Whether you've come to visit because you want to know more, because you like what you already know, or because you've just happened by -- welcome!

Many of you are here because you've read my work, tales of both triumph and misadventure as an adult being raised by sons who are first and foremost boys, with the added challenges of autism and ADHD. It has, undeniably, colored our lives, and at times dictated it. At still other times, it is irrelevant. We are all so much more than the sum of our parts and whatever quirks of neurology make up the hand we've been dealt. So on this site, you can learn more about my books and my work in the field of autism, but you'll also find other pieces of me to round out the picture.

You can meet Ellen the history detective and Ellen the baseball buff. You can meet my 'other' side: Ellen the curmudgeon and Ellen the brown-thumb. Read my news, then take a minute to tell me yours. Or tell me what you would like me to write about next. This is important because, for every one of you who tells me that I inspire you, then are dozens of you who continue to inspire me.

At three years old, my son was seeing a speech therapist who employed a variety of interesting toys to coax language out of him. One was a whirlybird-type thing; you had to push a button to get it to take off. The therapist was trying to get Bryce to say "push the button." What do you want to do? he would ask. Bryce would reach for the button, but of course, the toy would be pulled away; he hadn't responded with words. What do you want to do? After several rounds of this, with Bryce smiling adorably but silently, he finally stood up and said, "I want to go home."

Before you go home, I hope you'll push some of the buttons on this page, and I do hope you find something worth taking with you.