Guest Post
She’s Simple
How do you define the word simple? What images come to mind when you think of this word? The definition includes the following terms: “ Basic, plain, uncomplicated, easily understood or done, presenting no difficulty.” Simple, right? Wrong. Try this: Use simple in a sentence: “We had a simple dinner last night, no fuss” “I want to keep our wedding simple, no fuss and minimal decorations” “What are you wearing to dinner? Oh, just a simple white blouse” “How was your test? It was pretty simple and easy, studying paid…
Read MoreMy Son, I Will Never Give Up
As I sit here watching you sleep, I keep thinking of the life I had envisioned for us. God it is so different than our life now. I saw football games, school plays and parties. Sleepovers with 3 or 4 wild and crazy boys driving me batty. Pulling spiders and bugs out of your jeans pockets and me freaking out and telling you to take them outside. I saw myself being a den mother because you told me you wanted to be in boy scouts like all of your friends.…
Read MoreA Pick-Me-Up for the Parent of a Newly Diagnosed Child
We’re pretty new to this whole scene. We had our “Autism Ah-ha moment” about 6 months ago. My son has no creative speech, eats his five favorite foods, and sleeps sporadically. He won’t look you in the eye and he’s uncomfortable in a crowd. I used to feel stymied. I was consistent with nap and bedtimes, why was he still sleep deprived? I took the pediatrician’s advice and offered him a variety of foods multiple times, why wouldn’t he eat? Before I understood how my son experiences the world, I…
Read MoreDo You Stay?
Picture this. You are in a relationship. It’s new and exciting. There’s so much potential! Oh, all the things that you will do together. You will grow together, learn from each other and your love will grow. They love you so much. You can tell. They get comfort from your hugs and you love doing things for them. They light up when you enter the room. It’s all so lovely! Picture this. They stop talking to you. Car rides are silent. It’s like a one way street. You try and…
Read MoreThe 7 Stages of Special Needs Parenting
The first stage is denial, it wouldn’t happen to you, Your perfect little baby, you won’t believe it’s true. They can laugh, they can count; They’re so happy, so smart, But you have a sinking feeling, deep inside your heart. There’s something just not right, and other people see, ‘Oh look at how she moves her hands!’ And ‘It’s like she can’t hear me’ You mention it to someone, they say ‘No, I don’t think so’ But time passes and even they see the signs starting to show. Stage 2 is realisation that…
Read MoreThe Day My Son Hit Me
Autism is a spectrum. My son Jayden is on the severe end of that spectrum but what I always have held on to is the fact that he has never been violent, and he still has not intentionally ever hit me in a violent manner. He has swatted at me when making him push through school lessons. He has pushed me away when he did not want to do something. But he never hurt me, until today. Today, he kicked me unintentionally when I was changing him and I saw…
Read MoreWhat is it like to be Non-Speaking?
I have no words to describe what your experience must be like. I have no words, because I simply don’t know what it’s like. Only you know, my sweet boy. I have no words to describe what it must feel like to wake from a nightmare at three and a half years old, get out of bed silently, and run toward your parents’ room. What is it like to hope you find the door open, so that you can run right in? Sometimes, we forget to leave it open. Sometimes,…
Read MoreThe Kindness of a Mom who Gets it
My husband’s team lost their football game Friday night. It was a tough loss to a rival and I know many people would love to forget it ever happened, but something wonderful happened at that game that I hope I never forget. I was tired and almost didn’t go. It had been a long week at school, but I felt guilty for missing last week’s game. Eli reconfirmed my decision to go when I told him we were going bye bye and he replied, “football?” The fact that he remembered…
Read MoreThe Heartache of Early Autism
A high-pitched, eardrum-puncturing, almost inhuman scream came from behind me. The sound quickly filled the room and immediately pierced my heart. Instead of turning around, I reached for the door handle, shut the door tightly, leaving her on the other side. As I walked down the stairs, her screaming never let up. I went outside, sat on our porch swing and began to gently press my bare feet into the pebbled pavement causing the swing to sway slowly back and forth. The warm rays of the sun and refreshing cool breeze beckoned me to look upward,…
Read MoreA Message From Your Child’s Occupational Therapist
Dear Parents, I remember the first mother who told me it broke her heart that her little boy couldn’t tell her about his day at school. I thought about it on the train home, then while I made my dinner, and again as I fell asleep that night. I thought of one of my Mom’s favourite stories, about how I had come home from my first day school and proudly announced I was “the best of a bad lot”. I thought about her smile when she tells this story even…
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