Posts by Jennifer Dunn
The Colors of Hope: A Journey Through Autism and Discovery
What colours do you see? I cannot put into words what those five words meant to me, but I’m going to try. Hope Fierce Determination Unstoppable My daughter Kya is 13 and on the autism spectrum. She was diagnosed at two and a half. She was nonverbal. When my daughter was diagnosed, not knowing if I would ever hear her speak was gut, wrenching, and unless you’ve ever had a child like mine, you could never truly understand the sadness. In fact, it was her lack of language that let…
Read MoreOur Border Experience: A Need For Autism Training
“Why would you bring her?” Those five words sent chills down my spine. My daughter Kya is 13 and on the autism spectrum. Sometimes the simplest of things can be hard for her. And things that most take for granted like waiting, sleep, and language. Last weekend I took Kya to the States to buy the Gerber yoghurt melts that she loves. We live in Canada, and we only have a certain kind, and she loves the ones that are available in the States. On our way home going through…
Read MoreIt Wasn’t Always This Way: A Journey of Autism and Triumph
Sometimes something small will remind me how far we both have come on this journey. My autistic daughter loves getting a mani/pedi. She comes with me to every appointment. She looks forward to it and she loves going on IG looking at nail colours for her upcoming visit. It wasn’t always this way. In fact, my daughter used to struggle with outings. There were stretches of time we didn’t/couldn’t leave our home. Salons are loud. They are always full of people with music playing tools running and all of that…
Read MoreLanguage Is Something So Many Take for Granted
As I sat on the floor beside the bathtub last night, I had a full on back and forth conversation with my daughter. Language is something so many take for granted it’s something I took for granted before I had a child that didn’t speak. If you would’ve told me that my daughter would speak her first word at five I would’ve thought you were crazy. But at five years old it was the first time my daughter spoke. And today, my daughter is a couple of months shy of…
Read MoreMaking Her Feel Safe and Happy
My daughter, Kya is twelve and on the autism spectrum. Like most parents I wanted my daughter to get an education because that was what I thought was important and let me be very clear, reading and writing and an education are very important, but when you take a step back and live a different kind of life than the average typical person things shift on what is important. Self- care, self awareness and independence is most important for my daughter. My daughter has to know life skills. She has…
Read MoreSomeone Asked Me When I Accepted Autism
Someone asked me the other day when I accepted autism. The mom asking was early into her autism journey and honestly wondering when the moment comes. I could not answer. There was not a defining moment. It took me years to come to terms with the direction our lives took and every day I figure it out a little more, but I don’t think I will ever fully accept it. I will always wonder. I am human. That does not mean I do not accept my daughter for who she…
Read MoreNever Give Up and Never Stop Trying
My daughter is twelve and on the autism spectrum. Some of the hardest things for kiddos on the spectrum for my daughter anyway, are lines and noise and too many people. In years past that has been a recipe for disaster. Last night, I took my daughter to Glow with her bestie and mom and it was the first time we were able to walk through due to Covid restrictions over the past couple years. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but last night blew away any expectations I could’ve…
Read MoreIt’s Okay Sit In The Grief
I was chatting with someone from my previous life the other day and it got me thinking how much I have changed. We chatted about life, work, relationships, and kids. I say previous life because I am simply not the person I was before autism. As I settled into this new life it chipped away at me piece by piece and I fundamentally changed as a person. In fact, it changed my entire outlook on life. The things that mattered just didn’t anymore. I quickly learned what was important and…
Read MoreThe Isolation of Autism
There were a lot of things I did not know when my daughter was diagnosed with Autism, but what was most surprising to me was the isolation. I guess the easiest way to explain it is to remember how much you hated isolation during the pandemic. That was our everyday life. Isolation did not happen immediately. It was overtime and yet it seemed to happen overnight. We went from playdates to therapy and that set us apart. We were no longer carefree. We were thrust into a world neither of…
Read MoreShe Has A Friend
When my daughter began her new school, I was hopeful. I knew there would be some learning and life skills but if I am being honest what I really wanted most for her was a friend. Of course, I wanted her to learn and to become more independent and all those things are happening, but a friend was something I wanted for her. My daughter does not have sleepovers or go to the mall with a friend. She does not talk on the phone (is that still a thing?) but…
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