At 22, Tommy continues to be in a burst of language development. His language gains have always, always been supported by the written word, and his daily, extensive facebook chats with friends are a rich source of learning. Even as I type, I overhear Tommy asking Peter “What does fur coat mean?” To which Peter … Continue reading “Learning is Lifelong. For Everyone.”

Tommy was interviewed by Kathleen Kelly of specialmouse.com Here is the podcast of the interview! Autism Means Friendship with Tommy Des Brisay! 031 Posted by admin on March 30, 2014 Podcast: Play in new window | Download Elite Paralympic Athlete and YouTube sensation, Tommy Des Brisay (and his mom) join Kathy to kick off Autism Awareness Month on the … Continue reading “Special Mouse Podcast Interview”

At 22, after a lifetime of really not getting the whole concept of misleading statements, for the sake of teasing, humour or April Fools gags, a breakthrough happened today! Tommy was suddenly on board with April Fool’s Day! He spent much of the day making false, misleading statements of a harmless, trivial nature, and, once … Continue reading “April Fool’s, Tommy style.”

February 23, 2014 Today, as we were eating a chicken lunch with guests Cousin Iain, Uncle Chris and Walter, Tommy noticed me wearing a new black t-shirt with horizontal white stripes. (This is Tommy’s mom, MaryAnn  Tommy: You’re nice in your zebra striped shirt! (looks at me eating chicken, then adds): Zebras don’t eat chicken. … Continue reading “Random statements by Tommy regarding chicken.”

Adel goes nearly everywhere with Tommy. But sometimes, for various reasons, she can’t go along. For example, he is about to go rock climbing right now. She can’t climb, and it’s just way too cold for her to stay in the car. At moments like this, lately, with much emotion, he always says the same … Continue reading “The Magic Couch (on which dogs can fly!)”

January 24, 2014 I was eating dinner last night, a huge wonderful salad Tommy made, along with Tommy and Peter, and I received a text message. Now before you jump to the conclusion that it’s rude to text during dinner, please remember that Tommy is much more at ease, and converses much better, in writing … Continue reading “Tommy texts are assisted communication”

January 21, 2014 Cat in the Hat hats. Best worn daily, all the time, for biggest impact. That’s what Tommy did, for a few years, as a preschooler. There was no convincing him otherwise. And, also, no good reason to try to convince him otherwise. Especially since that crazy hat made spotting him as he … Continue reading “Tommy’s Cat in the Hat hat”

February, 2014 Since November, Tommy’s big brother Paul, and his adorable little girlfriend (fiancee) Laura have worked for Ottawa’s Little Ray’s Reptile Zoo, doing travelling zoo shows all over Eastern Canada, returning to Ottawa on days off. Their comings and goings have been frequent and unpredictable, as their schedule is quite varied. Tommy is always … Continue reading “Disney lines as life lines”

From upstairs, I can overhear Tommy in the basement. The rhythmic pound of his energetic treadmill run, as Disney music creates a magical ambience. One moment, “Let’s go fly a kite, up to the highest height…Let’s go fly a kite, and send it soaring…” is clearly heard, and moments later, “It’s a Small World, after … Continue reading “Joy on a Treadmill”

Ottawa’s own ‘first fastest runner’ Tommy Des Brisay isn’t letting autism get in the way of athletic accomplishments Martin Cleary Ottawa Citizen Wednesday, October 23, 2013 CREDIT: Chris Mikula, Ottawa Citizen Tommy Des Brisay, right, is accompanied by his father, Peter, during a training run. Peter Des Brisay acts as a guide for his son during competition. … Continue reading “Tommy in the Ottawa Citizen- Story by Martin Cleary”