Posts Tagged ‘autism and nonverbal’
We are Raising Him to be Proud of Who He Is
Every morning I wake up to messages from people. Most are well-meaning. Many are kind. A few are awful. Some are bizarre. And some, tell me how to raise my son. And how I’m doing it wrong. They tell me what I should be doing, how I can do it better, and what I can and cannot say about him. I’ve gathered a list of what I cannot say. I cannot say he has autism. Or is autistic. I can’t say he is nonverbal or nonspeaking. I can’t say he…
Read MoreBe Brave Sweet Boy
It takes incredible bravery and courage to go out into the world knowing that you will be misunderstood and unable to communicate. This kid, and so many like him, do it every single day. They get a kiss from their mom, walk to the bus holding dad’s hand, and leave their safe place. Think about that. If something happens to him, if someone hurts him, if someone is mean to him, he can’t tell me. And yet he believes and trusts in the good of the world. Every day I…
Read MoreLearning How to Dance in the Rain
This too shall pass. There is a saying that is said at one time or another to every parent. This too shall pass. I remember being told those words as I held each of my newborns, exhausted from cluster feeding and lack of sleep. Again during the never ending messes that kids make. During potty training woes and tantrums over blue cups and the wrong shoes. And I guess in most cases it’s true right? The hard moments do pass. Usually. Babies start sleeping. Messes stop. Little humans learn to…
Read MoreDear Tired Special Needs Mom
I know how you feel. I feel it too. It can be exhausting caring for your child with special needs. Every mom feels worn down, but this “tired” feeling you and I feel is much greater. This word “tired” for us means way more than the lack of sleep. Every minute of every day there is worry. Worry that your child’s school might call you again. We worry about when the next meltdown will occur and what set it off. We worry about how our child is feeling because they…
Read MoreI Will Never Give Up Trying To Help My Son
Imagine not being being able to tell someone what’s on your mind. Imagine not being able to tell someone if you’re having a hard day. Imagine not being able to tell someone that your tummy hurts. Imagine not being able to tell someone that you’re upset. Imagine not being able to tell someone that you’re feeling down and why. Imagine not being able to tell someone why you can’t sleep. Imagine not being able to tell someone that you’re happy. Imagine not being able to communicate. Imagine being a mother…
Read MoreHow Much Does a Nonverbal Child Understand?
My son is amazing! Keegan is 9 years old and in the 4th grade. He is silly, loving, funny, smart, energetic, creative and a genuinely happy child. He also has autism and he’s nonverbal so things aren’t always easy. There are meltdowns and non typical behaviors and he can’t always express his feelings or wants. Keegan uses a speech device to help him communicate. It has helped Keegan and our family so much! The speech device has changed our family for the better. It’s given my child a voice and…
Read MoreCommunication With Cooper
When it’s just Cooper and his dad and I, the house is pretty quiet. No brothers fighting for attention. No talk of monster trucks in mud or hockey practice. Well, I mean, Blue Mountain Mystery is usually singing from an iPad and I’m constantly saying, ‘turn it down Cooper.’ But besides that, it’s pretty quiet. You will hear an occasional laugh and giggle. A gasp. A question from me. But chatter back and forth…nope. Cooper is ten years old. He has never coo’d. He never babbled. When he was younger…
Read MoreAn Important Lesson
My family visited my dad today. With covid precautions, it’s been quite some time since we’ve seen him. As I sat with him today, I found myself thinking back. Nearly two years ago, my stepmom lost her battle with pancreatic cancer. The night before we lost her, I was driving my dad back to his house, from the nursing home where she would spend her last days. It was nearing midnight. He was exhausted, close to 80 himself. He needed to rest for a few hours. It was foggy and…
Read MoreHe is Doing His Best
Last night we visited an arcade. It was a big adventure for our little family. Our middle son loves all things game. The baby loves tagging after his older brother. And Cooper, our eldest son, he is just starting to take in the world outside of our home. He is ten years old. He loves trains and postcards with animals on them. He also has autism. He is autistic. And nonverbal. Those are his descriptions written on the piece of paper in my drawer in a file marked, Cooper’s Med…
Read MoreRoad Trip
We are headed to a pool and our three boys are so excited. We have a long drive ahead of us…3 hours! In Sawyer’s mind that’s ‘like two whole days!’ Cooper is wonderful in the car which is night and day different than it used to be. He’s been packed and ready to go since first light this morning. And by packed I don’t mean clothes…I mean his treasures. They are in that bag he is holding. It’s his happy stuff. The baby is the most challenging one in the…
Read More