Posts Tagged ‘inclusion’
I’m the Mom without a Bestfriend
I’m the mom without a bestfriend. I’m the mom without a tribe. I’m the mom without a village. I’m the mom who doesn’t get invited to birthdays, baby showers, weddings, mom’s night out. I’m the mom that doesn’t have a person. I’m the mom who spends weeks at a time never seeing another human being besides her kids and husband. I’m the mom that doesn’t get included. I’m the mom that doesn’t have someone to make sure I’m still hanging on. I’m the mom on the outside looking in. I’m…
Read MoreWe Aren’t Excluded but we Aren’t Exactly Included Either
I was talking with a friend the other day. I was telling her how summers can be so hard on our family. In a way, part of me actually dreads them. Our friends, family and neighbors are so busy. We hear about it. We see it on Facebook. Pictures. Stories. They are traveling to Disney. Going to summer festivals. Grabbing candy at parades. Attending baseball games. Going for bike rides. Visiting the latest waterpark. On Facebook it seems so effortless. And while I know that everyone has struggles, I’m not…
Read MoreJust See Him and Say Hello
I’ve learned so many things on this journey of parenting a child with autism. I’ve learned that many people get scared of the word autism. I’ve learned that some people think my son is deaf because he’s nonverbal. Or that he can’t answer questions. I’ve watched people get nervous by flapping or his unique sounds. Or by his silence. I’ve watched people completely ignore him. Or they ask me questions for him. ‘Is he hungry?’ Which I respond with, ‘Let’s ask him.’ These aren’t bad people. They aren’t mean. Usually…
Read MoreMy Son, You are Different
My son, you are different. Different in the most best possible way. I realized that today. You are not like the other kids. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Not in anyway. You are the brave one. Because you have no fear about being exactly who you are. We were at the park. The cool one in the neighborhood. At least that’s what your brother says. We finally convinced you to walk over there. You were scared at first. We had to make some new turns. Go farther…
Read MoreMy Awareness Moment
Today was one of the rare occasions that I got to bring my grandson Noah to therapy. Sara is always the one to do it. I usually stay at home with him unless we go to the grocery store or run some other little errand. He will sit in a basket and look at all the lights and colors just like all little kids his age. He loves the grocery store and Lowes. He really likes Lowes. I don’t know why that’s his favorite but he loves it. Maybe it’s…
Read MoreSuccess in Our World
What does success look like in our world? Success that would have NEVER happened six months ago…we would have had to get a babysitter for Cooper, split up, or skipped it. Success is attending an outdoor Easter Egg hunt at our church as a family. And of course wearing a swimsuit because mom mentioned the word ‘waterpark’ this morning. Being near a road and not running into it. Waving at people. Smiling. Talking to people. Sitting for a few minutes inside the church. Safely wandering. Going on the risers and…
Read MoreI Will Tell You About Our World…
Maybe you follow my page. Or maybe we went to high school together. Maybe you heard about me. Or you are a friend of a friend. Either way, you know I have a son with autism. You know his name is Cooper. And that I talk about all the parts. You’ve heard that I don’t hold back. I am raw. I am honest. I talk about the beautiful parts. And the hard parts. Even the sad parts. I do this because it is my life. And I am not the…
Read MoreA Teacher’s Message to Parent’s of Autistic Children
Often I read real life stories of what life is like for parents of children with Autism. As a teacher who works with children with AU, I would like to say I am here for them too. To the parents that trust me with their most prized possession for 6-8 hours a day I am grateful to you. I am grateful that you trust me, that you support me, that you can see when progress is made (and when it is not, because that is even more important). I wake…
Read MoreThe Dreaded Cycle
Oh it’s the dreaded cycle again. My son you were doing so well just yesterday. Then today you wake up and our nemesis is back. I hope you know I really dislike you! You take away my sons smile and give him tears. You take away his appetite and give him belly aches. You take away is sleep and give him anxiety. You take away his health and give him illnesses. You take away his school/friends and give him inclusion. You take away is laughter and give him meltdowns. Sometimes…
Read MoreTo my Son’s School District
I registered my son for school today. I drove five minutes from my house on this cold winter morning and walked into the office with all of our forms: his birth certificate, our utility bills, his physical. This school is a large part of our community. It’s the only school in town, and it’s a one school district. It’s where I always envisioned my son starting school. But today, when I walked into that office, I knew I wouldn’t be coming back and that my son will probably never even…
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