Posts by Tabitha Cabrera
To the Struggling Mother at Target
I was recently in Target without my kids wandering as moms do when they have an opportunity to take in the magic of the red circle. As I walked up to the register, I saw a Mom with two daughters, one in the cart sitting quietly and one becoming upset. As we both waited to check out, I could see the young girl getting more and more dysregulated. I watched as the Mom started to try and navigate the situation. Her daughter then began to yell. This wasn’t a tantrum…
Read MoreA Tired Mom: Embracing Support and Asking for Help
Today I had an interesting thought cross my mind. It was in passing as I was pouring coffee and starting my day. It was “I am tired of taking care of myself.” What does this mean to me? Every day I have to work hard to recognize what I am feeling. To be conscious about not shutting off, to add in moments that light up my spirit, to share with others, to eat and exercise for my brain, and to just keep standing in it all. It has taken a…
Read MoreI Dreamt I Had a Conversation With My Non-speaking Daughter
Last night I had a dream I had a conversation with my daughter. She is four years old, autistic, and non-speaking. Her little voice has been on my mind lately. As her age and receptive language, her understanding of language, had gone up so has her frustration. I think often about how hard she works to communicate her needs, wants, and feelings. She is an excellent communicator. I often wonder what it would be like to know how she is feeling, what she really wants me to know. I think…
Read MoreWould They Connect The Way Siblings Do?
I always wondered what kind of relationship my kids would have when we discovered that Nixon would have a little sister. His life changed when we brought his sister Nora home from the hospital. They are two and a half years apart, and I wondered if they would have a close relationship as my siblings and I do. I had so many additional thoughts after both of our children’s autism diagnoses. Would they connect in the way brothers and sisters do? Their connection with each other was immediate. I would…
Read MoreThe Brick Wall of Autism Advocacy
What does it truly mean to fill your life with advocacy? As parents of autistic children, we spend hours upon hours advocating for our children. I often think of it as two sides of a brick wall. On one side, you have all the people you sit across from in different settings. On the other side, you are standing holding the hand of your child. In this brick wall, one brick is missing. Through the hole, you try to use your words to explain a mountain of concepts you wish…
Read MoreOur Kids Intuitively Know the Value of Following Their Own Path
Intrinsic value means something is valuable or interesting because of its basic nature or character and not because of its connection with other things. All people are inherently valuable without their connection to other things. Our uniqueness, individual qualities, and mark on this world rely on our individuality. No two people carry the same characteristics as any other person in this world. Because of this, we all carry a special kind of value and currency. Our autistic kids, Nixon, age six, and Nora, age three, shine a special magnifying glass…
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