorable little six-year-old girl with shining eyes
and curly mop of hair. Cosette was 18 years old when
the book was written, and it detailed her story u