Posts Tagged ‘nonverbal autism’
There is Always Next Year
There is always next year… At age two we went to a restaurant for the last time. We started early intervention and learned how different our son was from his peers. At age three he was diagnosed with autism and we were told all the things he would never do. At age four we locked our house down. Three locks on every single door. Window alarms. Fences. We realized we couldn’t go places outside of our home. We started having aggressions and self injuring behavior. At age five it got…
Read MoreLove Needs No Words
If you’ve followed this page for any period of time, you know my son loves photos. Photos of Jamie and I when we were young. Party photos. Baby photos. Me as a freshman in college dressed up as a naughty nurse for Halloween. His dad taking a shot out of a beer bong made out of a plastic penguin named Petie. Our friends too. Old and new. He loves really happy photos. Carefree people. Letting loose. He hunts around the house for them. Digs in Rubbermaid tubs in the basement.…
Read MoreYou Taught Me About Autism
I got the following email this morning. To all the parents who wonder if they are making a difference by advocating for their children…here ya go. Hello Dear Kate, I have been watching your videos for years now. Ever since I started this Facebook. I am an old lady. Almost 70 years old. My children are grown. My grandchildren are grown. I live in a small town in the middle of America that no one has ever heard of. I have never met an autistic person. Honestly, I didn’t even…
Read MoreYour First Real Haircut
Last night was a big night for us kid. One that I honestly thought may never happen. A haircut. A real hair cut. See, mama has been cutting your hair for 8 long years. And yes, I apologize for all of the terrible cuts I gave you. But I had to teach myself. And I’ll describe it as trying to shave a grizzly bear at times. You are strong kid. You didn’t make it easy. We both cried over the years. I’ve taken a kick to the stomach and a…
Read MoreI Have to Grow Up Mama
Last night my seven year old had a hockey play date at the neighbor’s house. He hit pucks and went wild and skated while the snow fell down. I know because I saw a Snapchat that his father sent me. I was home with Cooper and the baby playing puzzles and cars and arguing about snacks and the volume of an iPad. As 9 pm approached, I started the bedtime process with two of my boys. Cooper immediately pointed to the front door and said, ‘SSSSAAAAWWWWEEEERRR.’ I told him little…
Read MoreWe Don’t Blend In
We don’t blend in, this kid and me. Not that we ever did, but I’ll admit when he was smaller it was easier. We got by with the graces people bestow on toddlers and energetic kindergarteners. But 9. Well, 9 is a whole different story. Nine is four feet, four inches tall. Nine is feet almost as big as mine. Nine is big and loud and noticeable. I used to care a lot when people stared at my son. At us. I would start to sweat and my face would…
Read MoreHard Work
Some kids work really hard before they start their school day. Harder than most. The get up early and leave the house in the dark when it’s 19 degrees and go to speech and do puzzles and practice saying words. They sit on the ground with their angel-like therapist and their mom and try. They turn the lights off and run out the door and giggle and get mad when the sounds won’t come out right. The ask for hugs from mom when it gets to hard and practice calm…
Read MoreWhat is a Brother?
Brothers. Two years apart. Almost to the day. One loves Legos and Mindcraft and hockey. The other one loves being tickled, old train magazines, and game shows. One never stops talking and asks endless questions that sometimes make me laugh and other times drive me up a wall. The other one is more choosy about what he communicates. He makes us work for it. But when he does, mostly it’s mom, snack, home and yes and no. And cookie. And most recently Starbucks. I thought they would be best friends.…
Read MoreDear Autism, Happy 3rd Birthday
Dear Autism, Happy third birthday. While it may have taken you 9-12 months to come around, when you finally reared your head, you made your point. You have brought us so much joy, and so much pain over these last three years. We cried when the doctor sat us in the chair in her office and said, “It’s autism.” Your dad and I held hands, separated by a small table housing a box of much needed tissues, and we stared not at each other, but directly at the doctor as…
Read MoreWhat I Don’t Say
Autism is complex with many different angles and moving parts…as are those on the spectrum. All uniquely beautiful in their own way. My husband and I had a tough conversation today about all the parts we do not tell our friends and family…..the hard stuff. It is not my story to tell. It is his. My son’s. Sometimes I do have to share. To his teachers, to family and sometimes to friends. I never want to share that stuff. The raging meltdowns. Sometimes over something as small as a toy…
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