Posts Tagged ‘autism’
The Resilience of a Sibling
I’ve always wanted to be a mom. For as long as I could remember, I’ve dreamt of having kids of my own and having a big family. When my husband and I got pregnant not too long after getting married, we were ecstatic. We found out we were having a boy! My husband, being the sports enthusiast that he is, was thrilled as well. We dreamed of everything we would do with him, all the things typical boys would love. Dawson was born and he was perfect. When he was…
Read MoreI Want You To Make Me Go Away Mommy
Today, I picked up my five year old son with autism from preschool, screaming, hyperventilating, and distraught. His one and only best friend decided he didn’t want to play with Jackson today. He’d found other friends he’d rather play legos with. That amazing friend is so wonderfully typical. Jackson didn’t understand the simplicity and normality of his sweet friend’s behavior. You see, my sweet, friendly, lover of life and all people in it, son, enjoys being around ALL children. But he will forever be the person to truly appreciate and…
Read MoreA Foot in Two Very Different Worlds
Last week, my five-year-old son Sawyer spent four days with his grandparents and his cousin. They fished, swam, biked and lived the cabin life. I was so excited for him to go and have fun. One of my worries and honestly, very real realities, is that he misses out on things. Having a sibling with special needs can do that. There is no sugar coating it. As parents to our children, we kill ourselves, and stretch ourselves way too thin, to make sure our children are getting what they need.…
Read MoreI Used to Hide my Son from the World
I used to hide my son from the world. That sounds terrible, I know. But there was a brief period of time that I felt better by keeping him cooped up. In my house, I didn’t need to feel scared. I didn’t need to compare. I didn’t need to constantly think and ponder and wonder what the future held. In my house, he was my perfect, beautiful child. There was nothing wrong with him. He was happy and that’s all that mattered. I remember the first time I realized something…
Read MoreI Will Wait for the World to Grow
“Ahh. Stop growing already.” I’ve said it. You’ve said it. As parents, I think we have all said it. We have said it to our children, who seem to change every single day. Like just about everything else, that statement (along with the fact that my boy is literally growing too fast) makes me emotional. For a couple of reasons. For one. I shouldn’t say it, because I WANT him to grow. I want him to learn new things. I want him to be better. I don’t want that to…
Read MoreCall for Guest Posts: Siblings
Are you interested in writing for Finding Cooper’s Voice? I am always looking for guest posts that fit within the mission of my site. Posts should be autism related, honest and come from a place of love and support. August Suggested Blog Topic: Siblings Let’s talk about siblings! I am 30 weeks pregnant and siblings are on top of mind. Tell me how great your kids are. Or about your decision to have more children after your child was diagnosed. Or your decision not too. Tell me how your kids…
Read MoreSuccess with Headphones
I am a goal setter. I am a list maker. This is who I am as a person. Sometimes it drives my husband crazy. But, I think he will also admit how helpful it is. At any given time you can walk through my kitchen and see a list. Call social worker, complete paperwork, pay medical bill, make doctors appointment, etc. I also make lists with goals. Sometimes they are for Cooper and related to autism. Sometimes they are goals for our family. I even add the steps to achieve…
Read MoreAlways Be You Little Man
My Little Wild One, Some days aren’t easy, and some days the unknown future can get me down, but I want you to know something. It’s never you. It’s never your fault. You are perfect the way you are. You might always be the oddball, the odd one out. You may be called names. You might get left out, and overlooked, ignored and maybe picked on, but I want you to know something. It’s never you. The sad thing is people are too busy. The world moves too fast. People…
Read MoreAutism Can Surf
Looking back over the last few months, my heart and mind fill with emotions. At one time, I thought so many things might not ever happen. My boy, Jake was diagnosed with autism at age two and has been nonverbal his whole life. Well, autism.. Then it happened. My sweet Jake is now 19 years old and if I counted the times I’ve heard through the years the things he would not do, I might have given up. As parents we have dreams way before our kids are born. I…
Read MoreI’m Not So Scared Anymore
My dear little one, The last few days with you have been utter bliss. Maybe I am being overly dramatic, but at least that’s how it feels after some pretty tough weeks. Although we do have one behavior getting a tad worse…My heart breaks every time you forcefully bring your beautiful little face to the ground in frustration but I don’t want to talk about that right now. Because there are way too many little big wins we are having. Like the time I pointed to your cup across the…
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