Posts Tagged ‘autism’
A Letter to the Snow Day
Dear Snow Day, You suck! Yes, you are beautiful! Yes, the kids are excited and the teachers are excited but you are reminding me that my son has autism. I always dreamed that my kids would go play in the snow and build snowmen but you are a reminder that my son cannot do that. You are a reminder that my son cannot even handle a day when his routine is changed. You stress him out. He likes his routine and he likes going to school. Then you come and…
Read MoreYou are so Lucky
So often we forget the power of our words. We will say something and not realize that what we said could have a lasting impression on someone. Positive or negative. I received notification earlier this week that Sawyer’s class enjoyed a lesson from the school’s autism program. Each student had the opportunity to experience what it is like for some students to learn when there are constant distractions affecting their five senses. As soon as I read the message I was curious. Sawyer lives autism. It is his everyday life.…
Read MoreThe Little Boy that I Get to Know
I love you my son and I’m so, so, so, very proud of all the progress you’ve made in the last couple of years. You’re now at the age where we can really see your autism. You’re at the age where people know when we go out that you’re ‘different.’ Hopefully all of us Mama’s and Dada’s have raised enough awareness that they know you have autism when they stare at you. It’s ok. I see you looking at them. You know they’re staring you don’t care and guess what…I…
Read MoreCan a Baby Heal?
One of the unique parts of autism that I try to share on this page is the relationship Cooper has with his brothers. I’m often asked, ‘Do they play together?’ ‘Do they acknowledge each other?’ ‘What is their relationship like?’ The answer was no, no and non existent. For a lot of years it was so puzzling. If I was to describe it I would say that Cooper quite literally thought he was an only child for the first five years of his life. He was two years old when…
Read MoreDon’t Give Up On Me—Always Take Me Along
My sweet Tristan, You amaze me everyday. Even on our hard days I hope you see how much I love you. I love your silly side. I love your playful independence and how you seek joy in your own amazing way. Take me along, sweet boy. Always take your mama along. I want to see how you see and feel how you feel. Tristan, a moment in embedded in my heart. I was singing to you. You started to scream. I said “Do you want me to stop?” You signed…
Read MoreThe Woman in the I-Hop Parking Lot
My son Colt is 6 years old with severe non-verbal autism. He is the youngest of 3 boys. It is not easy for all of us to go out together as a family. Going to the movies with Colt is just out of the question. He would rock in his seat and vocalize loudly (if he even stayed in his seat). Bowling? No way, I can just imagine chasing him through the lanes while dodging bowling balls. Going anywhere that is crowded and loud is a huge gamble and takes…
Read MoreAutism and Puberty: Our Own Perfect Storm
Puberty has started to rear its head in our home again. We’ve already gotten a taste of it with our 14-year-old son, but now we have a 12-year-old girl in the throes of it; a 12-year-old girl who also happens to have autism. We are only about six months in, and I have already come to the conclusion that autism and puberty go together like oil and water. It’s hard enough for a typical kid to understand all the changes going on within them. Life becomes an emotional whirlwind as…
Read MoreI’m not Sorry
Many times I have heard and read about how parents of children on the autism spectrum absolutely hate it when someone who has just learned his/her child has autism says, “I´m sorry”. I don´t feel the same way. I´m actually grateful when someone has a polite or sympathetic comment to make when they learn my 5 year old daughter has autism. Some people don´t know what to say and instead of being quiet they say things like, “I saw Rain man”, “she can talk, she´s not autistic”, “she looks so…
Read MoreIn the Blink of an Eye
When I pictured my life 10 years ago kids were not in the picture. I just could not picture myself as a mom, then one almost breast augmentation later, I was pregnant with my first. Finding that out on the operating table was one of the most comical experience I’ve been through – let’s just say plastic surgeons are not used to telling people they are pregnant! Nonetheless, now I am a mom to two beautiful boys. Our road to getting here has not been easy, my husband is an…
Read MoreMy Son makes Fun of the Autistic Kid in Class
I know bullying happens. I am not naïve to that. But what I didn’t know is that sometimes parents think it is funny too. They promote it. They laugh about it. They condone it. And they even brag about it over a cup of coffee. I was sitting with a few co-workers the other day having a cup of coffee and we were sharing stories about our kids. We were laughing about the drama around little girls and the laid back personalities of little boys. I was hearing about dance and…
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