Posts Tagged ‘nonvebal autism’
From Non-Verbal to Verbal
I decided to take a much needed nap yesterday while my baby slept. You know that old saying…sleep when the baby sleeps? I was practicing that. For the first time in ages. Because my baby, well, he is giving me a run for my money in the sleep department. I thought my older son was a bad sleeper? Ha. The newest Swenson says, ‘watch this.’ Anyhow, I slept for two glorious hours. And I woke up to the most beautiful sound. One I had never heard before. One I had only…
Read MoreA Small Glimpse into Nonverbal
I had a nightmare last night. I was stuck at a four way intersection with a dead car battery and people were quickly growing frustrated with me. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words would come. I tried sticking my hands out the window to sign, to make a hand motion that could explain my predicament, but it seemed my brain had stalled just like my vehicle. People honked aggressively at me, motioning that it was my turn to go. I wanted to explain to them, I tried…
Read MoreSafety in the Car
I get asked ALL the time about Cooper’s medical alert seatbelt cover. We love it so much and I won’t travel without it. In an emergency situation, these shoulder belt covers quickly convey crucial information that a child or adult may not be able to express by themselves. As many of you know, having a nonverbal child comes with unique challenges. Cooper can’t communicate verbally. He doesn’t always respond to his name or acknowledge questions. He has slow processing times. And even if he is able to respond, he doesn’t…
Read MoreTopics We Don’t Talk About
I’ve been trying to find the words for a few days now. But coming up empty. I’ve been processing. Trying to understand, justify, explain and fix. But I haven’t been able to do any of those things yet. Instead I’ve felt sad. And ashamed. Worried. Confused. There are no child development books on this. We’ve entered a new stage of development. Hitting. It’s happened twice now. Fast. Quick. Out of the blue. His hands. My face. And I’ve quickly learned it’s a taboo subject. Parents don’t talk about it. We…
Read MoreCooper’s Seventh Birthday Party
I wanted to give an update about Cooper’s birthday party! Overall, it went great. He did so well. He spent the majority of time on his Kindle and doing his own thing and after nearly seven years I can honestly say…that’s okay. Birthday parties in the past have been very stressful for Cooper and ultimately very stressful for mom and dad. They were especially hard at age two and three, pre autism diagnosis. Cooper didn’t want to be around people. He didn’t enjoy parties or noise or food or presents…
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