Videos
Acceptance: 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 MoreThe Hitting Has Begun
I have been blogging about Cooper for a few years now. Since the beginning I’ve received more emails than I can count from autism parents who have teenagers. The emails always start the same way. They say they have a teenager who was just like Cooper. And they tell me about the diagnosis and the process and the where they are currently in the journey. And then they go onto tell me that their daughter or son started hitting and kicking and exhibiting really aggressive behaviors. I’ve read enough of…
Read MoreCooper's Talking Device
Hi all, I wanted to share a video of Cooper’s talking device. Cooper has been using it at school for a little over 3 months and we are just starting to use it at home. Much like everything else I find it to be a little overwhelming. Sometimes I feel like it’s just ‘another’ thing we are trying. But in saying that his speech therapists are RAVING about his successes with it. He can say up to 6 word sentences. An example would be: ‘I want to eat yogurt please.’…
Read MoreNonverbal Autism
I say the words ‘nonverbal autism’ daily. Cooper isn’t just autistic…he is nonverbal. It adds another layer. A really difficult layer. It adds severe frustration. It adds yelling and screaming and sometimes scary, loud noises. It adds a lot of head hitting. And mostly it removes a lot of layers of simple every day interactions. I will spend minutes staring at Cooper and wonder what he is thinking. Wondering if he is happy. Wondering what he would say to me if he could. Wondering if he understands me. Talking devices…
Read MoreLearning to Say Yes…
I know I’ve been gone forever. I go through these droughts where I don’t know what to say about Cooper. Trust me I have hundreds of things I could write about but the words don’t seem to flow out. Maybe I am too tired. Or overwhelmed. I don’t really have an answer. We are still having major potty training struggles and successes. Cooper is pee trained but his pooping is worse than ever. We have made the decision to keep Cooper at Fraser day treatment for one more year. So…
Read MoreCheerleader Asks an Autistic Boy to Prom
I’m on this mission to share stories of autism that give us hope. Mostly, stories that give me hope. Enough sadness. I’m very vocal that my greatest fear is that people will be mean to Cooper. It could be a fellow child. It could be a teacher or a caregiver. Or it could be a complete stranger. There is a handicapped boy that works at our local grocery store. He is slower than the other people that work there. He is harder to understand. But he is the happiest person…
Read MoreHaving a Child With Special Needs….
I received Cooper’s Kindergarten packet in the mail a few weeks ago and like it was planned….I promptly lost it. The packet actually came the exact day that we were moving to our new house. So, you can understand why it got lost. The chaos of moving was too much. And to be honest, I have been dreading that damn packet like the plague. I don’t want Cooper to go to a mainstream kindergarten. It makes me feel completely helpless and out of control.I remember when Cooper was 3 or…
Read MoreTouching Video from Upworthy
I love how he says…I never saw his autism as something that needed to be cured. And that he just wants his son to be happy and not hurt himself. So touching and made me cry in the break room like a baby. There is always hope my friends. We just have to adjust what the end result looks like. [facebook url=”https://www.facebook.com/Upworthy/videos/1185660188141504/” /]
Read MoreThe Proverbial Straw
There are four sides to autism. At least that’s the way I see it. There is Cooper. He has autism. Then there is me and his dad and his brother and family. We have different expectations and emotions about Cooper. There is the rest of the world and how they perceive Cooper. There are teachers and aids and therapists and insurance companies. Doctors, financial aid workers. You name it. Cooper has it. And then there is the business side. Yesterday, while working an 8 hour day, I answered 4 phone…
Read MoreThe Sounds are Starting to Come
Jamie and I had a late night conversation last night about the nonverbal struggles. We both agree that although nonverbal is hard…it’s the delays in ‘understanding’ that is harder. There is no waiting. There is a little tiny bit of ‘first this, than that’. There is very little reasoning. And holy moly can that kid carry on. At times I am secretly impressed by his devotion to the things he loves. If only his devotion didn’t have to be so damn loud and shrill. I truly believe the language is coming. I…
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