Archive for April 2018
New Video: Moving and Cyber Bullying
Hello friends! I am so excited to do a quick video this morning. I’m going to cover two topics. Moving and Slander/Cyber Bullying. Both topics are equally interesting and I recommend you watch through the whole video. As many of you know, our family is moving once again. Many of you have asked questions about how Cooper handles moving and how we prepare him for a positive transition. This is Cooper’s fifth move. He is surprisingly resilient and handles the transitions very well. As his parents, we also do everything…
Read MoreWe Don’t Need to Decide What is Worse
My ah-ha moment really has nothing to do with my son or his autism. But more about how moms in the special needs world view and treat each other. About three years ago, I met one of the most important people in my life. My close friend Carrie. She has a little guy who is 4 ½ and has nonverbal autism. My autistic 6 ½ year old is verbal. So, they are basically opposites. Carries lives pretty far from me, so we don’t get to see each other often. But…
Read MoreEmbracing their Differences
I have two absolutely amazing little boys. One is 7 and one is 5. They are both blonde. They are both happy. They are both silly. I gave birth to them both. They are two years apart. And that is where their similarities end. My boys are like night and day. Personalities, likes, dislikes, fears, hopes, dreams, etc. All different. And that’s okay to say out loud. I’m not afraid of differences. Not anymore. In the beginning yes. I’m human. And differences can be scary. But time helped all that.…
Read MoreDiagnosis Day
1 in 189 girls are diagnosed with autism. Today, my girl officially became the 1. I pictured her soaring in with a superwoman cape and “saving” all the other little girls from this fate. But as we know, it’s not a choice like that. I’ve never worked so hard for a piece of paper I didn’t ever want. The piece of paper saying my daughter has a chronic disability for which she can never be cured took nearly a year of constant phone calls, evaluations to submit, i’s to be…
Read MoreA Message From a Self Advocate
Since it’s Autism Awareness month, my daughter Alexa wanted to share something with you. Here is a little background on my beautiful daughter. At 6 yrs old, Alexa was diagnosed with Autism. Everything suddenly made sense! All the quirks, the struggles, sensory issues, etc… It wasn’t just the apraxia of speech. Now our goal became two fold; 1) to provide her with all the support she needs and 2) to help her love and embrace her differences and to be proud of them. At first, every time we would talk…
Read MoreWhen You’re Afraid to Say the Words Aloud
I like to think that after 14 years of living with autism, I’ve learned a few things. I read, and still read, everything I come across about the subject. When my oldest daughter was diagnosed in 2005, I spent a good year doing every possible intervention or “cure” there was. Mind you this was the time before social media and Jenny McCarthy’s book was one of the few books offering recovery. Defeat Autism Now (DAN) doctors provided the needed medical intervention including hyperbaric chambers, yeast detox, allergy testing, diet changes…
Read MoreBrother, Wanna Help Me Build A Fort?
A new thing is happening at our house. Sawyer wants Cooper to ‘help’ him with his antics. Fort building, trying to convince mom and dad to go to a pool, late night ice cream runs. It’s pretty cute. ‘Cooper!! Wanna help me build a fort? Yes or no? Yes? Come on Cooper. Come on. Mom said it’s ok!’ And off they run. Cooper has no idea what he’s agreeing too either. But he doesn’t care. My heart melts. Just the sound of Sawyer saying Cooper’s name in a sentence. It’s…
Read MoreTraveling with Severe Autism
We just got back from a 3-day trip to Washington, DC. To say that I was dreading this trip would be an understatement. Plane rides, security checks, hotels, crosswalks, crowds, the unknown – all of this is so overwhelming for our family. You see, we have three amazing kids, but Drew, our 13-year-old son, has severe autism. He is non-verbal and really doesn’t like to venture very far outside of his routine and typical home/school/therapy environments. Or does he? This trip literally started off with a disaster of the epic…
Read MoreEverything I Wish I Could Say…
As autism awareness month continues, I’m flooded with so many thoughts and emotions. Our son was diagnosed almost three years ago and this journey has been life changing. I love my beautiful son Maddux. He is the center of our world. But, I hate autism a lot of days and what it steals from our family. I grieve the life our son would be living when I see other young boys his age. It kills me inside and is something I will always struggle with. Most days I’m brave and…
Read MoreWould I Skip the Hard Chapters?
This morning Jamie, Sawyer and I went to church to celebrate Easter. Typically, it’s just Sawyer and I because someone has to stay home with Cooper. But since it’s a special day, I wanted Jamie to join us. As usual I felt the sting of leaving Cooper behind with his aunt as we left for church. Today, he even halfheartedly grabbed his shoes to come with us. What I wouldn’t give to do something as a family of four. Just once. I’m pretty sure that most people think we only…
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