Posts Tagged ‘autistic adult’
I’ve Been a Primary Caregiver for 30 Years. Here is What I Want you to Know:
Hi, my name is Kelly and I am the mother to an amazing young man named Steven. He was diagnosed with autism at age 2 and later apraxia. He recently turned 30 and is a dynamic, smart, interesting, funny young man. We share our story on Instagram at Growing Up Steven. Being a primary caregiver for the last 30 years has rewarded me with a few things: A panic disorder, depression, anxiety, excessive worry, marriage struggles, and at times, not the mom my kids deserved. I want you to learn…
Read More10 Things That Helped Me During Meltdowns As An Autistic Child
One of the more common questions I get asked as a professional speaker and autism self-advocate is about my communication challenges. After this question though the majority of the questions are about my previous meltdowns due to sensory-overload. As a nonverbal child until I was 3, most people think my main obstacle was communication when actually it was sensory integration dysfunction. My main challenges included loud noises, inclement weather, bright lights and not being able to be bathed until 18 months old due to the textural feeling of water on…
Read MoreFifteen Years of Autism Awareness
I approached this last Autism Awareness Month differently than I have in the past. Somehow, it’s not mine anymore…It’s hers. Don’t get me wrong, I will continue to fight for my daughter, Lizzie, every day, and I will openly share about our lives to help others understand the dire unmet needs of our community. But, experiencing autism for over fifteen years has allowed my emotions to stabilize and a different perspective to set in. This is how my Autism Awareness Day has changed over the years: It has only been…
Read MoreIt Started With Hope
My story, like most stories, started with hope. Sixteen years ago, hope welled inside of me like an eternal spring of flowers, butterflies, and sunshine. Hi. My name is Carrie. I have five kids and my second son has autism. His name is Jack. Ever since he was diagnosed nearly sixteen years ago, I hoped for many things. I hoped the doctor was wrong. I hoped he would outgrow it. Mostly, I hoped he would maybe sleep longer than an hour and say the word milk instead of screaming. Over…
Read MoreMarrying Autism: Being the Spouse of an Aspie
In the media, people hear about amazing children with Autism, the challenges they face, and support that is available for them. This includes awareness, therapy options, communication skills. However, there is almost nothing advertised about adults on the Spectrum. It’s as if Autism vanishes when kids hit 18, 20, 30, etc. Unfortunately, this is a far cry from the truth. Autism is not a “childhood illness” that children can outgrow. Instead, Autism grows up. With that, the resources, assistance, and compassion dwindle down to nothing. They are merely forgotten statistics.…
Read MoreThe Neurotypical’s Meltdown
I am NOT a “visual person.” My husband sees everything, even the hidden structure of a complex machine simply based on form, function, and the noise it makes. My husband is NOT a “listener.” I hear everything, even the raw truth betrayed by single word choice. Yin and yang. Peas and carrots. Amy and Sheldon. I may get the gold star for daily grinding, but he has saved my life more times than I can count, literally and figuratively. If I am the trusty ole’ engine, he is the emergency…
Read MoreHi, I’m Ben and I’m Autistic
This story was shared with me by one of the women in my Supporter group. Grab a tissue. Just a little story from yesterday. I’m an Area Manager for a cleaning company and am always hiring. I had an interview yesterday with a young man named Ben. His Mom had called me before hand to tell me a little about him. He’s autistic and was nonverbal until age 12. He’s now 19 and she said she really didn’t want to waste my time but if I could just interview him…
Read MoreMust Love Autism
“Do you have any siblings?” It’s a classic first date question, and rightfully so — it’s simple and seemingly painless to answer. It leads to an easy conversation. I can’t blame anyone for asking. “Yep, I have a younger brother, Alex,” I’ll reply. The follow-up question is almost always the same. “How old is he?” “He’s 23. We’re almost exactly 18 months apart. He has autism,” I always add quickly. As soon as I say it I wait for the reaction. A lot of the time people respond by listing…
Read MoreThe New Normal
I’ve always hated phrases like, “the new normal,” or “it is what it is.” In my eyes these expressions are just the lazy person’s way of not trying hard enough to make a difficult situation better. We’ll just call it, “the new normal” and move on. I can’t make it better so, “it is what it is.” I’m getting older but it’s cool because, “50 is the new 40.” You get the idea. When my youngest of four children was diagnosed with autism eight years ago, it felt like anything…
Read MoreIt’s About Quality of Life
I looked around while standing in the security line at the O’Hare International airport. Time to go home. I was only here for 24 hours. Not even really. I attended an amazing event for an amazing cause and slept through the night. I call that a successful trip. My hands were full, as they usually are. I was juggling my 2 bags, ID, cell phone and cup of coffee. I always get nervous in the security line. Like I’m breaking some law I didn’t know about. I picture myself getting…
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