Having the Only Autistic Kid at the Party

I want to tell you something I’ve learned. If you read my blog regularly you know that I talk mostly about my experiences raising an autistic child and how they make ME feel. I feel like I rarely ever give advice because I spend 95% of the time in survival mode. And autism is the biggest mystery in the world to me. But I try to help when I can. So I am pretty excited to say that I had an epiphany this weekend. I guess you could call it self growth.…

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Mostly, Autism Is Just Lonely….

You can ask any autism parent about what it’s like to raise a little person with a big diagnosis. You will get many answers about what it’s like. And that’s because there are no two autistic people that are the same. And on top of that, I think parents acknowledge and accept it in different ways. For me autism is frustrating. And exhausting. And heartbreaking. And dreadfully hopeful. And painful. And above all a process. A slow process that crawls along with glimpses of the future. Autism is expensive. And SO…

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I Saw the Autism in My Son

Most days I don’t think about Autism. Not the word or the disorder or anything to do with it. Cooper is just Cooper and he is who he is. And that’s that. Dare I say I was getting cocky. I may even say I let my guard down. Since we did the move and put Coops in intensive therapy there are parts of him that seem almost healed. Or normal. Or whatever PC word I’m allowed to say. Zero meltdowns, good transitions, improved skills, etc. Still no words but great…

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It all Started with a Little Boy

Sometimes I get so caught up in the appointments and therapies and sadness and emotions that I actually forget Cooper is a 4 year old boy. An extremely sensitive, precocious, naughty little boy who is obsessed with hugs and holding hands. Who squeals every single day to be tickled and chased and thrown in the air. And a little boy who just mastered waving hello and goodbye and believes that when he waves to a person the situation should be over immediately. Sigh, my sweet boy…if only that were true.…

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