Posts Tagged ‘diagnosis day’
Eight Years Ago an Angel Gave Birth to My Daughter
I have been her mom for around 2,920 days, add a couple extra for the leap years. I have provided comfort and care, lessons again and again, and I have offered absolutely nothing as much as I have given love, acceptance, and gratitude. The honor to be hers is mine, and it’s by no small miracle that she made it to me. Eight years ago today, I was in the delivery room as an angel gave birth to my girl. Within our first moment together, I knew I was everything…
Read MorePermission to Grieve
What I want the world to know about being a mom of a child with autism is that it is coupled with grief. I love my daughter. With every ounce of my being. She brings me joy and hope every single day. She teaches me patience, perspective, and that there is more than one way to do EVERYTHING. But I was not unprepared for the grief. When you hear that you are going to have a baby your brain starts dreaming of the life that will soon be. So many…
Read MoreI Blamed Myself for His Autism
Last night I laid in a full-size bed, inside a tent, under a train blanket, with my eight year old son. He had just fallen asleep. Beforehand, we talked, sang, and laughed. He asked me to hug him tight, and I did as he fell asleep. Slowly releasing him before he completely drifted off. Tight hugs are one of the few things that help him calm his body. Sleep doesn’t come easy for my boy. You can judge and give suggestions, but we’ve tried it all. My son is autistic…
Read MoreAutism Never Crossed Our Minds
Our son Sullivan is autistic and has Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder. Many people ask us, when did you know your son was autistic? That’s a tricky question because initially we had no idea. Sully had what we know now as sensory issues early on. We had to try many different bottle nipples, he threw up a lot, he stuffed food in his mouth till he choked, he would eat and eat and not like the feeling in his stomach and make himself throw…
Read MoreThank You to the Waitress Who Understood Inclusion
We tried a thing today. It was one of our spur of the moment ideas. My autistic son, Xavier, had gotten up at four again, and to be honest, after we dropped off his younger brother at school, we were all hungry and in need of a caffeine fix. Xavier’s Occupational Therapy appointment had been canceled due to a training his therapist was attending, so we had over an hour to kill. There is a diner that my husband and I both love, and hadn’t been to in a couple…
Read MoreHis Interests Stay the Same
As we age, our interests change. They evolve. They grow with us. But what if they don’t? What if they stay the same year after year? In the real world, they call it age appropriate. It means teenagers shouldn’t be watching Barney or adults shouldn’t be believing in Santa. Someone once told me to turn off the cartoons and put on the National Geographic channel. I still laugh about that. They thought parents like me should be forcing interests. My son is 12. He’s amazing. And he loves Peppa, Barney,…
Read MoreTwo Brothers
These two had a brotherly scuffle last night. Very typical in a ‘not-so-always’ typical life. The older one is 12. The younger one is 9 for a few more weeks. I could hear them wrestling upstairs. It honestly sounded like the ceiling was going to cave in. I heard laughter. Squeals. Stomping. Running. Words. ‘Come and get me!’ And the nonverbal responses that Cooper gives. Sounds. Happy pitches. Clapping hands. So much joy. And then a scream. Yelling. Running. Tattling. A near tears explanation that Cooper ripped the fuzzy ball…
Read More10 Things I Wish You’d Teach Your Kids About Disabilities
It was a typical Saturday. We were invited to a picnic at my husband, Jeremy’s, Uncle’s house. It was a small affair of just immediate family and us. We were excited to see everyone. Since the pandemic had had us at home for sometime only going out for basics and to Whit’s therapies and school. We smoked queso and made a pasta salad. Loaded everyone in the car triple checked to make sure we had everything and off we went. We got there unloaded, said our hello’s, grabbed food and…
Read MoreAlone in The Snow At 6 a.m.
One morning last winter, around 6:00 a.m., my husband woke me as he hurried up the steps toward our bedroom. It’s as though I could feel his fear arrive before he got to the doorway. Our daughter, Seeley, will be eight soon. She is autistic, endured significant prenatal alcohol exposure, has ADHD, is riddled with anxiety, and she has been diagnosed with BiPolar2 with Rapid Cycling. As soon as he reached the door, I met his eyes and knew my hunch was right. When he shouted, “I need you, she…
Read MoreTake the Focus Off Yourself
My 19-year-old son, Skyler, has severe, nonverbal autism. Throughout his lifetime, I have spent every waking moment deciphering his body language and nonverbal cues to make the decisions that I felt were in his best interest. Is he hungry and if so, will the meal selection I make be something he’ll be interested in eating? Is he tired and if so, should I let him go to bed early even at the risk of him waking up (and forcing us up) in the wee hours of the morning? Is he…
Read More