Posts Tagged ‘autism and communication’
Communication Does Not Have to Be Verbal
My son Cooper is nonspeaking. I know that’s a confusing classification. I even sometimes struggle to explain it. See when it comes to autism, and the spectrum you hear about, the waters are often muddy. He said his first word at age 8. It was mom. Now he says it no less than 50 times a day. But he couldn’t tell you his name under pressure or if he is in pain. He can’t use the phone but he can type the name of his favorite movie into YouTube. He…
Read MoreThis is What We Work For
This morning I asked my son Cooper if he wanted four or five of something. And he responded with a happy sound and five fingers thrust high in the air. I went on with what I was doing and then paused for a second. Communication. Choice. Independence. Happiness. It is the most beautiful thing. I’ve been told over the years that I want to change Cooper. That I want to make him less autistic. Ha. It’s so far from the truth. My goal as a mom has never, and never…
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