Posts Tagged ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder’
The Real Tragedy Behind the Diagnosis
I am a sitting board member for a local nonprofit autism group. We recently had an autism family event, and as always, I like to chat with families and fellow board members to get to know them better. Some have children older than my son, so I am always eager to soak up their knowledge and wisdom on this journey. In our conversations, one thing resonated loudly… finances. I heard stories of financial struggles just to get their children the help that they needed, whether that was proper placement in…
Read MoreAutism: I Waited Twenty-Four Years for ‘I Love You’
I love you. Three simple words. Most of us throw them around loosely.Take them for granted. We say them when we hang up the phone,when a loved one leaves the house,when we kiss our little one good night. Sometimes out of habit. It’s something a mother hears a million times over a lifetime, that is, unless your child is nonverbal. Then you might never hear it. One of those things that most don’t even think about. I have told my daughter “I love you” every day, multiple times a day,…
Read MoreWhen the World Sees My Son the Way I Do
I often say that my son’s diagnosis of autism touches every aspect of his life. From small things to big things. Even something as simple as riding the bus. See, I worry a lot. About everything. Especially when he’s not with me. When the bus pulled in the driveway after his first day of school this year, I was waiting as the big doors opened. My first question…’how did he do?’ See, as a mom of a kid who has struggled in the past, and still does at times, I…
Read MoreDisability Shouldn’t Mean Lonely
My oldest son was diagnosed with severe nonverbal autism at age 3. In so many ways it felt like it changed everything. Big things and little things. Would he ever be able to talk? Would he make friends? Would he learn to drive a car? Go to prom? Have a job? Would he ever live independently? Goodness I worried. And wondered. About everything really. His story had no clear answers. He’s fourteen now. A teenager. A freshman at our local high school. So many parts are as I predicted they…
Read MoreAutism Is a Family Story
Autism has been in the news a lot the last few days. More than I’ve ever seen in my fourteen years of being a mama to a child with severe nonverbal autism. I thought it’s what I wanted. To be seen. To be understood. To finally have people take notice of this complicated, mysterious, magical life alongside autism. I was wrong. Reading and hearing about my son’s disability, mostly being shared by people who don’t live it, has been unsettling. So much fighting. A lot of us verses them. Finger…
Read MoreStop Measuring Their Lives By The ‘Nevers’
After my son was diagnosed with severe nonverbal autism at age three, I was told all of the things he would most likely never do. Speak. Read. Write. Live independently and so on. As if the people around us, the ones there to help us, knew his future. It felt crushing. It was as if his story had already been written. And there was nothing I could do. Well, there ain’t no determination like the determination a mother has when she is told what her baby won’t do. Mark my…
Read MoreLeapfrogging and Sibling Milestones: Parenting Through Bittersweet Moments
I knew it was coming – the day my daughter Rosie would leapfrog her older autistic brother. Leapfrogging is when a younger sibling surpasses an older one in areas like emotional, functional, or verbal development.This summer, I enjoyed watching my 6-year-old daughter learn to do so many new skills.Tying her shoes.Taking a shower.Doing her makeup.Styling her hair.It has been so fun. Having a little girl is everything I dreamed it would be.Sass. Spunk. Cuddles. Laughter. Tickles. Frilly Dresses. Random fashion shows.As she speeds through all these milestones, it catches me…
Read MoreAutism and International Travel: The Charm of Big Ben
If you had been in Central London anywhere from Trafalgar Square to the Houses of Parliament two years ago, you might have seen a family hurrying after a little boy in noise reduction headsets, weaving through the crowds on Whitehall. A determined little boy, followed by his own personal entourage. That was us. And if you had told me years earlier that we would be there, I would have said it was impossible. For many families with a child with autism, it might be and I completely understand that. If…
Read MoreOur Adoption Story: Waiting, Hope, and Eleven Beautiful Years with Seeley
Eleven years ago, we were so confident in our adoption journey that we shared that we had been chosen. As I look at, my husband, Billy and I and who we were, I see so much more than two rested soon to be parents. I remember the joy, pride, terror and trust — the tears, the years and the struggle to become parents. I remember the decade of living with an empty crib as various agencies told us we were ready and waiting. The dreams of what it would be…
Read MoreThe Hands That Hold My Face
I caught myself staring at this picture of Cooper today. Look how small he was. It brings tears to my eyes every time I see it. The way he was holding my face. He was 18 months old. That tiny, angelic, little boy had turned my whole world completely upside down and inside out from day one. I was exhausted when this picture was taken. I hadn’t slept through the night in 18 months. I was at an all time low weight. I had huge dark circles under my eyes.…
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