Last Saturday at Ausblogcon I unexpectantly had lunch with two top chicks....

...the authors of The Australian Autism Handbook.
Click HERE to have a listen to their conversation (from 2008) with Richard Fidler.

There I was, noming the delish food during the conference lunchbreak when this lovely lady said ,
"I think you should be sitting here with us,"
So, being the obedient little soul that I am (shut up) I trotted over and fell into a fabulous conversation with ( or more listened to) these ladies.

Seana Smith is gregarious, witty and generous with her knowledge while Benison O'Reilly is a tad quieter but equally witty and shares another quality with her co-author ; neither of them pull any punches when it comes to discussing ASD.

After we realised we all had a child on the Spectrum we compared notes on age of diagnosis, different state regulations and funding, rates of progress and how there wasn't a lot of home grown literature for parenting ASD teens or social groups.

We discussed the various bits and bobs of growing/maturing kids on the Spectrum; they shared how some families are negotiating the mine field that is Sex! Raging Hormones! Mood Swings! Obsessions! and all the other usual suspects any teen suddenly discovers in those crucial years but which present a whole different box of dice when it comes to keeping ASD teens safe and on the right side of the law.

We talked, laughed, shared tales, laughed at stuff only parents of ASD kids can find funny and generally passed a lovely time together.

We swapped blog addys and I recommended some blogs to them, particularly Magneto Bold Too then we parted company back to the conference but it was one of the most pleasant unexpected luncheon dates I've ever had!