Autism
When I Dream I Hear Your Voice
When I dream, I hear your voice. The sweet song that will be snatched away by the light of day and eyes awake. You tell me stories of your life, a life that I have never known and will never know outside of eyes closed. You sing tenderly to me as we walk hand in hand. Your body moves like velvet falling over a keyboard. Smooth. Gentle. Quiet. You point to fascinations and exclaim delight. All the words that you require are no longer lost. You are no longer lost.…
Read MoreHelping Your Children Find Their Way
When your son shouts “Shopping!” at 6:50am, you forget about a lie in, pull on yesterday’s joggers, and get your son dressed. You react to a verbal request with no hesitation. You do it because you have spent years waiting for your son to talk. Years crouching down, holding up picture sequence cards and trying to work out what your son wants. Years praying to hear his voice, the tone, the amplification, the bit of his personality that you have waited to get to know. As you turn into the…
Read MoreSaying “Yes” to Help Doesn’t Make You Weak
Let’s see if this sounds familiar to any of you. A few months ago I was at the vet with my two dogs and two kids. As I sat there struggling, I was trying to keep two dogs back from trying to greet all the other dogs in the room. I had my autistic son in between my legs keeping him from collapsing on the floor and stopping him from running free. I had the dog’s paperwork in one hand being juggled and occasionally falling on the floor. My daughter…
Read MoreThe Calm to Their Chaos
Life has slowed down over here. We are so used to running to and from, in and out. But we don’t mind. Because we have a baby to hold and snuggle. Sawyer and Harbie fight over who gets to hold her next. Harbie insists she is his baby. Sawyer, being a mature 8, refuses to argue but also insists that she is his. And Cooper, he is still taking his time. I know he’s proud though because this morning he tapped me on the shoulder to get my attention, and…
Read MoreHe Grew up Overnight
My toddler aged years overnight. He was tiny when I left. A little boy when I came home. I keep studying him, stealing kisses and hugs, trying to stop time. It’s not working though. Because my older two look like teenagers now. And in the question of why did post-partum Kate cry about today…while doing dishes? Sawyer told me that two of his neighborhood friends are in his older brother Cooper’s general Ed classroom, which he visits throughout the day. And they told Sawyer that his older brother is cool…
Read MoreA Life Without Words
Six years ago, a therapist tough loved me. My son had recently been diagnosed with autism. On paper he was what they call nonverbal. There are lots of ways to explain what that means. It’s not black and white. It’s a complicated, unique, description. For him, it meant he had no spoken words. Not one. He had no consistent sounds for certain words either. He didn’t use sign language. Or a speech device. He couldn’t type his wants or needs. It meant if his sock was bunched or his head…
Read MoreA Family of Six
Well, we survived our first day and night as a family of six! Some things were as we expected. Some were a surprise. Sawyer is an amazing big brother and he fell in love instantly. Cooper is taking his time to get to know her and we are in no way rushing him. He acknowledged her at first and is now keeping his distance. Harbie is obsessed with her. At age two we didn’t quite know how he’d respond to her. Well, it’s all love. She is his baby and…
Read MoreWelcome to the World Wynter Margaret Swenson
Jamie and I are so excited to introduce to you all…Wynter ‘Wynnie’ Margaret Swenson. She was born yesterday, midday, and is the most perfect addition to our family. I cannot wait for the boys to meet her. A huge thank you to the amazing staff at Woodwinds Hospital. Our care was exceptional. And a special thank you to Nurse Betsy for her patience and kindness to our us. She was the best of the best. Finding Cooper’s Voice is a safe, humorous, caring and honest place where you can celebrate…
Read MoreThree Extraordinary Boys
I just saw something on Facebook that said I’m not supposed to say my autistic son is resilient or brave or strong. I’m not supposed to say his siblings are amazing either. I guess all of that is insulting to a disabled person. And maybe that’s true. I guess I don’t know all of the rules. And I would never want to offend someone. What I do know is I am a really proud mom. My first born, he was diagnosed with autism at age 3. At the time, I…
Read MoreHer Successes Matter Too
It’s that time of year again, graduation. As I scroll through Facebook, I see post after post of adoring parents boasting the accomplishments of their children: Grade Point Average, college pursuits, athletic achievements, class rankings, and more. These parents are excited and proud! They and their children have worked very hard and this is their time to celebrate the achievements of their children. This year, I am among them. My third child is graduating from high school. So it’s my turn to boast: He’s Valedictorian, ranked 7th in his class with a 4.14…
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