Posts Tagged ‘autism in girls’
Evolution of a Special Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day – A special day of reverence. A day where many of us focus our love and efforts on showing our moms, grandmothers, and mother figures just how much we love them, and how much we appreciate all that they do for us. For others, Mother’s Day is a day to mourn a loss, and reminisce about pleasant memories of the past. When someone mentions Mother’s Day to me, my immediate mental image recall is of a specific photo on a particular mother’s day when the kids were little…
Read MoreMy New Dreams as a Mother
I have two amazing daughters. Claudia is 15 and Keira is 13. They both are beautiful. They both have crazy curly red hair. And they both have Autism. A spectrum disorder that affects individuals differently and in varying degrees. They may share this diagnosis but in most ways couldn’t be more different. My Claudia has severe non verbal autism. She didn’t say her first real word until age 7. She still has toileting issues and needs assistance with every aspect of life. She rarely sleeps through the night and is…
Read MoreHer Spinning
I told her tonight that if she wanted to cuddle she would have to stop her wiggling and squirming. She was hiding underneath the blanket by my toes: giggling. Total sensory overload. She crawled out and laughed and flapped and I told her again. Things need to be structured to go smoothly. She wrapped her arms around me reluctantly avoiding too much touch and squeezed gently. The whole process so uncomfortable for her. “One, two, three, four…” We started together and then her counting became as always rapid and just…
Read MoreI am her Person
I still remember the day we found out we were having a girl. To say I was excited is a complete understatement. I literally burst into tears. I have always dreamed of having a little girl. It wasn’t just about the bows and the tutu it was about the mother daughter relationship. My mom is my best friend and that is what I wanted with my daughter. Sadie was born on October 9, 2014. Life was great. Well it wasn’t perfect but I had 2 amazing children and a loving…
Read MoreShe Doesn’t Look Autistic
“She doesn’t look autistic.” “Are you sure?” “Autism is just the new ADHD.” “Oh, I would have never known.” “But she’s so pretty!” These are all responses I have heard when I first tell someone about my daughter’s autism diagnosis. I am always walking a fine line when it comes to telling people. It’s not because I’m embarrassed or don’t want to talk about it. I am a proud mom and autism is not a bad word in our home (disability in general is not). No, I usually don’t want…
Read MoreTo the Person at Peace with Autism
I have seen your comments on my favorite blogs. I have thought about your stance. I could feel your frustration with mine. I can imagine and see your side of this. But I would be lying if I said I fully understood it. And I don’t think you fully understand mine. But I hope you can try to understand my thoughts as much as I am trying to understand yours. From the moment I gave birth to my beautiful girl, I have never felt so in tune with another human…
Read MoreThe Price of Strength
Raising two girls with autism has made me stronger than I ever imagined I could be. I have found strength at my low points that looking back feels like someone else. The rare times when I allow myself to think about why my husband and I “chosen” for this life, I’m not sure it was because we were particularly strong before autism. We were young, invincible, and soul mates from the start. We were together for 4 years before our fairy tale wedding and knew we wanted to start a…
Read MoreWhy I Medicated my Toddler
There is a stigma that comes with medication. An infamy that fills us with fear, guilt, and avoidance. I am the first to admit that I explored every possible avenue. Prescription drugs weren’t even up for discussion when it came to our daughter. The first person who offered my child medication was a neurologist. He told me she needed to calm down and offered a small dose of Clonidine. But I declined. Why would I medicate a 2-year-old? Then, an interim psychiatrist who did a full evaluation that we needed…
Read MoreNobody is Exempt
Isla’s first few months at the new ABA clinic were going great. She was learning a ton, and she really enjoyed seeing new therapists and kiddos each day as the clinic grew. However, with each new therapist came a new opportunity to test the limits and boundaries of her behavior. In about the second or third monthly parent training, I learned of a new behavior that was the most disturbing for me as a mother, a woman, and a healthcare professional. We were reviewing the graphs of Isla’s different behaviors,…
Read More3 Strangers Who Saved us During a Meltdown
Whether you are the parent or the audience, there is an awkwardness and discomfort when dealing with a child in public who is pre-meltdown, mid-meltdown, or just hysterical. As parents, we plan an exit strategy. Some of us even do this before we get there. But sometimes (or most of the time) it happens when we least expect it. When we didn’t plan. When there isn’t an easy escape route in site. We find ourselves wondering: Do we really need these groceries? So what if I paid $300 to be here.…
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