Something happened yesterday. Something huge. But I missed it because life was happening. I had a baby crying and on my hip. The stove timer was yelling at me reminding me that the asparagus was done. We needed to get to Miracle League Sports. My middle son had baseball practice. And that’s when it happened. During all of that. My son Cooper said the word car. Which I guess doesn’t sound all that great. Everyone can say car right? Well, my boy is unique. He is 12 years old. He…
One minute and 3 seconds. That’s how long the voicemail was from the school today. About my son. Cooper. He is 12 years old. He has severe nonverbal autism. It wasn’t the first. It won’t be the last. It was kind. And came from a place of love and concern. We live in the special education world. I call it a secret world. And it truly is. I’m not sure anyone would deny it. Because I am raising three other small humans and have never experienced anything with them like…
I’ve been thinking a lot about parenting lately. And the pressure to do it one way or another. Maybe it’s the social media influencing me. Or maybe it’s having four entirely different kids growing up at rapid speed in a world that doesn’t always make sense. I suppose it started with getting an epidural or not. Then to breastfeed or formula feed. Cry it out. Baby led weaning. Gentle vs free range parenting. Looking back those decisions seem so minor. My big kids are getting older now. 12 and 10.…
I stumbled across an old blog post of mine the other day titled, ‘What if my son never speaks to me?’ The words that followed were filled with fear and longing. My son was 5. And my hope had ran out. Why? Well, someone, a professional, had told me that if my son, a little boy with severe, nonverbal autism, didn’t speak by age four, then game over. I was crushed. Devastated. Heartbroken. As I read my fears displayed on my computer screen, I had this urge to hug the…
Some days, I wish we could just be. As a mother, I want the best for my children and our family. But sometimes, the pressure to do it all can be overwhelming. As a parent of a child with autism, the pressure can be even greater. There are countless therapies, sensory toys, vitamins, and schedules that are touted as essential for our children’s growth and development. But with so much information out there, it’s easy to feel like we’re not doing enough or doing it all wrong. I’ve often felt…
What if I told you there are some harmful misconceptions out there leading to some talented and deserving autistic employees not receiving job opportunities. I can relate to this as someone who is autistic and sometimes had challenges finding meaningful employment. Today, after overcoming many of my obstacles, I’m a certified professional speaker who gets to talk with companies as part of professional development about tapping into untapped talent pools. One untapped talent pool we need to talk about is the autism community. The reason it’s untapped? While the unemployment…
My Boys, Because of you, I will always know that the month of April is Autism Awareness Month. We don’t just celebrate the start of Spring, but recognize what makes you uniquely YOU. Because of you, our family life is a little bit more crazy. We aren’t able to travel like a lot of families, but our little vacations we do take are fantastic. Because of you, your siblings are stretched in so many ways. But, they have learned to be the most compassionate and empathetic brothers and sisters you…
A year after Benton’s diagnosis, we began the search for private speech therapy. We had received services from the Tennessee Early Intervention System since he was 18 months and would lose the therapy services the day he turned three. The school system would take over his care, and we would supplement with private therapy. Our insurance refused to pay for private therapy, but we felt like Benton would benefit greatly from a few more hours of services outside of preschool. We walked into the speech clinic, and we were taken…
I used to pray for a glimpse inside my nonspeaking son’s world. Simple things… Why does he love trains so much? What’s his favorite color? Why will he eat apple sauce out of a cup but not a pouch? But big things too… Is he happy? What does he want to be when he grows up? What is he afraid of? Does he know how loved he is? For years, I had no idea. I was walking blind as a mother. Today, my sweet boy is 12 years old. He’s…
I heard his little voice before I saw him. ‘Cooper. Cooper. We don’t hurt our body. We love it.’ I peeked around the corner. What I saw made me gasp. The four year old who wants to be 10 like his next older brother. Blonde hair. Bare feet. Scabbed over knees from a crash on his bike. A Paw Patrol costume half on. He was holding a Ninja Turtle in one hand. The other hand was stretched out. Holding his older brother’s hand. Cooper. He is 12 years old. And…
