May 12, 2018

New VIDEO: The Difference a Year Can Make

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Oh the difference a year can make. If you would’ve told me last May that my son would be where he is now…I would’ve probably thought you were crazy. I would’ve for sure cried.

One year ago, our autistic son had MAJOR problems with school, eating, sleeping, behaviors, safety, communicating, ear infections and constipation. Jamie and I felt like we were failing. Or at least it felt that way. We couldn’t get help. We couldn’t get doctors to listen to us. We couldn’t get a team put together. We were battling the county and what felt like the world. We had no services. And honestly, our hope was dwindling.

We started thinking about the next five years. And ten years. And even twenty. It was daunting. We even started to turn on each other. Our conversations about our son had turned to survival. Even ‘quality of life.’

Every day we woke up to a new behavior. A new crisis. It had started to make us crazy. And that just wasn’t us.

I remember one day I woke up and said, NO MORE. We need to get back to a good place. We needed to get back to living.

So, here is what I did.

And today, our life is DRASTICALLY different. And so is Cooper’s. We no longer spend days reacting. Now, we can actually make a plan. We can be proactive and set goals.

And don’t think for one minute that any of these changes were easy. They were all HUGE. MONUMENTAL. But we committed. And at times we almost gave up. But we kept going.

And it paid off huge.

Here is how we did it.

https://youtu.be/DS2c4V-bTw0

(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or an educator. Just a mom. A mom who had to make the decision to go against typical path in order to give her son his best life.)

Finding Cooper’s Voice is a safe, humorous, caring and honest place where you can celebrate the unique challenges of parenting a special needs child. Because you’re never alone in the struggles you face. And once you find your people, your allies, your village….all the challenges and struggles will seem just a little bit easier. Welcome to our journey. You can also follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our newsletter.

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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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1 Comments

  1. Jill on May 15, 2018 at 5:02 pm

    Amen! You did it Kate. Cooper would not have made these gains (perhaps ever) if you had not been brave enough to fight for a better quality if life. Kudos for spreading the light!