Posts Tagged ‘nonverbal autism’
The Seventh Year
In church we sing, Let the King of my heart Be the wind inside my sailsThe anchor in my waves…‘Cause You are good You are good, oh oh Oh, He is my song…You’re never gonna letYou’re never gonna let me down – Bethel Music My son, tonight I held you as you stood on a chair in our church. I sang this song to you and you smiled at me. I wondered if you understood that I was worshiping and thanking God for trusting me to be your mom. This song resonates with me…
Read MoreJust Try Sweet Boy
I have this memory burned in my brain. And if you follow me I speak of it often. I was a first time mom. My son was 2 years old and Early Intervention was sitting in my living room. Red flags had been identified as they say. The nice woman had a booklet…it had to be a 100 pages long. Her job was to figure out what my son couldn’t do. Question after question. Always, often, sometimes, never, unknown. Bubbles filled in as we went along. It was awkward and…
Read MoreA Few Firsts in our World
One of the ways I work with my son Cooper is by setting goals. At any given time, I have 2 or 3 different things we are working on. Going out in the community, using a fork, drinking from a cup, waving, eating a new food, and so on. Some goals take a short time to accomplish. Some take years. But I stick with them. It helps me as a mom to make a list. Otherwise I feel overwhelmed by everything he needs to learn. Here are a few of…
Read MoreMy Son, Please Choose a Partner who will Love your Brother
Sawyer, I want to say thank you. Thank you for being mine. For being here. For growing up. For keeping me firmly grounded in reality. For being easy. And simple. And letting autism be in control when it needs to be. Thank you for asking me questions. And telling me stories. For playing sports. And having playdates and birthday parties. Thank you for giving me all the milestones and memories that a mother dreams of. But mostly, thank you for being you. I want to tell you a few things.…
Read MoreYou are Amazing Kid
My son has never ran inside to show me something. He has never rushed home from school to tell me about his day. He’s never told me a story. Or even asked me a question. There is no school work to look at. No homework to do at night. No report cards. His artwork is not hanging on the fridge either. We said goodbye to all of that possibility in kindergarten. We said goodbye to typical education. We shifted our focus. We picked the things that really mattered. Safety. Awareness.…
Read MoreIt’s the Little Things that Matter
You think the big things are the most important. The ones that will make the most impact. Saying words. Making a friend. Joining a team. Going to school. Graduating. Those are the milestones we work towards. Right? And yes, of course they are important. But as I grow into being the best mom for my son, and watch him grow into himself, I realize it’s the little things that make the biggest difference in our world. That make the most impact on our every day life and sanity. A smile.…
Read MoreKids who Hurt and the Parents who Love Them
I noticed the little girl right away. 7 or 8 maybe. She was sitting in a chair, on an iPad. Quietly. She had curls. Blonde ones. She was stunning really. I was waiting for my son and impatient. I had a million things to do and lately it felt like I was spending a lot of time in waiting rooms. I heard it before I saw it. The sounds. Like an animal. The iPad hit the table. The girl sprung out of her seat, ran and dived onto the little…
Read MoreHis Secret World
This has always been our special place. It’s the one place I could bring both boys from an early age. It’s the one place that my nonstop moving boy would sit. He would be still. Sifting sand. And my younger son could play too, finding friends within seconds. And I could stop holding my breath. Even just for a minute. Cooper would look at the beach and choose a spot as far away from the kids as possible. He’d hunch over. And enter his happy place. Sawyer would look at…
Read MoreYou are Enough Moms and Dads
As a mom to a little boy with severe, nonverbal autism, I spend more time than I would like to admit wondering if this is all going to be okay. Will my son be okay and safe and thrive in a world that isn’t designed for him? I wonder if I am doing enough for him? Heck, I wonder if I am enough for him? And I’ve learned one thing. At our darkest, lowest points in life, something beautiful will happen. Something unbelievable. Something that will rejuvenate you. Give you…
Read MoreAge is just a Number in our World
‘You prepare yourself as a parent for siblings to pass your disabled child by. But wait until your grandkids do too. That one will take your breath away.’ That comment. It was said to me, with love, from a mom that had been doing this for 57 years. Her son is 22. He’s like my amazing Cooper. Nonverbal. Severe. Smart. Funny. Loving. He will need lifelong care. He will forever need help bathing and brushing his teeth. He will never pay taxes or have a job. He will never get…
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