2 Month Update

101d27d70de5c719b2b6dfd55791f279Cooper has been at Fraser for 2 months. That is absolutely crazy to me. When we considered moving 3 hours away, with the main reason being for his care, I secretly thought it would never work. Not the us part but the school part. Traditional therapy has been a nightmare for Cooper. We started with having the school district in our home, then went to traditional speech and OT at the hospital and then tried ECFE and lastly speech at a specialty clinic for kids with language disorders. ALL FAILURES.

That sounds harsh…but it’s true. Cooper was not ready for traditional therapy and I believe it was actually detrimental for our family. I cried. Cooper cried. Cooper ran and threw. And I drank coffee and secretly wished it was whiskey.

But now, here we are. 2 months in. And Cooper is thriving.

There was a point in my life that I didn’t know if I would ever be able to write that sentence. He loves his school. When I pick him up he is excited to show me his teachers and his classroom. For the first month or so of school when I would pick him up  he would want to put his coat and backpack on immediately and leave. Now, he runs around and shows me different things.

I thank God that I was wrong. (Side note, please God prove me wrong on all my negativity!)

I had Cooper’s monthly meeting last week with his psychologist. I am going to word vomit everything that we discussed. It was one of the best conversations I have ever had about Cooper. And not because it was all good news……because it wasn’t. But  it was honest and educated and came from a great place.

I very rarely get on my soap box on this blog because I am not expert. And never will be. But let me say this  to all the concerned or lost parents out there (which was me 6 months ago) FIND THE RIGHT PEOPLE. Trust me on this one because I wandered and stumbled lost on the autism journey for 3.5 years. And it almost broke me.

Find the experts. And  make sure they care about you and love your child but ALSO that they are experts in your child’s disability. And will be honest with you. And tough with you when needed. And lastly be a shoulder to cry on when you need it. We had many people in Duluth that were wonderful people but they were not experts. And they did some damage that may never be healed. Being a teacher or a speech therapist or a playground monitor doesn’t   make you an expert in autism. Hell, being a mom doesn’t make you an expert in autism. Find the right people friends. You will feel like a weight has been lifted.

Cooper has 2 licensed psychologists in his room and his own aide. I love all 3  of them. And they love Cooper. Another confession, one of my biggest fears  about Cooper’s future is that people won’t take the time to fall in love with him. But again, I was wrong. Thank you sweet Jesus. His aide is smitten with him. And he is  with her.

So here goes…And some of my questions may come off silly. But remember, I don’t know this stuff either. And no one has ever taken the time to help me.

  • His teacher told me that Cooper makes amazing eye contact. She actually said it’s the best in his class and when she thinks about Cooper’s future eye contact is huge. I knew this already and it felt good to finally have someone confirm it. I remember being with pediatricians and hearing…’well, he doesn’t fit the autism diagnosis because of his eye contact (as he’s turning the light on and off) so it must be something else.’ She also said that he enjoys the company of adults way more than children. I  asked her why. She said that children are unpredictable and Cooper likes a strong personality to tell him what to do. He doesn’t get what he craves from other children so he turns to adults. Also, children don’t make eye contact  with other children consistently. This was super interesting to me.
  • One of their main focuses with Cooper right now is turn taking. Cooper really struggles with waiting. Even more so than taking turns. I asked why that it is. She told me how when babies are born they are the center of their own universe. As babies get older they become aware of their surroundings and peers/friends/etc. I totally see this in Sawyer. Cooper hasn’t realized that yet. He is still the center of his own universe.
  • She told me a story about how the 3 adults took Cooper in the hallway away from the other children to play a simple game. He sat on his aides lap and watched for the first minute or so. It was a very simple game where you put a ball in the mouth of a penguin and then pop the ball out of the mouth. When it’s your turn you get the pop the ball, go get it and bring it back. Cooper could not understand this. He wanted to get that damn ball and throw it. And did so over and over again. And each time he had to sit back down on his aides lap and watch for another turn. And by the end he understood what to do. This blew my mind. So simple right? Not for Cooper. And the fact that they took him alone and worked with him one-on-one. I actually teared up.
  • They think speech therapy is a must. It’s time. He is ready. And I see this at home too. He is communicating better than ever. He will attempt to mimic. Basically to sum it up, he is willing to try. This is new.
  • Silly question…I asked if Cooper thinks like you and I. He doesn’t talk so how does he think. She said that some autistic people think in pictures. For example if you said the word dog, they would start seeing a picture of every dog they have ever seen. Interesting.
  • Another silly question…I asked if his brain will one day stop learning. Like will I one  day say that Cooper has a 4th grade education or whatever. She game me a firm no. She said that the  sky in the limit with Cooper. His brain will continue to develop. In my defense it is really hard to see improvements in a nonverbal child. You can’t measure anything. It’s tough.
  • I asked them to work on Cooper’s self-care. We are going to focus on potty training, getting dressed and using a cup.   (HUGE MOUNTAIN)
  • I mentioned that Cooper is very spoiled. And she point-blank asked me why and if it’s because I see him as a baby? I laughed. I don’t  see him as a baby at all. I just think his life is going to be hard and I want him to know how loved he is.
  • Lastly, she said that Jamie and I are the keys to Cooper’s therapy and future. She rarely sees families  that care as much as Cooper’s. Her words were, ‘you are the center of his universe and he is in love with you.’ That meant a lot. We had  a brief discussion about special needs kids without a support system. It’s heartbreaking. I can’t imagine where  Cooper would be if we didn’t care. It’s scary to think about.

Cooper is making huge improvements at  home too. He pooped on the potty for one. That’s a story in itself! He mimicked Sawyer and I the other day. Another story that deserves its own post. What else….I have had 3 different people tell me in the last week that Cooper is like a different kid. He also rocked Thanksgiving.

I don’t know if it is his age or what but he is really maturing. This kiddo is going to be 4 next weekend. I remember I wrote a post a while back about being on the right side of age 4. Sigh. Time’s running out for that one. But the optimist in me has to believe this could be our year. This could be the year that Cooper says mom or Sawyer or milk. Anything really.

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Kate Swenson

Kate Swenson lives in Minnesota with her husband Jamie, and four children, Cooper, Sawyer, Harbor and Wynnie. Kate launched Finding Cooper's Voice from her couch while her now 11-year-old son Cooper was being diagnosed with autism. Back then it was a place to write. Today it is a living, thriving community of people who want to not only advocate for autism, but also make the world a better place for individuals with disabilities and their families. Her first book, Forever Boy, will be released, April 5, 2022.

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13 Comments

  1. journey2dfuture on November 30, 2014 at 3:17 pm

    What a fantastic update to read. So lovely to hear hes doing so well x



  2. tara on November 30, 2014 at 3:32 pm

    Awesome. It’s all the hard work you put in before starting this wonderful school. You obviously readied him for this point. Had you not been so invested in him he may not be thriving. He was ready. Pat on the back for mama too!



    • Avatar photo findingcoopersvoice on December 3, 2014 at 2:47 pm

      Thanks friend!



  3. Jenny Michelle Rapson on November 30, 2014 at 6:47 pm

    I super-loved reading this post! I said YES out loud when you talked about finding the right people. I prayed and prayed God would put the right people in our lives when Sophie’s struggles were at their worst…and He did. Amazingly, that happened through what I first thought was bad – her clinic closing. But it led us to her SLP who made all the difference. I am so excited for Cooper and for your family! This much progress in 2 months is HUGE! For Sophie, things really clicked right after her 4th birthday…I pray the next 12 months will be totally amazing for all of you. And about the parents caring so much…so glad someone gave you that validation. It is a HUGE part of therapy. Sophie’s teachers and therapists said that to me multiple times. Things like “No one does what you do” or “It’s nice to hear from a parent who is so involved.” You are the cream of the crop my dear, Cooper and Sawyer hit the Mom Jackpot!



    • Avatar photo findingcoopersvoice on December 3, 2014 at 2:47 pm

      Hey there lady. This comment made my day. I even teared up a little bit. I hope you are doing well!



  4. kim on November 30, 2014 at 7:50 pm

    way to go to Cooper! the sky is the limit. I have kids with ASD, CAS, down syndrome, with very limited support system, and they amaze me everyday. we can’t set our standards low for our babies!



  5. miriamgwynne on November 30, 2014 at 11:33 pm

    Keep that positivity. X



  6. A Miracle In the Works on December 3, 2014 at 4:38 am

    So amazing! I teared up at the end when she said that Cooper is in love with you. Of course! You’re an amazing mom and set of parents. What a fantastic update to share 🙂



    • Avatar photo findingcoopersvoice on December 3, 2014 at 2:48 pm

      Thanks friend!



  7. Cyn on December 3, 2014 at 2:37 pm

    So happy to read this…..seriously happy 🙂 love to read that Cooper is thriving because he’s happy. My son told me the other day he used to be so frustrated when he couldn’t “get the words out” and get “mad”. Teachers would get it wrong and he get time outs when he just wanted a break from the room. He was at his happiest when he would spend his afternoons at a private special Ed school where the teachers understood him, used visuals and loved him. Everything you wrote is so bang on…..getting the best experts is key and lose the others. Hang on tight to those who “get” Cooper. Even though I can tell you feel like you don’t know yet….that’s okay because you are building up your own personal Mommy arsenal of how to manage this journey. So happy that you all are in a great place now:)