Archive for June 2018
I Can’t Dwell On The Fears
It was no surprise to me. I mean, I didn’t even cry. Maybe I even zoned out a little bit. I heard him say, “What we are looking at is Autism Spectrum Disorder.” In my mind I was still thinking about why in the world playing with a baby is an important part of these assessments. He went onto say, “I am writing his prescription for 10 hours of TSS and 3 hours of BSC weekly.” I mean my son has never even played with a baby doll. Why would…
Read MoreTo the Parents of Children with Autism
We write this blog and share our story, not to get sympathy from others, but to educate others on what autism is, how different it can look from one person to the next and to offer support to others who are walking the same road. We don’t write it to complain about our life, but to celebrate life and our sons. The support for others is a big reason why we do this. To all the autism moms and dads out there: We see you, we know your struggles and…
Read MoreThe Moment It Hits You
Today, the girls and I made plans to enjoy a nice lunch outside at the Old Mill with Jack while Cam and Daddy went for haircuts. In addition to The Old Mill being my daughter Olivia’s favorite place on earth, we thought Jack would enjoy watching and feeding the ducks while we ate. I prepared as I normally do – with toys I know Jack loves, water, snacks, my phone at easy access in case I needed to put on a show, etc – the works. We are used to…
Read MoreTeaching Autistic Children to Read
We had our son Cooper’s ITP meeting on Thursday and this mama found out that her smart kid can spell hundreds of words. He’s even moved on from three letter words to four-five letter words. I about died of shock when he spelled green and blue. Looking back, I didn’t know if this would ever happen. And no one would look into their crystal ball and tell me if it was a possibility. If I could give advice to myself a year ago I would say don’t ever give up.…
Read MoreI am His Person and He is Mine
My son Cooper is always with me. Always in the same room. Always near me. We move throughout the house together. He’s my little shadow. Never doing what I’m doing. Just always near. He sits outside the bathroom door. He waits for my shower to be over. The kid that seems to be oblivious to almost everything knows where I am at all times. When I’m gone he asks for me. He waits on the porch. Or near the door. He asks for me with his speech device…’I want mom.’…
Read MoreThe Real Confessions of Special Needs Parents
Parenting is hard. I think we can all agree on that. You are raising a tiny little human from birth to adulthood without an instruction manual and silently praying they turn out sane and happy. Now imagine if that tiny little human has a diagnosis of some sort. Autism. Cerebral Palsy. Traumatic Brain Injury. The diagnosis could be physical, emotional or neurological. It could be obvious. Or maybe it’s invisible to the outside world. Scary right. You aren’t a doctor. Or a therapist or a physiologist. There is no instruction…
Read MoreLearning the Value of Self Care
Self care is EXTREMELY important. It’s the reason they tell you to put the oxygen mask on first and then give it to your kids. If you are not OK, you can not help others. Having a child with special needs is taxing, extremely taxing. In years past, I was not using self care at all. I didn’t believe in it. I didn’t think I deserved it. I thought it was selfish. I thought it was fluffy stuff. So, I ignored it and actually went the other way which was…
Read MoreA Letter to my Autistic Son
Dear sweet son, If you tell me why you fill my bathtub with stuff I will buy you a car. Or a real, life size, train car. Or all the Cheetos you could ever want. In fact, you name your price. I’ll buy it. I just need to know why emptying a shower of soap, shampoo and conditioner and walking it over to the bathtub makes so much sense to you. I want to know who you place each item so meticulously. I want to know why you are happiest…
Read MoreEven On Your Worst Mom Day…
Sometimes when I look at my son, it’s like he is not even there. The happy, sweet boy that we are learning to connect with is missing from behind his bright blue eyes. He’s completely lost. As a parent, trying to manage a meltdown from a child on the autism spectrum is incredibly difficult. But to actually experience that meltdown? I can’t even imagine. Wilson’s sensory reactions and how much his developing system can handle can be so unpredictable. His ability to understand and follow instructions has improved, but when…
Read MoreThe Power of an Extraordinary Mother
I had the honor of getting to know a family recently who has five adult children. The mother spoke in admiration as she told me that two of her son’s are doctors, one is a lawyer and one works in corporate finance. All four are married and have kids. And then there is Morgan. Their fifth. Their youngest. She is 27 and is autistic. She didn’t speak until she was five. She told me about the struggles early on. How she had to educate the schools. And navigate the system…
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