Archive for October 2021
Do What Works for Your Family and Your Child
When it comes to Halloween and autism….whew, there is a lot of advice out there. And have you noticed a lot of it is really intense? Like almost intimidating? A lot of it makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong as a parent. Blue buckets. Signs. Saying trick-or-treat. Everyone should get candy. Do this. Not that. What I find the most interesting about all the preachy advice is that the ones giving it aren’t walking with our family on Halloween. They don’t know what works for us and what…
Read MoreThey Walk
See these two boys? They are brothers. One is 10 and one is 8. They both have birthdays coming up and at least once a day I hear… ‘First Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Cooper’s birthday and then mine!’ This family loves their birthdays. This photo may look like no big deal and when I snapped it, as the little brother walked his older brother into his first day of school this year, I remember pausing and thinking…this is it. This is what I prayed for. Every day. While driving. In…
Read MoreAs Special Needs Parents…This is What We Hope For And Work Towards
Independence….. Today was the start of more “independence” for our son Alex! We live in a more rural area so we don’t have public transportation or taxis. They are unreliable. We have “Rides”…you call and schedule well ahead of time and they come take you where you need to go. So, today we started this service for Alex for his Day-Hab days. He always loved riding the bus so he was actually looking forward to this. He trotted out there like he’d done it a thousand times. Only potential issue…
Read MoreHis World Makes Him Happy
Let me tell you about this boy. He is one of a kind for starters. Which is one of my most favorite things about him. He dances to music no one else can hear with courage and joy. He is more himself than any person I have ever met. Unapologetically. But he also comes with some pretty strict rules. Ones he has created himself. He does not stay up late. Nope. By 9 pm he is in bed every night. He watches the same movies on repeat. And has since…
Read MoreFinding Our Brave
We’ve gotten pretty good at saying no over the past five years. Turning down things with friends. Things with family. Because sometimes autism is just too much. Sometimes the overstimulation and the repercussions aren’t worth it. But today, Jackson made huge strides. We’re trying to climb out of our comfort zones and learn to live again. Opportunity pops up… Dock diving with Jackson and Max with the dog trainers we’re currently working with through Smokin Guns Working Dog Club . Scuba Steve’s Maligator Swamp opened for business today for local…
Read More3 Halloween Safety tips for Kids with Autism
Picture it: It is October 31st. Your neighborhood is alive with the buzz of kids trick-or-treating from house-to-house. You are walking hand-in-hand with your child, who is looking cuter than ever in their over-the-top costume. But instead of excitement as a parent, you feel something quite different: Fear. Anxiety. Worry. Why? Because as a parent of a child with autism, trick-or-treating brings with it much more than fun. It brings with it the need to protect your child at all costs. Protect them from overstimulation. From people who misunderstand their…
Read MoreYou are Welcome Here
You are welcome here. I see so many posts online telling parents how to feel about their child’s diagnosis. Some tell them to only see the positive. To celebrate every part of it. Some shame them for saying they are scared. Or hard. Or that they are worried. Some tell them they are awful parents. Some ridicule them for thinking a certain way. Some act self riotous because they didn’t shed a tear when their child was diagnosed. And they shame anyone who did. I read those posts and they…
Read MoreSome Days I Want More
Some days I want more. Hi there. My name is Kate. I am a mother to four children. I share that because my life is full. Fuller than full. There is very little quiet. There is never a day without laundry. And I get no less than a hundred hugs a day. I am an expert in putting bandaids on owies, blowing on mac and cheese, and finding blankets before bed. Skills I never knew would be so important and vital to life. My first born, Cooper, is ten. He…
Read MoreFinding the Silver Lining
Today was not a good day. Yesterday or the the day before was not a good day. My faith is shrinking. My patience is thin. My heart heavy and sad. And a lump in my throat is persistent. I sit with my head in my hands, holding back the tears. Tears of sadness, anger or frustration..I don’t know, maybe all at once. He is so unhappy. He is so angry. Why does he always scream? Why does he always want to hurt us? His OCD is so severe, it causes me anxiety.…
Read MoreDaddy, I’ve Been Watching You
Today, while driving in the car, we heard these lyrics: “He said I’ve been watching you dad, ain’t that cool…I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you….And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are…We like fixing things and holding mama’s hand…Yeah we’re just alike, hey ain’t we dad…I wanna do everything you do…So I’ve been watching you.” I started to tear up. I got to thinking about our little boy. Nathan is 5 and is non-verbal with autism. He can say some words when prompted but cannot…
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