Posts Tagged ‘autism’
Keep Working on Independence
See that little one there? The one with chocolate on his face and holding two nerf guns? He is 2 years old and came out of the womb independent. His favorite thing to say is…‘I do it mama. I do it.’ He needs help from no one. My now 8 year old was the same way. Cooper, who was diagnosed with autism at age 3, was always the opposite. He’s never, to this day, had any desire to ‘do it himself.’ He’s very happy and content having mom and dad…
Read MoreSweet Signs
A few minutes ago, Sawyer handed Cooper something and Cooper immediately signed ‘thank you’ to him. Sawyer responded with…’you’re welcome buddy.’ It was such a sweet exchange. When Cooper was a toddler, and we realized his speech was not developing, we focused on sign language. He picked up on some. ‘No, more, help, all done, please, and thank you.’ But he plateaued after those. He had no interest in learning any other ones. I think it’s because us hands wouldn’t cooperate. Sign language takes fine motor skills that he didn’t…
Read MoreWhy I Am Afraid
I had a terrible dream the other night. My son Jack was walking up our driveway. He was crying—sobbing, actually—but he couldn’t tell me what was wrong. I ran to him and asked him over and over again what happened. He just stood there, towering over me, taking deep gulps of air as tears streamed down his face. He was so distraught. And in my dream, I couldn’t help him. I couldn’t reach him. When I woke up, my heart was racing. I was sweating, and yet I felt a…
Read MoreWhen You Count Your Blessings Do You Count Autism?
We are all too familiar with many of the struggles and negative aspects of Autism. Not only do we live these challenges every day, but we share them. Because they are the hard, the nitty gritty that we need to talk about..to educate, to make people aware and to foster understanding. My son, Stalen was diagnosed on the spectrum when he was 21 months old. He is almost 6 and non-verbal. Autism is not only a part of my son’s identity, it contributes to making him the amazing little boy…
Read MoreOur Sibling Journey Looks Different Than Theirs
My oldest daughter had a close friend growing up who’s mom was pregnant at the same time as me. The girls were around 11 at the time and both were excited to be getting baby sisters. After we each gave birth, about a month apart, we would compare how the babies were growing whenever we saw each other. I remember my daughter was much smaller than her daughter. As the months passed, her daughter crawled and then walked and formed words while mine didn’t. Mine drooled. A lot. Mine gained…
Read MoreWhy Autism Awareness Matters to Me
Why is Autism awareness important? There are many reasons, but to me there is one that is most important. I am the mom to a seven-year-old little boy who happens to be autistic. Before my son, I had no idea what autism was. Sure… I had heard of it, here and there, but I couldn’t tell you what it meant. I wouldn’t have seen the signs in a stranger. When my son’s autism was discovered, everything suddenly changed. I began researching and learning everything I could. The truth is you…
Read MoreA Love Note to My Wife
Autism is hard! Hard for the diagnosed individual, the siblings, the family and on a marriage. When we said “I do” we never expected to embark on an autism journey and we definitely didn’t envision the vows “in sickness and in health” would apply to our unborn child. Autism has challenged our marriage in ways we could never imagine and it has enriched our marriage in ways nothing else could. I could share some of the many autism moments, experiences, pitfalls, disappointments, lessons, achievements, challenges, and wins that got us…
Read MoreThe Playground can be Isolating for a Special Needs Parent
If you live in a city apartment and don’t have your own backyard, the playground is THE place for kids to burn some energy and let off steam. Every other day we pack cookies, water, and a soccer ball and head to my most feared opponent. The park is packed with laughing children. Parents stand in groups and exchange the latest neighborhood gossip. Some have made themselves comfortable on carefully arranged picnic blankets, setting up a snack buffet that could feed half of the city. Others sit in the sand…
Read MoreA Letter to My Son, A Special Needs Sibling
A thank you letter to my Son… Being an older brother to a sibling with severe autism has not always been easy. It’s a job you never asked for but you took with stride. At times it was a very difficult and that is putting mildly. Thank you for loving your little sister wholeheartedly. You were her light in the darkest of times when her life was filled with sensory overload, when nothing made sense to her little body and she was completely overwhelmed by our world. When she would…
Read MoreTo My Incredible Husband – I Thank God For You
A life partner or soulmate is a person who accepts you for exactly who you are without the desire to change or fix you. There is a deep and unspoken respect between both partners. Your strengths compliment theirs and you hold each other tightly during challenging times. The healthiest relationships are rooted in open and frequent communication. Following my first marriage, it took time for me to feel comfortable in my own skin and redefine what truly makes me happy. Although I burdened myself with the assumption that I’d be a single…
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