Special Needs Parenting
Getting Medical Assistance (Medicaid) for your Disabled Child
The number one question I receive as an Autism mom is what benefits do I get for my son and how did I obtain them. Cooper receives Medical Assistance through the state. This is also known as Medicaid. I will gladly tell you what I know about the program. He also receives a few other services but I will save those for a different post. First, you need to find out what your state offers for benefits. Please understand that every state is different. Here is the link to the Federal…
Read MoreMy Journey As An Autism Mom-Video
There were two huge things I needed in the beginning of my Autism mom journey. I needed someone to tell me what to do and I needed someone to validate me. I kept seeking out a friend or a mom or a doctor that could understand what I was going through, validate how hard it was and tell me what direction to take. I never found it. There were times when I’d joke that I wasn’t qualified to make these huge, life changing decisions for another person. I wasn’t an…
Read MoreWhat Autism Stole From Me As a Mother
I will openly admit that the hardest part of the Autism mom journey for me was missing out on milestones, typical parts of childhood development and overall special moments with my son. I dreamt of first words and teaching him to ride a bike and our first camping trip. I didn’t get most of them and if I did they were usually really upsetting for all of us. And at my lowest, saddest times, typically after an event like the first day of kindergarten or his birthday, I even felt…
Read MoreHow to Grandparent a Special Needs Child
I called you today, Mom and Dad. You knew today was the day. The day of the appointment. The appointment that would either relieve all our fears or change the future. You knew the doctors and teachers were throwing around words like “autistic” and “developmentally delayed.” You knew I refused to believe it. You refused, too (and I appreciate that more than you will ever know). Our Family Was Changed Forever We told each other for a long time that he was fine. We reassured each other daily. He was…
Read More8 Ways to Prepare Now for Your Autistic Child’s Future
A few months ago my autistic, but otherwise extremely healthy child was denied life insurance. I was shocked and confused. When Cooper was born, in preparation for college, Jamie and I started a savings plan for the him that could be converted into dollars for college tuition. Smart right?! Recently, I received a letter in the mail that notified us that Cooper was denied coverage. I was irate. Autism is not a death sentence. My son is healthy. He has no medical conditions. An At-Risk Life After following up I…
Read MoreConfessions of a Special Needs Parent
Parenting is hard. I think we can all agree on that. You are raising a tiny little human from birth to adulthood without an instruction manual and silently praying they turn out sane and happy. Now imagine if that tiny little human has a diagnosis of some sort. Autism. Cerebral Palsy. Traumatic Brain Injury. The diagnosis could be physical, emotional or neurological. It could be obvious. Or maybe it’s invisible to the outside world. Scary right. You aren’t a doctor. Or a therapist or a physiologist. There is no instruction…
Read MoreAn Open Letter to the Friend I Pushed Away
I am sitting here thinking about our relationship and about how much I love you. And how I rarely see you. We joke that it’s because life is so busy. We are in our thirties and have jobs and babies. We are in that stage of life I guess. We are always saying that this is the month that we will finally find the time to get together. And when this month passes we will laugh via text and joke about how someday soon we will have more time. One…
Read MoreA Day In Cooper’s Life: Autism in Pictures
I am very vocal about the stress that goes hand and hand with being an autism parent. It’s a topic that isn’t always talked about. I want to change that. Autism is hard. Unbelievably hard. I have post-traumatic stress from it. For one it’s often extremely loud. For me it’s Cooper’s screeches mixed in with the constant sounds coming from his devices. And my little guy loves it LOUD. Really LOUD. I’ve tried covering the speakers with tape. He rips it off. I’ve tried headphones. He refuses to wear them.…
Read MoreThe Uphill Battle of Being a Caregiver
I cried on my way to work this morning. Not because I was sad. I cried because being Cooper’s mom turns me into someone I don’t like. I feel trapped. And alone. And so utterly overwhelmed. And like I need to make threats to make his life easier. I don’t ever feel like I’m doing enough. Or the right thing. The special education system is a constant uphill fight with a 200 lb pack on your back and no food or water. Nothing comes easy. Not one part of it.…
Read MoreMy Greatest Pity Party
Is Cooper my greatest pity party? Such an interesting question. It was said to me the other day. In anger of course, but there was something behind it. It had some legs on it. And it truly got me thinking. Is Cooper my greatest pity party? Hhhmmm. I am very open that I am heartbroken over Cooper’s autism. It’s gotten better after almost 5 years but, nevertheless, the heartbreak is still there. I am also a tad bit bitter over how my life is different. Which is the part that a…
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