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My Worry as an Autism Mom and Why It Never Rests
Parenting a child with special needs is so much more than helicopter parenting. It is never taking your shoes off, being ready to run, casing every room, knowing every exit and danger, being drenched in sweat, never sitting, searching your child’s body for marks or bruises, up all night worrying, parenting. It consumes me at times. And deep down I worry that it is destroying me. It’s not like it happened overnight. It was an evolution. I am a pretty chill person. My kids fall and I wait for the…
Read MoreRamblings of an Autism Mom Around Acceptance
My favorite topic to blog about! I’ve been noticing a trend. Every morning for the past few weeks I wake up to dozens of emails from parents looking for hope, help and guidance. I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND. I did the exact same thing when Cooper was younger. I would stay up late…usually after some sort of meltdown or a particularity hard day. And I would search for a blog where the child reminded me of Cooper. And I would reach out. And in a really weird way I would feel guilty…
Read MoreDear Mom, I Read Your Letter Today
A few days ago I shared a letter I wrote for my son Sawyer. You can read it HERE. It was a toughie to share. It was brutally honest. It was real. And I really put myself out there. I purged every ounce of worry and self-doubt that I have about raising an autistic child alongside a typical child. Let’s get something straight. Cooper is an amazing little boy. He is funny and sweet and brings more joy than I can put into words. But…it’s different for me. I am…
Read MoreAutistic Kids Grow Up To Be Autistic Adults. And It Can Be Wonderful.
Before my son was diagnosed with ASD I would frantically search out stories, blogs and articles of hope. Stories where it turned out NOT to be autism. Stories where instead of autism the child was actually deaf. Or allergic to gluten. Or whatever. These stories had happy outcomes. I did this because the stories of autism-to-life scared me to no end. I wasn’t ready yet. Then he was diagnosed and even more ferociously I searched for stories were the child was cured. The child had autism and the parents started…
Read MoreI Can’t Fix My Son
I shared a video last night on Facebook and I can’t believe the overwhelming support I’ve received.Thank you to every single person that messaged me or left me a comment. Just reading the words, ‘I understand,’ is more therapy than I can describe. Knowing that people out there understand is amazing. It makes me feel less alone. So, what was the event that caused my crash? Well, we had an evaluation for Cooper yesterday at an autism center. I am looking for options that will replace public education. I am…
Read MoreDiaper Options for a 6 Year Old
Hey all, One question I am continuously asked is what kind of diapers we use for Cooper. He is a big boy weighing in at 60 lbs. He currently wears a size 7 diaper. Cooper’s diapers are covered by his Medical Assistance. As far as I understand, and this may vary by state, a child with an autism diagnosis who is covered under medical assistance gets free diapers after the age of four. That’s what I was told. We had to figure this out for ourselves. Meaning a fellow parent…
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 More9 Big Mistakes Parents of Autistic Kids Can Avoid
I often think of my son’s autism as a journey. A journey with many, many steep mountains. And holes and cliffs. And of course it’s slippery. The hills have jagged rocks and most of the time I feel like I am hanging on for dear life. There is no safety harness or map. I typically don’t know if I am even going in the right direction. And perhaps at times I am going backwards. It’s just me against this damn mountain. And it feels like there is more bad weather…
Read MoreAcceptance: A Video Blog
Sharing on a tough topic this morning. I’ve been scared to share this video blog because it’s very real and raw but I know that other parents need to hear these words. It’s OK to be sad. It’s OK to admit that it’s hard. And it’s OK to grieve all the things you won’t do as a special needs parent. You are human. https://www.facebook.com/findingcoopersvoice/videos/792431380899325/
Read MoreSensory Balloons
Sawyer and I spent the morning making sensory balloons for Cooper. HE LOVES THEM SO MUCH. I totally recommend making these if you have a kiddo that likes to hold objects. They are super squishy. Cooper will carry these around until I eventually have to throw them in the garbage and make new ones. And making them really entertained Sawyer too. Of course I let him make a huge mess because it bought me 20 minutes to write this blog. Winning. First, cut off a bottle. I used an old…
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