Posts Tagged ‘autism dad’
The Beginning of Our Autism Journey
When my first son Parker was born, he was a big baby with a ton of awesome hair. It was all I ever heard. People would say, “Look at all that hair!” I was one proud Dad! Not because of the hair, but because I always wanted to be a Dad! I was already starting to think about all the things we would do together. Play t-ball, pee wee football, soccer, basketball, hockey, go-karts, anything he wanted to do. He could grow up to be whoever he wanted to be,…
Read MoreTo My Incredible Husband – I Thank God For You
A life partner or soulmate is a person who accepts you for exactly who you are without the desire to change or fix you. There is a deep and unspoken respect between both partners. Your strengths compliment theirs and you hold each other tightly during challenging times. The healthiest relationships are rooted in open and frequent communication. Following my first marriage, it took time for me to feel comfortable in my own skin and redefine what truly makes me happy. Although I burdened myself with the assumption that I’d be a single…
Read MoreMy Son is More Than His Diagnosis
On this day 6 years ago, our son Shawn Corey received his official diagnosis of mild to moderate Autism. I can’t even begin to describe or express how we have all grown since then. I can’t even find the right words to express how proud my son has made me. I’d say the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that Shawn is so much more than his diagnosis. All people with special needs are much more than their diagnosis. He’s accomplished so much in the last 6 years I can’t even…
Read MoreStep Into My World, My Son’s World
Shia is our beautiful autistic, primarily non verbal, 10 year old son, who also has sensory processing disorder. I have watched him in his world over the years. I have felt his world deeply and I have seen the impact his world has on his Daddy. Enjoy a peek into his world as you read below… Come into my world and I will help you let go of the things that cause you to lose your peace…just ask my Daddy. Your world is too chaotic for me. Too much noise.…
Read MoreAcceptance Is Not About Resignation
The special needs “warrior mother” is a well-known figure. She’s the mother that kept pushing, read all the literature, challenged the doctors, demanded services, lobbied congress: in short, she changed the world and then went on Oprah to promote the book. Chances are she’s reading this right now… boy, am I in trouble! Yet how often do we hear of the warrior fathers? Crickets. When I first heard the experts murmur the A word, my defense mechanisms kicked into high gear and I immediately erected a wall of denial around…
Read MoreIt’s Different for the Dads
I imagine it’s different for the dads. The dads like my husband. Last night I sat in the bleachers of a cold hockey rink watching my middle son play hockey. I glanced back behind me and took note of all the dads standing in a row. My husband was sandwiched in-between a group of 5 or so men. A snapshot out of the suburbia playbook. They all shared a striking resemblance. Middle aged men. Black jackets. Black facemasks. All wearing hats. We are in the stage of life I suppose.…
Read MoreWhat Are Your Expectations?
I remember my very first autism workshop about 3 years ago like it was yesterday. Sitting in a room filled with other autism moms and dads, I didn’t know what to expect. Not knowing, that day would be one of the most important days of my life. Being surrounded by people who had the same questions, same worries, same fears, it gave me the opportunity to openly discuss autism for the first time, and made me realize that we’re not alone on this autism journey. The first question directed at…
Read MoreHow You Found Your Smile Again-A Letter to Jack, My Autistic Son
It’s been seven months since the world stopped. You were so sad in the beginning. You didn’t want to get out of bed, and you didn’t want to play. But the most shocking thing was this: you didn’t want to watch movies. Do you remember that? It was the first time this has ever happened. The sweetest thing in your world seemed sticky and irritating. It was confusing for you, and for all of us. Miss Janell would probably call it “topsy-turvy.” This kind of thing happened to a lot…
Read MoreA Letter to My Wife and All Special Needs Mothers
To the wives, the girlfriends, and the mothers: We haven’t said these three simple words often enough… We see you. From moment one, mother’s of our children, we watch as you push grief to the side and take the lead at the moment of diagnosis. You run like a prized thoroughbred, determined to secure therapies, counselors, and doctors. Searching for the opportunities that will ensure a better life for our babies, despite the chaos. You are miracle workers, moving mountains by sheer will, even when we, the husbands, boyfriends, feel…
Read MoreTo My Husband Who Chose To Stay
To my husband who chose to stay: That sounds so ridiculous to say out loud. Some people are currently scratching their heads because why would I say that? I say it because it’s true. Thank you for loving me when the diagnosis of autism consumed me and changed who I was. I was no longer in my mid-twenties trying to figure out how to be a first time mom. I was an autism mom and services for our son was my only priority. We said good-bye to date nights, weekend…
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