Hope is the greatest thing for moms of autism. Hope is what gets us out of bed in the morning. I'm on a mission to tell parents that there is a way.

I love my parents. But I'm almost 28 and it's not fun to be asked 'What are you doing today? What do you want for dinner? When are you going to be home?' It just makes you feel like a kid. It's this juxtaposition of feeling annoyed and really lucky to have people who love you so much.

This whole head of the home thing has been blown way out of proportion. Some guys just take it way too far. Some parents take it way too far. Yet children need guidance. They need a parent to help and guide them. They also need a friend. They need a confidant.

I'm still really close with everyone at home and their parents - and their brothers and sisters. I was so so so lucky to grow up as part of a community and I don't take that for granted. I try very hard to stay part of it.

I was a loner as a child and happiest at home launching toy rockets and aeroplanes. When I started causing trouble in my third year at grammar school Mum was really surprised. My parents sent me to a child psychologist who suggested I might have Asperger's syndrome.

My mom enlisted in the U.S. Navy in World War II and my parents actually bought our home thanks to the loan she got through the GI Bill.

Like most citizens of popular and international urban centres I don't take advantage of the cultural opportunities. Perhaps this comes from growing up in suburbia. Home is where you eat sleep read watch television and ignore your parents. It is not where you go to the ballet and then attend a heated panel discussion about it afterwards.

I remind everyone: Whether you school them at home or send them to school you as a parent have the responsibility to make sure they learn and behave. Teachers and principals may help but parents are the ones who must accept responsibility.

Many working mothers feel guilty about not being at home. And when they are there they wish it could be perfect. This pressure to make every minute happy puts working parents in a bind when it comes to setting limits and modifying behavior.

Proper school nutrition must be complemented by activities outside of the cafeteria. The decisions parents make to keep their kids healthy are critical in fighting this battle on the home front.