I don’t even know where to start with all of my emotions. I’m beyond proud of the amazing young man my son, TJ has become. He has overcome so many struggles and obstacles to get where he is today. I brought TJ home from the hospital 27 years ago. He was 4 1/2 months old and finally big and strong enough to leave the NICU. He was born at 25 weeks and just under two pounds. He had a tracheostomy placed at 3 1/2 months to wean off the ventilator,…
When I first learned my son had autism, Fear and worry consumed my heart, Wondering what his future held, And how we’d make a brand new start. But as we journeyed down this path, For in the midst of challenges, There’s also joy to be had. My son sees the world in a different way, And he’s taught me to slow down, Appreciate life’s little moments, And cherish every sound. His love for routine brings comfort, And his laughter is contagious too, He’s taught me about resilience, And…
Today is World Autism Day. This is our 12th one. As my son has gotten older, the meaning of the day has morphed for me. It used to be about education. Today, it’s about celebrating. Celebrating differences, celebrating progress, and celebrating a boy who has climbed far more mountains than I have. And ice cream and dancing. I have three boys and a girl. Four crazy, wild, busy, smart kids. Each of them is exactly who they are supposed to be. My oldest is autistic. There are a lot more…
Dear NextDoor User, I read your post this morning. I can tell you there was some perfect timing to it. See, I had just put my autistic son on his special education transportation to school. A service that I thank my lucky stars for every single day. I was taking a moment before my other three kids got up to drink some coffee and mindlessly scroll on my phone. That’s when I saw your post. And I can tell you, I had to read it a few times through. Can…
Be kind. It’s just a statement. Really quite simple when you think about it. Two words. A direction. A request. A plea. A wish. You can find it anywhere these days. On t-shirts. Hats. Bumper stickers. Tote bags. I was just sitting here thinking about kindness. See, I am a mom of four kids, one with a disability. He is 12 years old now. We are long past the wonder of the diagnosis. Past the in-between space of is he or isn’t he. Past the sting of forever. We have…
The thing with growing tiny humans is they are always changing. Learning. Absorbing. Getting bigger. My son Cooper is 12 years old. He wants to ride an Amtrak train more than anything. He has a countdown to see his Grandma. He loves going to school. He also is autistic and technically non speaking on paper. But if you know him you know he has loads of words and sounds and signs and he can spell and read and even use movie scenes to tell us things. It’s unbelievable really. They…
When I take my son out into the community he wears his headphones and people always attempt to speak with him. In those moments, I have a choice to make . . . to just go with it or to tell them that my son is autistic and non-speaking. I’m not going to lie, sometimes it is draining to explain to people over and over that my son is amazing and autistic. Sometimes I’m tempted to just go the easy route. Sometimes when he doesn’t respond and they say, “he…
She’s the girl with the big brown eyes, with lashes that go on for days. Thick brown hair that waves and swirls with red flecks that catch the sunlight. A big bright smile when the mood hits her right and a laugh that spreads like wildfire. She started this life healthy. It seemed only to become more uncomfortable by the day. Words that came early and all said with purpose and endless charm. Those very words were stolen from her with no warning or explanation, leaving silence and deep frustration. …
You just bought your dream home and in the backyard is a beautiful garden. The ground is tilled, and it’s open to plant whatever you want. All you have to do is decide what to plant. Some people may begin planting multiple kinds of fruits. Strawberries, blackberries, and maybe even plant an apple or peach tree! Some may decide that herbs and veggies are the way to go. Thyme, dill, cucumbers and carrots! And some may see an empty garden and get right to work on planting all different types…
A few days ago, someone said to a friend of mine, who has an autistic son so similar to Cooper that you’d think they were brothers, that her posts about her son were negative. She was upset of course. She didn’t feel like she was being negative. She thought she was just sharing their life. And him. And in fact, she celebrates her son much like I do Coops. I told her my hunch. That people looking in ‘think’ we are being negative when we share because our kids do…
