Posts Tagged ‘ADHD’
Smiles on the Other Side
There were tantrums, There were fears. There were meltdowns. There were tears. There were hard times We just had to get through, But on the other side—smiles Just look at you! The blessing of seeing Grandparents, Traveling and out of routine. Can be hard at times for you, But it’s so worth it, we believe. Each day is a gift, For that we are thankful, The hard and the good, The painful and the beautiful. There’s so much to be grateful for Each and every minute. Each day has plenty…
Read MoreA Mother-Daughter Journey through Autism, ADHD, and More
Two years ago, before we understood all that we do now, we were making our way through a very difficult time with our daughter. She was self-harming, and as it is for all families supporting children who have this disposition, we were frantic to help. She was just plain as day, telling me her problem and the solution as though to say, “I am thirsty and am getting a juice box about it.” She said, “Mom, this is where I put the nail so that my bad brains could come…
Read MoreI Blamed Myself for His Autism
Last night I laid in a full-size bed, inside a tent, under a train blanket, with my eight year old son. He had just fallen asleep. Beforehand, we talked, sang, and laughed. He asked me to hug him tight, and I did as he fell asleep. Slowly releasing him before he completely drifted off. Tight hugs are one of the few things that help him calm his body. Sleep doesn’t come easy for my boy. You can judge and give suggestions, but we’ve tried it all. My son is autistic…
Read MoreAutism Never Crossed Our Minds
Our son Sullivan is autistic and has Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder. Many people ask us, when did you know your son was autistic? That’s a tricky question because initially we had no idea. Sully had what we know now as sensory issues early on. We had to try many different bottle nipples, he threw up a lot, he stuffed food in his mouth till he choked, he would eat and eat and not like the feeling in his stomach and make himself throw…
Read MoreWith Goally, The Goal is Independence
When my son was diagnosed with autism at age three, I will admit I didn’t know a lot about it. I was told a lot of things of course and many of them weren’t positive. But that didn’t stop us from believing in him and his success. Cooper is now ten years old and truly an amazing kid. As he’s gotten older, and the teenage years are not far off, our goals for him have shifted. Where it used to be a lot of academic things, now our goals for…
Read MoreThe Hard Doesn’t Own Me
We’re not supposed to complain. Special needs families, that is. The world calls you an ableist when you lament an ability or lack thereof. I’ve never felt this child of mine was lacking. He’s nothing short of amazing. How could someone so funny and clever and filled with light be anything besides perfection? But, boy, is he hard. Nearly seven years of eternal toddlerhood and a few words repeat themselves on the many pages of his complicated history. Developmental delay, genetic disorder, autism, anxiety, adhd. These are the tricky pieces…
Read MoreDon’t Be Afraid of the Label
My son, Chase, started school a couple of weeks before his fifth birthday. He had never been in a school setting before. Had never been in a “structured” environment. That first year of school turned out to be, what I would say, just short of, a disaster. Chase was in trouble multiple times a week. I felt like I was getting a call at least once a day, and was in meetings every two to three weeks. I was told Chase had aggression and anger issues. Chase was throwing a…
Read MoreI’m Afraid your Daughter will Endanger Us
I absolutely loved my oldest daughter’s kindergarten teacher – I really felt like we were partners in helping my daughter. But, not a day went by that I didn’t get a note, an email, or in the worst case scenario, a phone call. I will never forget the day she told me she was worried my daughter would endanger her class. When Olivia was in pre-K, her teachers seemed to be setting the stage for an ADD diagnosis. But she was only three, and then only four, and…
Read MoreSomeone Will Always Have it Harder
Many times in my life I have felt guilty for complaining. You know, because someone else has it harder. This happened a lot when I was in a bad place going through something hard in my life. Like divorce, being a single mom, the struggle with school (when having a child with gifts or special needs) becoming a step parent and blending families, and so many other situations that broke me or made me crumble for an hour, for a day or maybe more. But it wasn’t until I had…
Read MoreI’m the Lucky One
I used to lie in bed at night trying to figure out if this will be all okay. Severe. Nonverbal. Autism. Anxiety. ADHD. Long term care. Guardianship. A whole lotta words. Scary words. Sometimes I wonder how one little 8 year old boy can have so many descriptors. What they really mean, when you add them all up, is that you will have challenges that you will have to overcome. But more importantly, they mean the world isn’t designed for you sweet boy. You will spend your whole life trying…
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