I am continuously asked how my world has changed since opening up my family and life to the world of Facebook. First, I want you to know I started the blog, Finding Cooper’s Voice, three years ago because I had no one to talk to about my son’s autism. I poured my heart out daily and had very few followers. My sole purpose was talking about my emotions around my son’s confusing disability. It was the best decision I ever made. Going Viral In January of this year, I decided…
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It was a cloudy cold Sunday in Minnesota so our family took to the beach. This is common for us. Many families of autistic children go to highly visited places on days with bad weather. Less people, less stress, less stares, and less chaos for our kids. I will be honest and say that if we get to an event, park, beach and there are a lot of people I instantly tense up. My little man is a mover and a thrower. He has no understanding of safety or social…
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Eve Megargel, author of ‘Learning to Kiss,’ is an impressive woman. I figured that out quite easily with a quick Google search. She is a published author, educator, filmmaker and advocate. But what really impressed me, and drew me to her, were her views on people with nonverbal autism. She believes that despite having no spoken words they are still communicators. She believes in setting standards for them, giving them a voice, and refusing to settle. She has been a pioneer in this way of thinking for over twenty years.…
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Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing dad’s out there that are raising Autistic kiddos. It can be a selfless job and often seems more like a caregiver role than a father. I’d like to introduce you to my son’s dad, Jamie. He is a patient and caring man and is always willing to change a diaper, spoon feed his son and take a punch when needed. Questions for an Autism Dad Happy Father’s Day to all that amazing dad’s out there that are caring for autistic children. These are…
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Many of you will look at this picture and see a boy drinking out of a cup and think…so what? This is a normal thing. How is that a big deal? To a parent that has a kiddo that struggles with using a straw, drinking water, using a cup, swallowing, pooping, using his lips, frustration, fear, rigidity, learning, trying new things, regressing…this is so much more than a picture of a boy drinking out of a cup. This is a picture of five long years of struggles finally coming together.…
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I want to share some of the craziness that is managing my Autistic son’s benefits. I am very vocal about how everything is a fight…and the services are in a vacuum. The right hand isn’t talking to the left hand. And it’s exhausting. To be honest, managing my son’s benefits is a full time job. I mean that wholeheartedly. Six months ago I learned about Cost Effective Health Insurance Premium Reimbursement. So, listen up if you live in the state of Minnesota. And, if you live in another state, it’s…
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Have you stopped thinking of your Autistic child as a certain age? I think I sorta have. While Cooper is six…cognitively, socially, behaviorally, emotionally, he is all over the board. He ranges from six months to probably four years old. Yes, he wears 6T clothes. And yes, he was born in 2010. On paper he is six years old. But in my mind, he is almost his own unique age. And, I don’t think it even is a number. In my world…age and autism don’t correlate. Having a disabled child…
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I like to give insight into my world because I think it’s really eye opening. I heard a quote once that an Autism Parent is prepared for war at all times. I think that is true. As a mom to an Autistic six year old and incredibly active four year old, I know our limits. Cooper’s daddy is going on a fishing trip this weekend and I’m flying solo with the boys. This means no going to grocery stores, no drive thru’s, no gas stations, or parks and I have…
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Autism and law enforcement is a hot topic in the news right now. Stories like the one about the ten year old boy with Autism who was arrested at his school in Florida are all over my Facebook news-feed. I continue to get questioned about it by friends and family. How do I feel about it? As a mom to a little boy with severe, nonverbal Autism my answer is…SCARED. And it’s not just about law enforcement. It’s by teachers, therapists, doctors and even strangers. I could go on and…
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I like to talk about common misconceptions surrounding Autism because I was lead astray by well-meaning friends, loving family members, a guilty, worried conscious, and the damn internet. I like to talk about misconceptions around autism because I was so confused before I knew. Before I REALLY knew. And lost. And scared. I was so desperate for my son to NOT be autistic that I believed anything I read on the internet…or that was told to me. I was a new mom with a beautiful, smart, cuddly baby boy. A baby…
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