Any parent who has sent their child off to school knows how emotional that first day can be. So many thoughts run through your head leading up to that big day. Will they find their way to their classroom okay? Will they know where to go to the bathroom? Will they make friends to play with at recess? What if they miss the bus to come home? When you have a child with autism, those thought turns in to fears, and they seem to quadruple in quantity. You have likely…
This past week my son Brayden was child of the week. I had an opportunity to go into his classroom and talk with the class about Autism. We talked about Brayden and how he loves to swim, jump on trampolines, play in the sand, and swing just like they do. We talked about ways that we all cope if we are frightened, scared, or sad, and what that may look like for Brayden. The kids had an opportunity to try on his ear phones, weighted vest, blanket, and body sock.…
To all the parents whose kids most likely won’t trick-or-treat tonight. I understand what you are feeling. I am you. My child is yours. Another holiday. Another thing that will be a struggle. Another day that most kids enjoy. That they wait for. They they get excited about. Except, your child doesn’t. Another thing that should be easy. Simple. Except, it’s not. I want to acknowledge how hard it is to have a child that doesn’t care about holidays, birthdays, the tooth fairy, presents, visiting Santa, etc. It has nothing…
I am a 56 year old mother in Florida with twin boys – one with autism and one without. They are now 19 years old. I knew my son had autism before he turned 2 – when I look back on it – I think he had it from birth. They were born at 28 weeks and had to spend 2 months in NICU. He always hated the bright lights and noise in there – would try to pull out his IV’s – had to have music to calm him…
You know the thrill of going down a roller coaster? You’re incredibly terrified, gripping the sides, white knuckles and all. You can’t even seem to breathe. You’re dizzy, and everything is a blur. It’s so loud you can’t hear a thing. You just know you’re about to be sick. Your hair is in your face and your stomach is in your throat. “What am I going to do?” you ask. You feel completely out of control, like wherever this things takes me, that’s where I’m going. You just have to believe…
I am so excited to share with you how we are adjusting to baby Harbor and to being a family of five. We are twelve days in! Honestly, overall, it’s going VERY, VERY well. In so many ways we are just your typical family adjusting to having a new baby. There are moments of chaos of course. But, there are also so many parts that are so much harder. Cooper still needs 100% of his self care administered. He can’t get his own snack or drink, or dress himself, or…
Cooper has a new brother! Welcome to the world, Harbor Edwin Swenson — born Oct. 9 at 4:17pm, weighing in at 8 lbs 7 oz. Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers. We are settling in at home! Sawyer is over the moon excited and asking to hold him every five minutes. Cooper is cautiously excited and slowly warming up to being near him. He laughs every time he squeaks and gets very nervous when he cries. https://www.facebook.com/findingcoopersvoice/videos/1932980700337447/ Interested in writing for Finding Cooper’s Voice? LEARN MORE Finding Cooper’s…
My kid is awesome. He is seven. He also has nonverbal autism. And even though he may never do the things typical kids do or even meet typical milestones…we are okay. He is amazing in his own way. I will give him his best life. And as his mother, I refuse to let myself dwell on the hard parts. The sadness. The things he will never do. It’s not healthy. It’s not who I am. And honestly, it’s just too sad. So, I use my energy to focus on the…
This weekend my son Cooper is spending time with his grandparents. He is getting spoiled, doted on, and loved in that special way only grandparents can do. We needed this break. We just welcomed a new baby into our world. Our five year old Sawyer needed a break. Mom and dad needed it. Cooper needed it. Within 30 minutes of dad dropping him off, I let out the breath I had been holding. The breath I have to hold when I have Cooper. The breath I often don’t know I…
I love this reminder: With Halloween upon us, please keep in mind, a lot of little people will be visiting your home. Be accepting. The child who is grabbing more than one piece of candy may have poor fine motor skills. The child who takes forever to pick out one piece of candy may have motor planning issues. The child who does not say trick or treat or thank you may be non-verbal. The child who looks disappointed when they see your bowl might have allergies. The child who isn’t…
