Posts Tagged ‘autism acceptance’
Our Autism Life
Let me tell you about a boy I know…His name is Cooper. He’s the one on the right. Today, we celebrated him. And we also celebrated his brothers. And our family. And how autism is woven throughout all of us. Impacting each of us in different ways. We had a party too. We had ice cream and sprinkles and chocolate syrup and cupcakes. And we celebrated this boy. The one who was born seeing and hearing and feeling and thinking in his own unique way. Some people tried to tell…
Read MoreJust Start a Conversation About Autism
You don’t need a blog with lots of followers or to speak to hundreds of people to make a difference. You don’t need to have written a book or to pound the pavement with your message. Just start a conversation. It’s April 1. Our eleventh Autism Awareness Month. And with awareness comes acceptance. Understanding. Inclusion. This morning I am headed to Coop’s school to read a book to the fifth graders, his peers, about autism. To make something different seem less confusing and unknown. Just start a conversation about autism.…
Read MoreMy Son, Thank You for Teaching Me
My son, On this eve of April, Autism Awareness and Acceptance month, I want to tell you how proud I am of you. I want to thank you for teaching me, our family, and even the world about autism. I want to thank you for being patient with me as I settled into this unique life. I want to thank you for being brave, determined and for being yourself. You are more yourself than any other person I have ever met. I want to thank you for trying. For letting…
Read MoreSeeing Autism Through Your Eyes
I don’t think about autism really. Not anymore. Or about my son being different than his peers. He doesn’t have a label at home. Or even a diagnosis. We don’t speak in clinical talk or point out how he is different from other 11 year old kids. He is Cooper. He is not autistic Cooper. He is not nonverbal Cooper. He is himself. Perfectly made and one of my four kids. I think that’s the beautiful part that comes with settling into a lifelong diagnosis. In the beginning, the differences…
Read MoreThe Gift of Sight
When I used to think about autism, back when it was a word used to describe someone else’s child, and eventually when our son was first diagnosed, I used to think about the differences. Autism meant he would be different. And that made me so scared for him. Because I knew the world could be unkind. I would hyper focus at 3 am or while in the shower on all the ‘nevers.’ The differences. The challenges. The worries that would drop me to my knees. He may never talk. He…
Read MoreWe are Celebrating Our Kids
A few days ago, someone said to a friend of mine, who has an autistic son so similar to Cooper that you’d think they were brothers, that her posts about her son were negative. She was upset of course. She didn’t feel like she was being negative. She thought she was just sharing their life. And him. And in fact, she celebrates her son much like I do Coops. I told her my hunch. That people looking in ‘think’ we are being negative when we share because our kids do…
Read MoreWhat I Worry About
When we are out in public, I don’t worry about how my autistic son will act. I don’t worry about his mannerisms. Or his uniqueness. Because I know exactly who he is and how he is going to behave. And that he is learning and growing. I know he will flap his arms in pure joy. I know he will run. And sit. And maybe feel the cool of the cement with his cheek. I know he will squeal. And hum. And laugh. I know he will wave to strangers…
Read MoreA Delicate Balance
I think about the beginning sometimes. When I first heard the word autism. It was in a lunch-and-learn at the nonprofit I worked at. I was eating a sandwich, minimally paying attention, when the woman started describing signs of autism in toddlers. As she ticked off a list of traits, I did everything I could to keep my cool. The only sign of my internal panic being the flush that turned my cheeks and neck a deep red. I could feel the heat radiating from my face. She was describing…
Read MoreWe Will Figure it out Together
My son, Today was one of those days. One where you seemed confused by the world. One where I didn’t know how to help. Or fix it. Autism. Woven into everything you do. Into the way you think and see and react. Only I can’t see what you see. Or hear what you hear. Or feel what you feel. Today I felt confused. Much like any parent does I suppose. I know your brothers confuse me daily too. But with you, the stakes feel a bit higher. The rules a…
Read MoreFive Things I Want You to Know About My Autistic Son
Hi there, my name is Kate. You found your way to my page. Well, Cooper’s page. The yellow haired boy from Minnesota who loves trains and smells like the wind. I am not autistic. But my son is. I don’t understand everything about him. But I’m learning. And here are the five things I want you to know about my son if you were to meet him at the grocery store or in line at Target. 1. He is a person. There is this interesting thing that happens when a…
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