Posts Tagged ‘autism sibling’
A Letter to My Son, A Special Needs Sibling
A thank you letter to my Son… Being an older brother to a sibling with severe autism has not always been easy. It’s a job you never asked for but you took with stride. At times it was a very difficult and that is putting mildly. Thank you for loving your little sister wholeheartedly. You were her light in the darkest of times when her life was filled with sensory overload, when nothing made sense to her little body and she was completely overwhelmed by our world. When she would…
Read MoreKindness is the Most Important Thing to Me
See that boy on the left? The one in blue… He is 8 years old. He is in 2nd grade. At least once a week he tells me he can’t wait to be a grown up so he can ride dirt bikes and do whatever he wants. But he also reminds me he is never moving out. He plans to live in the backyard. We had his school conference last night. His teacher told us all about his test scores for math. We talked all about developing skills versus proficient…
Read MoreIf Only My Parents Knew This
My mom and dad raised three children. My sister, Lauren, was the first-born, and then came my brother, Aaron, and lastly, me. My sister has Asperger’s Syndrome, which is a high functioning form of autism, diagnosed at the age of four. Like any daughter, there are things I wished my parents did differently. I wished they never got a divorce, I wished they worked together instead of spent their days fighting, and I wished they were able to take a step back from autism so that they could evaluate our…
Read MoreMay You Always Know How Much You’ll be Missed
Nearly every day we get a letter, or an email. Some have good news, some carry rejection. Like a version of the infamous Dr. Seuss poem, the messages and envelopes tell a modern-day story of the places you might go. New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts. Some schools are in small towns, other sprawl amongst tall buildings and busy sidewalks. Some have large, rambling campuses with extravagant dining halls. Others boast state-of-the art technology, or winning sports teams. All of them are far from home. He sees the return addresses, when…
Read MoreThe Little Brother and the Big Brother
There is 8 years between these two. 10 and 2. The little brother and the big brother. I know the facts. The little ones spoken language passed up Cooper’s months ago. He has a hundred words. He uses full sentences. When the younger one leaves home, Cooper will be 26 years old. A grown man. The baby doesn’t know what autism is. Or even that on paper his older brother is nonverbal. They have never, not once, played a game together. Not in a traditional way. And their Dad and…
Read MoreHappy Birthday Sweet Boy
Please help me wish this little cutie a happy 8th birthday today! I know it’s cliche, but the days are long and the years are short. I’m not sure how he’s 8 already! He will forever be my little buddy. Happy birthday Sawyer! Now time needs to stop! I can’t have you grow up anymore. Finding Cooper’s Voice is a safe, humorous, caring and honest place where you can celebrate the unique challenges of parenting a special needs child. Because you’re never alone in the struggles you face. And once…
Read MoreSlow Down Little One
There is something that happens between ages 7 and 8 in little boys. A part of development I didn’t know about. I was sitting on the couch a while ago when I heard the door burst open. I was confused because my son had just left mere minutes earlier to go sledding with our family friends. I yelled his name out. Just to make sure it was him. When he rounded the corner he ran to me and jumped into my arms. I held him like he was little again.…
Read MoreAs a Special Needs Sibling, She Will Learn From Him Too
She sat beside me in the car, diligently working on sorting letters from the Elmo case she so often carries in her clutches, occupying much of her days… We waited for her Brother, who inside the adjacent building sat working on his own set of goals, alongside his SLP, and OT. “A for Apple! B is for Baby!” Eva proudly exclaimed, gazing up at me, her smile filled with wonder and excitement. A girl after my own heart…her love of books, words, and the letters that encompass them all emanates…
Read MoreThe Importance of Being Present
Last week I brought my son to his hockey practice. It had been a long day and honestly I was so excited to sit in the bleachers, put my feet up, and relax. And of course I was happy to watch my son. For the next hour I watched him do drills, scrolled through Facebook, answered work emails, and peeked at Pinterest. When I met him after to take his skates off, the first thing he said to me was…’you spent the whole time on your phone doing your job.…
Read MoreTrying to Stop Time
My son, Your birthday is in 8 days. You have been counting down since mid December. You love your birthday. And you love being older. So much so that you are already telling people you are 8 years old. I lovingly correct you every time, reminding you that you are still my 7 year old. I also threaten you with a potion that will keep you little forever. But you have no time for that nonsense. You want to grow up. I want time to stop. Last night you snuggled…
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