I wrote in April that my wife and two younger children would be traveling overseas to see my wife's parents. They left at the end of May while I took time off from work. We had scheduled those vacation days prior to plans for the trip to cover some of the time Anthony would be out of school.

I have often recognized that I am probably very fortunate to have the association of my wife and other children to balance the strains of dealing with Anthony. We have wondered aloud how a family friend with an autistic son manages her situation with neither a spouse nor other children around. During the time by myself with Anthony for most of the 11 days until my wife and other kids returned, I received a taste of what her life must be like.

I am certain that my woes were aggravated with the abrupt and virulent onset of seasonal allergies, as well as my inability to get our clothes dryer to work after considerable time and energy spent on its repair in lieu of minimally enjoyable pursuits. Nevertheless, I had not anticipated the rather extreme stress from being with Anthony--and only Anthony--day and night.

All of the issues we commonly face with Anthony were suddenly compounded and magnified. No one around, for instance, to rely on momentarily so I could relax a bit and ensure he was not peeling stickers off library books. Or having a human being nearby but only receiving reciprocal communication similar to the head-nodding and teeth-baring of a horse if I ever said anything directly to him. It's slightly amusing, but not so much so if one starts to crave a spark of intelligent companionship.

I believe I made an egregious tactical error in not actively seeking out opportunities to be around others. If my wife ever needs to go away again for any stretch, I'm holding at least one of our other two children hostage. Or I will accept any and all invitations to dinner.