Isolation. Special needs parenting is isolating for me. I know it’s my deal. I choose to give my daughter all I have. But I am also just doing what I know to do. I am admittedly exhausted. Burnt out even. People always ask, ‘How is Lexie doing?’ Sometimes, I really just wish they would ask how I am doing. With all of her multiple diagnoses and challenges in many ways she is doing better then her Mama. What do I do everyday? I cook because providing nutritious, delicious food is…
I know a lot of friends are waiting to hear about our day at the Mayo Clinic. I have so much to say. And tomorrow I will do a video. But tonight I am sad. And I’m just going to be sad for a while. Autism is so unbelievably hard. Some part of me always believed that this was going to get better. I thought maybe, just maybe, someday, he’d snap out of it. He’d start talking. He’d tell me about his day. He’d call me mom. I thought someday…
Everyday I struggle. I am used to accomplishing things, crossing things off my list, working everyday, juggling the 3 boys and their activities, homework, dinner and all the things. I am still learning to accept our new normal- my new normal. The days are very long and there is lots of time with William. The journey itself has been long. After a year and a half of testing, therapies, day treatment and hospitalization my sweet 11 year old now has an ASD diagnosis from Fraser, along with Anxiety and ADHD…
Last April, Cooper and I were playing at an inclusive playground in our town. The park was developed by a family of a little girl with Cerebral Palsy. It was the one place that I felt comfortable bringing Cooper alone. With inclusive playgrounds, the objective is to include everyone. They are thoughtfully designed to provide a safe place where children of all abilities can play together, and are developmentally appropriate for children with and without disabilities. Just as the name suggests, inclusive playgrounds have another mission that goes beyond the physical accommodations and specialized equipment.…
Yesterday, we had a social worker visit at our house to chat about Cooper’s waiver and complete paperwork for the upcoming year. This is nothing new. We have people in our home constantly discussing Cooper. That’s the world of autism. We used to have friends come over for dinner and drinks and now we have social workers and therapists come over and talk about autism. Oh, how life changes. Anyhow, yesterday was especially chaotic. Even for us. Sawyer wanted to make jello. He wanted a drink and a snack and…
I am my seven year old autistic son’s person. I have been since the day he was born. He looks for me in a crowd. He seeks me out in our home. He demands me. He is always touching me. If he is wandering he demands that I am the person that follows behind. If I take a break to relax than he is clinging to me until I get up. And until recently he never developed relationships with other people. He didn’t see the value. People in our lives…
Sometimes I still can’t believe that this is my life. My son is the one in whatever the number is now. I am that mom. That is our family. I still honestly believe he will surprise us all. He’ll be the one you hear about. The one where when they’re older you’d never know. I am not ashamed of my son, nor his disability. It is a part of him and makes him who he is. But what I wouldn’t give to just make things a little easier for him. …
Dear Son, I’m writing you this letter, a letter that I know you will most likely never read, mainly because I will probably hide it from you. I have so much that I want to tell you, but with you being only 7 years-old, I feel like this may be too much for you, so instead, I will share it with other parents, who, hopefully, will understand. There are things that, if I had the power, I would change to make your life better. But my job isn’t to change…
A few months ago my autistic, but otherwise extremely healthy child was denied life insurance. I was shocked and confused. When Cooper was born, in preparation for college, Jamie and I started a savings plan for the him that could be converted into dollars for college tuition. Smart right?! Recently, I received a letter in the mail that notified us that Cooper was denied coverage. I was irate. Autism is not a death sentence. My son is healthy. He has no medical conditions. An At-Risk Life After following up I…
Whoa. Just looking at the title makes me overwhelmed. Where to start? There can be so much in just one day….. SO MUCH! And let me preface this post by saying our day does not necessarily describe another family’s day with Autism. Each kiddo is different, their struggles are different and each family’s experience is slightly different. With that being said, yes, there will be similarities as well, but one family’s experience does not encompass every family’s experience with Autism. Our son Charlie…..well, he’s amazing. Simple as that. He has…
