Posts Tagged ‘autism’
I’m Thankful For You: My Daughter Olivia
(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Melissa Prater and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) This December I would like to honor and thank my daughter Olivia. She is my rock. A little bit about our family. We are a family of four but a village of many. My husband works full time and I get the privilege to stay home. We have two children ages 5 and 16. Jack is my youngest and is diagnosed with ADHD, a speech delay and is on the autism spectrum.…
Read MoreI’m Thankful For You: My Oldest Son
(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Kelli Stutzman and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) This December I would like to honor and thank my oldest son Andrew. He is an amazing brother and son and I am so blessed to have him. To start, I want to share with you just how much my son Andrew helped me. Two years ago, at age 19, Andrew had just moved to Kansas City to live with his dad. It was a whirlwind at our house. I had…
Read MoreAutism and Sleep Struggles
The number one question I am most commonly asked is…does your son with autism sleep? And if he does, give us your secrets. The answer is yes. He sleeps now. But he didn’t for nearly six years. Cooper did not sleep through the night until he was 4.5 years old. As a newborn he slept 6-8 hours in a 24 hour period and never slept longer than a 45 minute period. The sleep deprivation was torture. Around age 4.5 Cooper started sleeping but woke up before 4 am for a…
Read MoreI’m Thankful For You: My Son’s Super Grandma
(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Corinne Doyle and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) This December, I would like to honor and thank my mom, Mary Doyle. She is the epitome of a SUPER GRANDMA. My son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder on May 26, 2017. A day that forever changed my life. Jett has always kept us on our feet starting from the day he was born. He was born premature at 36 weeks and then shortly after birth caught RSV at five weeks…
Read MoreChristmas Cards with a Side of Hope
I am so excited to share our 2017 Christmas card with you. Christmas cards are one of my favorite holiday traditions, and I love documenting the end of our year with a new card. Every year I include a quote about autism and hope on the back of our card. I think people get the subtle reference and hopefully smile. My favorite: ‘Anything can happen child. Anything can be. Never stop believing.’ I also love receiving cards from our friends and family. I hang them all over my kitchen and…
Read MoreI’m Thankful For You: Our Son’s Teacher
(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Cindy Heitman and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) This December I want to honor and thank our son’s teacher, Shannon Tackes. I am so very grateful for Shannon! My son, Erik, has non-verbal autism. Although he can’t speak, he doesn’t have any trouble letting you know what he wants. Erik is so sweet and his giggle will make you giggle too. Erik is 6, however, he wasn’t diagnosed until he was 4 1/2 years old. Because Erik had great eye contact, was…
Read MoreFour 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’m Thankful For You: Our BCBA Kelly
(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Tiffanie Bashay and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) This December I want to honor and thank our BCBA, Kelly Guyot. Kelly has been working with Anthony and our family since November 2015 and I am so thankful she is in our lives. Our son Anthony is four years old, nonverbal and on the autistic spectrum. He has come a long way since his diagnosis two years ago! Anthony is an only child and he lives at home with his…
Read MoreA Letter to My Son on His Birthday
My sweet boy, Today is your birthday. You are growing up. I think most parents would say, ‘where has the time gone?’ I don’t feel that way pal. I remember every single moment. Every high and low. Every regression and every victory. I feel like I can remember every sleepless night. I think about the hours I spent rocking you in the recliner and pacing around the living room. I can even vividly remember being a new mom and crying at the side of your crib because you didn’t sleep.…
Read MoreYou Are Not Failing As A Mom
When I think about my life with autism and motherhood, I like to believe that I take chaos in stride. I try to find joy and approach most struggles with optimism. That’s just me. And honestly, the only way I can survive with my sanity. In saying all that, sometimes it all gets to be too much. Lately, I feel like I am waving the white flag. Surgeries, birthday parties, Pink Eye, pee, messes, snow pants, dogs, jobs, and overall feeling like crap is taking it’s toll on this mama.…
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