Posts Tagged ‘High Functioning Autism’
There is No Easy Autism
When my daughter was first diagnosed on the autism spectrum last year, I clung to the concept that it was no big deal—that it was “mild,” and she was “high functioning.” She was going to be fine and this was not going to interrupt our lives because she was so smart and how could that happen? But looking back, I now wonder—what does that mean? What is “high functioning autism (HFA)?” Well, it’s not a medical term or recognized diagnosis from the DSM-5 manual, it’s just how some parents prefer…
Read MoreAnother Adventure in Motherhood
To my wonderful son, When you were born, I knew I was going on another adventure in motherhood. I didn’t know that you would make me a much different person than I was then. You learned how to talk at 15 months, gave the best hugs and kisses ever, and started getting into everything you could. By the time you were four, you had already broken your right foot and left arm, had stitches and a small concussion. Your pediatrician called it the “trifecta of childhood”. Along with the adventures…
Read MoreWhy Did God Make Me This Way?
It was totally unexpected when it happened. June 23rd. The night my six year-old son realized he has autism. He didn’t know the exact word yet, but he knew viscerally what it meant to be “different.” It was the first weekend of summer break, and my two boys and I were visiting my best friend and her two boys. It was bedtime, and he was tired. As I was trying to convince him to go brush his teeth, he suddenly collapsed in bed beside me, groaning, his body convulsing. His…
Read MoreHigh Functioning Awesome-ism!
Note: This guest post is directly dictated. Including punctuation. My son literally stood beside me and told me where to use BIG words and “one of those lines with the dot at the bottom.” Enjoy his perspective. Hi, I’m Elijah and I have High Functionality! (That’s my name for High Functioning Autism. I like High Functionality better because it sounds like I’m highly functioning, like a robot!) I like Minecraft and Legos! And other things. I move from thing to thing and sometimes I’m into magic things, sometimes I’m into…
Read MoreI’m Thankful For You: My Husband’s Aunt and Uncle
(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Carmen and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) I’m honoring my husband’s Aunt Sandra and Uncle Harry. I am thankful to them for simply loving my children from the beginning. Aunt Sandra and Uncle Harry have taught me to have faith in humanity again. They love my children unconditionally, no matter what, and have never known my kids are on the spectrum, because we ourselves didn’t know for a good while. Sounds simple enough to love children, but it hasn’t…
Read MoreAiden, A Story of Costumes and Love
I would like to introduce you to Aiden. This little boy is one of the most interesting and amazing kids I have came across on this journey. And his mother shared his story in a way that made me laugh and cry. Read his story. You will fall in love. Aiden Aiden was diagnosed with Autism, severe ADHD, a sleep disorder, and OCD when he was four years old. It was a long journey to that diagnosis and I somehow believed that once we had a confirmed diagnosis everything would…
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