Posts Tagged ‘ASD’
I Forgot About Autism
Hey autism. We forgot about you for a minute. Here we were just living life. Going about our days like “normal” people. Til’ this morning. I had a need for a good coffee and the girls wanted a milkshake so because things have been so “zen” around here, my silly guard was down and we went to the dome. As if we could just do the”get in the car” and “go sit in a restaurant” thing. I forgot. We got out of the car and immediately Rory bolted. I ran…
Read MoreAutism and Religion
I was raised Catholic. I married a Catholic man. We had our wedding in a Catholic church. We are raising our family by the Catholic faith. So when I watched a video where a Catholic priest in New Jersey who demanded a little boy with non-verbal autism leave the church during his sister’s baptism, I felt many things at once. It was a private ceremony. The boy was off to the side, stimming and running and self-regulating. I felt confused, and angry, and sad, and defeated. I felt tired. Hi.…
Read MoreMaking New Friends in the New Normal
Now that all the kids are going back to school, your child may notice that another child in their class, the hallway, at lunchtime or at recess is different than them. Your child may come home and ask you or tell you about the differences. Perhaps they will mention their physical characteristics, their special chair, orthopedics, or their different behaviors. Maybe the child refuses to wear a mask or even seems scared or excited by people in them. Maybe they will notice that another child flaps their arms or squeals…
Read MoreMy Son makes Fun of the Autistic Kid in Class
I know bullying happens. I am not naïve to that. But what I didn’t know is that sometimes parents think it is funny too. They promote it. They laugh about it. They condone it. And they even brag about it over a cup of coffee. I was sitting with a few co-workers the other day having a cup of coffee and we were sharing stories about our kids. We were laughing about the drama around little girls and the laid back personalities of little boys. I was hearing about dance and…
Read MoreWill He be Ok?
As I was drinking my coffee snuggled on the couch in my PJs this morning, I looked at my sweet little boy buzzing around collecting all of his wooden puzzle pieces in his upside down drum. He noticed me watching and smiled for a split second before he went back to his “work“. I said to him, “I love you buddy.” He replied in his broken word approximations, “ah uv too”. It still makes my heart melt. Several months ago I wondered if I would ever hear those words from his…
Read MoreMy Greatest Fear As An Autism Mom
Raising a kiddo with an unknown future is tough. It takes a toll on a parent’s sanity and emotions. I have fears for my autistic son that I would never have for my typical son. And, I think it is important to say these fears out loud. When my son was diagnosed I just wanted to find someone that talked about autism realistically. I needed someone to say they were scared and that they were tired and worried. But I couldn’t find that person which in turn, made me feel…
Read MoreAutism’s Effects on Siblings
I have two amazing little boys. Cooper is six and Sawyer is four. I always dreamt of having a huge family. I thought for sure I’d have at least four kids. A bunch of dogs too. A full life as they say. In a way I think I thrive on chaos. I love being busy and having fun. If you know me then you know I am rarely sitting down. As a newlywed when I thought of the future I pictured baseball games and school dances. I truly believed that…
Read MoreAn Autism Christmas
Christmas is supposed to be a joyful time. Pre-autism it was my favorite. I love the decorations and the food and the family. The snow. The coziness. The children opening presents. The list goes on. Christmas was my favorite. It’s different now. Just like everything post autism. There are too many expectations. I used to get sick to my stomach just thinking about it approaching. Except now I have a wild and rambunctious 3 year old who LOVES Christmas. He talks about Santa non-stop and how he is going to…
Read MoreFinally, An Improvement. Thank You Sweet Jesus.
If you talk to parent’s of autistic kids they will often say that their kid goes through periods with no improvement. And often you can mix in a little regression. For example, when Cooper was two years old he forgot how to drink out of a straw. Or sleep is a big one. Cooper didn’t sleep through the night until he was 2. And then slept through the night from age 2 to 3 and then suddenly stopped again. There is no rhyme or reason. Look at your child right…
Read MoreThe First Time
There are a lot of first times in our children’s lives. There are good first times and bad first times. This is life. And then there is the first time another person is mean to your son because he is autistic. It finally happened. I’ve been waiting actually. I knew it was coming. Cooper is so loud. He runs. If he gets super stressed he will push people. It’s partly sensory seeking. Partly out of not knowing what to do. He has very, very little self awareness. And zero understanding…
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