Posts Tagged ‘autism video’
Four Pieces of Advice from the Mother of an Autistic Child
I’m often asked what bits of advice would I give to parents of newly diagnosed children. Or, what would I say to my younger self to make the autism journey easier. That question always makes me think. What would I say? It’s hard because I feel that so much of it we just have to go through. It’s almost a right of passage and a journey of self discovery. These are the four things I wish I could’ve told my younger self about relationships, behaviors, hope and challenging my child.…
Read MoreI Thought You’d Be Over The Grief By Now
I had dinner with an old friend a few weeks ago and inevitably the conversation turned to autism and grief. It always does. My world is autism. The crazy roller coaster that it is. Over a much needed glass of wine I told her about the roller coaster of my life. I always preface by saying, it’s a lot. I swear I’m not exaggerating. I told her all about Cooper’s wins lately. I told her about his new autism center and how we are done with public education and emphasized…
Read MoreMy Greatest Fear As An Autism Mom
Raising a kiddo with an unknown future is tough. It takes a toll on a parent’s sanity and emotions. I have fears for my autistic son that I would never have for my typical son. And, I think it is important to say these fears out loud. When my son was diagnosed I just wanted to find someone that talked about autism realistically. I needed someone to say they were scared and that they were tired and worried. But I couldn’t find that person which in turn, made me feel…
Read MoreLet’s Talk About Stimming
My son is six year’s old and on the severe end of the autism spectrum. When he was diagnosed, I had heard about stimming. I think we’ve all heard that word. To be perfectly honest though, I didn’t even know what stimming was. The definition is interesting: ‘Stim, stims or stimming is short for “self-stimulation”. Almost everyone does it (tapping feet, cracking knuckles, twiddling thumbs), but in autistic people these behaviors are more pronounced and may seem downright strange. Autistic people often engage in stimming when they are stressed, to…
Read MoreMy Son’s Disability Isn’t Always Beautiful
A very nice woman approached me over the weekend and thanked me for talking about autism. She thanked me for being honest and not sugarcoating it. She thanked me for keeping it real. That conversation reminded me why I do what I do. I refuse to lie about my son’s disability or downplay it to make people feel better. When my son was first diagnosed I dove head first into helping him. I turned to other bloggers, Pinterest and Facebook groups because I couldn’t find anyone in real life that…
Read MoreThe Business Side of Autism
A good old fashioned Cooper and Kate video update with a whole lotta conversation around the business side of autism. https://youtu.be/5ChoHnXVIz8 When my son was diagnosed with autism at age three, I was prepared for it to be hard. I knew there would be struggles and challenges. I even suspected it would be stressful and confusing. I wasn’t that naive. And I definitely knew it would be an emotional ride with ups and downs. But what I was not prepared for was the never ending paperwork, phone calls and appointments.…
Read MoreHow Having an Autistic Child Affected My Marriage
To say our son was a challenging baby is an understatement. He didn’t sleep through the night for four years. We functioned in a constant state of exhaustion. He screamed most of his infancy. He struggled to eat. He struggled to poop. He was never content. He had never ending severe ear infections and multiple tubal surgeries. He missed milestones. He was even misdiagnosed a few times. Because of his delays and no real diagnosis the medical debt from therapy started piling onto the credit cards. Money got tight. And…
Read MoreWhy Do I Advocate for Disability Rights?
I have been asked more times than I can count why I advocate for people with disabilities. I’ve heard statements like ‘Why don’t you just buy the stroller yourself?‘ Or, ‘Why do you always seem to be fighting some battle around autism?‘ My answer is simple. It’s the right thing to do. I have the means, a voice, the ability and the passion. And I do it for the people that cannot. I advocate for the people that don’t have a voice and for people that can’t advocate for themselves.…
Read MoreThe Emotions That Accompany Special Needs Parenting
One of the main reasons I started blogging about my life with an autistic child was to help other parents learn to talk about the emotions that go into raising a child with a lifelong disability. I knew what I was feeling and I knew I couldn’t be alone. Yet, it felt that way. The Roller Coaster If you are anything like me the whole thing feels like a rollercoaster. In the beginning you would’ve done anything for your child to not be on the spectrum. Maybe you were in denial.…
Read MoreWhat Having A Child With Autism Has Taught Me
When my son was first diagnosed on the spectrum I immediately dove into research. That’s the kind of mom I was. I wanted to be educated. I wanted to help my son in every way possible. Of course I took a few days to be really sad. I’m not scared to admit that. The diagnosis, although not unexpected, hit me like a ton of bricks. I remember I felt like the rug had been pulled out from under me. I didn’t know what to do, how to act, or where…
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