Posts Tagged ‘autism blog’
It’s Different Than What I Pictured
When I pictured my son at age 8, I thought it would be full of sports. Throwing baseballs. Riding bikes. I thought we’d be building with Legos. And playing PIG at the neighborhood basketball court. I pictured play dates. And never ending birthday parties. I thought we’d be arguing over math homework. And trying to get you to wash your face. And of course conversations about Minecraft. I thought you’d be so popular. And that your life would be so busy I’d be praying for time to slow down. I…
Read More4 Simple Words I Wish People Would Say Instead of “I’m Sorry”
With April being World Autism Month, I wanted to share something that’s been on my heart lately in hopes to help “Light It Up Blue.” I can’t tell you how many times I have heard the words “I’m sorry,” since Jack was diagnosed with autism last year. I’ve honestly lost count. First, I want to say that this is not to knock anyone or make them feel badly about how they react when they learn about a child who has special needs. You see, prior to having my own child…
Read MoreSilence and Chaos
April is Autism Awareness Month. If you’re in my circle, I imagine you’re pretty aware of autism. We live and breathe autism. My son Michael has always been loud. He’s always made his presence known. He’s larger than life. I dare you not to smile when he signs “more tickles, please”. As anyone who has ever met him will tell you, it is impossible not to fall in love with him. I know as his mom, I’m biased, but he’s the cutest 3 year old in existence. The thing that…
Read MoreAutism Awareness Month
Today is autism awareness day. That means you will see your news feed full of stories about autism. The news outlets will cover it. It will be everywhere. So many people come to me with questions of what to do. They ask if they should celebrate. If they should advocate. Should they wear blue, red, purple or gold. They are confused. I get it. It’s overwhelming. Today, I ask you to simply start a conversation about autism. You don’t have to do anything huge. Just start talking. I invite you…
Read MoreI Will Tell You About Our World…
Maybe you follow my page. Or maybe we went to high school together. Maybe you heard about me. Or you are a friend of a friend. Either way, you know I have a son with autism. You know his name is Cooper. And that I talk about all the parts. You’ve heard that I don’t hold back. I am raw. I am honest. I talk about the beautiful parts. And the hard parts. Even the sad parts. I do this because it is my life. And I am not the…
Read MoreChildhood is Not One Size Fits All
“Motherhood is about raising and celebrating the child you have, not the child you thought you’d have. It’s about understanding he’s exactly the person he is supposed to be. And if you’re lucky, he might be the teacher who turns you into the person you’re supposed to be.” -Joan Ryan I always knew I wanted children from a very young age. And for some reason, I always hoped I’d have a little boy. Well the universe heard my wishes and a little over four years ago we met our beautiful…
Read MoreSo Life Gave you Lemons…
“When life gives you lemons…make lemonade.” I have heard that saying a lot. It is a sweet saying. People use this saying to make good out of a bad situation or make the best of what they have been given. And it is easier said than done. I am going to give you an example. A couple of summers ago we got to join my entire family for a vacation to St. George, Utah. We were all sharing a home together. 30 of us. It was the best kind of chaos…
Read MoreEvery Day is Autism Awareness Day
Every year, April 1 begins Autism Awareness Month. April 2nd is Autism Awareness Day, where so many wear blue in support of Autism. I love April because what it does, it places autism in the news and really gets the dialogue about autism out there where it needs to be. I personally love the coverage April brings as a mom to a child with autism. We need to be talking about autism. We need to be changing policies and ensuring these kids get services they need. We need to discuss aging…
Read MoreThe Fear of Silence
This morning I listened to a sermon about silence. How in today’s world it is hard to find. And how most people say they want more silence, but when they get it, they fear it. They can’t take it. It’s too quiet. I sat there listening, bouncing my baby on my knee, and thought about how I was probably the only person in the room that knows the silence of an eight year old boy. Of a nonverbal boy. And how loud it can truly be. How your brain can…
Read MoreThe Fear of the Unknown
I’ve been scouring the internet like a crazy person for the past 3 months. I’ve downloaded all of the packets from autism websites. I’ve obsessed over all of the milestones that we aren’t hitting. All of the red flags. I’ve called specialists and early intervention and therapists. I’ve read and watched and listed to articles, videos, and podcasts about research and diets and advice for parents of newly diagnosed. I’ve read all the blogs and sought out wisdom from mothers who have been on this journey for a while. All…
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