I wanted to give an update about Cooper’s birthday party! Overall, it went great. He did so well. He spent the majority of time on his Kindle and doing his own thing and after nearly seven years I can honestly say…that’s okay. Birthday parties in the past have been very stressful for Cooper and ultimately very stressful for mom and dad. They were especially hard at age two and three, pre autism diagnosis. Cooper didn’t want to be around people. He didn’t enjoy parties or noise or food or presents…
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I can think of a lot of struggles that Cooper and I have had over the years. He is autistic and nonverbal. That alone is hard. But to this day, one of his biggest struggles was and is getting a haircut. When Cooper was two we visited a local Cost Cutters for his first trim. We put it off forever because we knew it was going to be awful. Cooper hated to sit and be touched by strangers. So, we went very early in the morning and hoped for the…
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(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Judy Young and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) I would like to honor and thank my son’s speech therapist, Danielle Cupryk-Novascone and his occupational therapist, Julie Morrow. I couldn’t pick just one of them. They’re a team! A bit about our family and our autism journey. My name is Judy Young. My husband, Bill Young, and I live in Independence, Missouri, with our six year old Billy. Billy was diagnosed with Autism in April. His social and language delays…
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I had dinner with an old friend a few weeks ago and inevitably the conversation turned to autism and grief. It always does. My world is autism. The crazy roller coaster that it is. Over a much needed glass of wine I told her about the roller coaster of my life. I always preface by saying, it’s a lot. I swear I’m not exaggerating. I told her all about Cooper’s wins lately. I told her about his new autism center and how we are done with public education and emphasized…
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(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Wendy Lawrence and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) I would like to honor and thank two wonderful teachers that have made miraculous changes in my two children. Ms. Midgett and Ms. Massey have changed our lives so much. I cannot thank them enough. First, a little about our family. My husband and I have two children, H (5.5 years old, Autistic, ADHD), and KJ (3.5 years old and some developmental delays, being watched for additional signs of Autism). We live…
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My son is almost seven years old. He has autism. He was and is nonverbal. I like to mention that because some kiddos with autism speak at some point and lose their speech. I can’t imagine how hard that must be for parents. To hear their child speak one day and not the next must be gut wrenching. Our story is a bit different. My son has never spoke. He has never babbled. He has no approximations. He mostly screeches, screams and hums. I’ve never heard a word like sound…
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(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Amber Watts and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) The November I want to honor and thank my mom and my sister-in-law. We are working on building our daughter’s village but as of now these are the two I’m most thankful for. On the left is my mom (Reba) and on the right is my sister-in-law (Jennifer). Both with my baby girl. My daughter’s name is Kendal. She turned four on November 1st. As of now, she is nonverbal and…
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A few days ago I shared a letter I wrote for my son Sawyer. You can read it HERE. It was a toughie to share. It was brutally honest. It was real. And I really put myself out there. I purged every ounce of worry and self-doubt that I have about raising an autistic child alongside a typical child. Let’s get something straight. Cooper is an amazing little boy. He is funny and sweet and brings more joy than I can put into words. But…it’s different for me. I am…
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(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Carrie Indelicato and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) I want to tell you about the best big brother in the whole wide world, my oldest son Danny. From the moment Danny saw his baby brother Aaron he was in love! I would often come into Aaron’s room in the morning only to find Danny had gotten there first, talking to his baby brother through the slats in his crib. Whether he was planting a kiss on Aaron’s big, irresistible…
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I’ve been doing the special needs parenting thing for seven years now. I’ve learned so much about myself, my son, autism, friends, family and life in general. Having a child with a disability changes everything. I’ve learned about exhausting, relentless behaviors. I’ve learned how demanding physical care can be. I’ve completed evaluations, made phone calls, and sent emails. I’ve felt the unique, confusing heartbreak that goes into raising a child with a disability. Some parts are great. I see beauty now that I never knew existed. Some parts are heartbreaking.…
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