Guest Post
Will This be Our Forever?
My son, I’m waiting to read you your nightly story, like I do every night, like I have for years. You still play with Thomas The Train and watch childlike videos. You still need to be bathed just like a young child. I wonder if I’ll do this forever or if one day you’ll grow up. You see, you are actually all grown up physically. You’re a grown up 20-year old man but cognitively…well, that’s a different story. I know some things will change, but what I don’t know is…
Read MoreIf Only My Parents Knew This
My mom and dad raised three children. My sister, Lauren, was the first-born, and then came my brother, Aaron, and lastly, me. My sister has Asperger’s Syndrome, which is a high functioning form of autism, diagnosed at the age of four. Like any daughter, there are things I wished my parents did differently. I wished they never got a divorce, I wished they worked together instead of spent their days fighting, and I wished they were able to take a step back from autism so that they could evaluate our…
Read MoreAt Almost Thirty, it Suddenly Feels Different.
This week is my birthday. I will be 27 years old. Almost 30 as my best friend keeps jokingly reminding me. I’ve always loved birthdays. I used to celebrate for the whole entire month. This year though, the thought of my birthday can bring me to tears. I find myself wondering, where has all of the time gone? When I got divorced, at 22, I was just a kid. I remember thinking, I have all the time in the world. I don’t need a man, anyway. I can do it all…
Read MoreAccepting Our Reality
It could be worse. I have repeated these four words while laying in bed crying, feeling helpless over my son’s recent autism diagnosis. All my hopes and dreams for his future no longer existed. What’s going to happen? I can’t explain the feeling that sets in, your child has a life long disability. The feeling of panic took over me. Some days consumed me. The sleepless nights and anxiety take a toll. It could be worse, he is healthy. Will he be a victim of discrimination, taken advantage of, mocked or hurt?? …
Read MoreLiving Behind Closed Doors
There’s a saying we’ve all heard before ‘behind closed doors’. It alludes to not knowing the entire story since there is something being handled in private. I suppose being the parent of a special needs child is much like that. We tend to lead two very separate lives. And sometimes we do it so efficiently and effortlessly so many are none the wiser. It doesn’t happen overnight. We slowly seem to adapt and overcome, but are we? For years my husband worked at a local prison that was close to…
Read MoreTo the Bus Driver I Do Not Know
You don’t understand how hard it is to let go of my child’s hand in the morning and hand him over to you. You don’t know how long it took me to make this decision…to let him ride the bus. Some may say it’s brave or courageous to trust another with your child’s life. I sometimes think it can be daring but also really unwise. In today’s world we live in, we must worry about things that could happen. Yes, I understand it’s hard for most parents to watch their…
Read MoreCelebrating Autistic Women and Autism Mothers for Women’s History Month
Without the voices of strong autistic women in our community and the support of women like my mom, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I was recently contacted by an autism mom who told me about her 30-year-old autistic daughter who is about to have a baby. She said that she was proud of me for using my voice as a public speaker and self-advocate to spotlight others. If you are reading this, I don’t know why, but this instinctively made me think of Women’s History Month and…
Read MoreWhy Special Needs Mom’s Need to Find Their Tribe
I remember being in college and hanging out with friends all the time. You had your education friends, the friends you made during Freshman orientation. If someone was walking down the hall talking about Skyline Chili or LaRosa’s Pizza you’d hop in the car with them and go. Those were the good old days. The fun days. Then you get married and have kids and all of sudden your life is so unrecognizable and somehow during labor you forget how to make friends. It becomes this awkward thing. Where you…
Read MoreMy Son is More Than His Diagnosis
On this day 6 years ago, our son Shawn Corey received his official diagnosis of mild to moderate Autism. I can’t even begin to describe or express how we have all grown since then. I can’t even find the right words to express how proud my son has made me. I’d say the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that Shawn is so much more than his diagnosis. All people with special needs are much more than their diagnosis. He’s accomplished so much in the last 6 years I can’t even…
Read MoreWe Are All Worthy
Erase the word. Wouldn’t it be nice if it were that simple? There are certain words that have such a negative impact. Words that describe race, sexual orientation, substance abuse, and disabilities. As a parent of a child with special needs, I want to talk about the stigma of the derogatory word used to describe people with mental disabilities and the word that is also used as slang to make fun of others, in reference to them being stupid. I clearly remember sitting across from the psychologist as he was…
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