Posts by Chrystal Venator
Autism Awareness is Important
When I take my son out into the community he wears his headphones and people always attempt to speak with him. In those moments, I have a choice to make . . . to just go with it or to tell them that my son is autistic and non-speaking. I’m not going to lie, sometimes it is draining to explain to people over and over that my son is amazing and autistic. Sometimes I’m tempted to just go the easy route. Sometimes when he doesn’t respond and they say, “he…
Read MoreMy Non-speaking Son Is More
No one has the right to limit or devalue another person. I’ve been thinking about this so much lately. Sometimes I wonder if people realize that they are doing this through their actions, words, and (mis)treatment of others. Sometimes when people learn that my son Stalen is non-speaking, they immediately count him out, ignore him or underestimate him. It’s as if they think the world revolves around being able to speak but that’s simply not the case. Worth is not determined by spoken words. Stalen may be non-speaking but he…
Read MoreLove is Always Greater, Than Hard
My son Stalen is seven, autistic and non-speaking. He was diagnosed when he was 21 months old. He has a feeding tube and an ileostomy. I’m sharing my hard here as a parent to a child with complex needs but I know that it is hardest of all on him. He lives it every single day. HARD. It’s one word that brings about so many judgments. It highlights the challenges, struggles and encompasses all the feelings. From the moment I stepped foot in the autism world with my son I…
Read MoreI Hope My Autistic Son Finds True Friendships
As he sat on the buddy bench for a rest, my heart broke a little. I imagined him sitting here by himself, yearning for a friend. Someone who understands and accepts him. Someone other than his Mom, Dad, brother and sisters. I find it hard to build and maintain friendships and relationships. I can’t imagine how hard it is for someone who has difficulty communicating. But, I know he will find his way and learn to build and forge friendships, the Stalen way. It takes someone special to see beyond…
Read MoreShe Didn’t Know What Autism Would Bring
I wish I could tell you that the Mom in the picture was wise and ready for whatever came her way. But, she was young and naive and just getting her feet under her after the birth of her first child. Things weren’t going as they were supposed to and behind the smile, she was struggling like never before. Struggling to understand what she was doing wrong and why her baby wasn’t sleeping, eating and was doing so many repetitive things. She had read all the books and taken the…
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