Posts Tagged ‘nonverbal autism’
Keeping Autistic Children Safe (VIDEO)
Last week, a little boy, who is autistic and nonverbal, died. The story rocked the world of every parent who has a child with special needs. I shared a few updates as it was unfolding and was saddened to see the hate that emerged. Some comments were curious. Many were confused how this could happen. And everyone was heartbroken. I want you to know I know nothing more than you do. I know what I see on the news. That is it. But what I do know is the seriousness…
Read MoreThe Lessons We Learn Along the Way
I read a quote today by Shakespeare. “I cried when I had no shoes, But I stopped crying when I saw a man without legs…” Wow, did that hit me hard. I want you to know that I was devastated when my son was diagnosed with autism. I am a big enough person to admit that. I couldn’t understand how or why. Why him. Why our family. Why. And, I even knew it was coming. I’d done my research. I saw the writing on the wall. He wasn’t talking at…
Read MoreThe Beautiful Parts of Stimming
One of my missions with this page is to give a glimpse inside our beautiful, unique world with severe, nonverbal autism. This photo is a perfect example. His mind is amazing. Cooper is absolutely in love with family photos. He even uses them to communicate. Thankfully, over the years he has relaxed a bit around them too. He used to take them out of frames, take them off the wall, even break the glass. Now, he just gathers them up, carries them around, spreads them out, studies them, shares them…
Read MoreMedical Cannabis Update-Week Four
I promised I would give a weekly update on our journey with medical cannabis for our severely autistic son. We are 28 days in! In Minnesota, medical cannabis was legalized for autism in July 2018. The program is regulated by the state of Minnesota. You can read more HERE about how we got started. Want to know if medical cannabis is legal for autism in your state? Click HERE. After getting a prescription from his doctor and jumping through all the hoops, we started him on the lowest dose possible.…
Read MoreThe First Day of Autism
The first day I realized my baby boy was autistic is one of those days that will forever be etched in my memory. Like the day my husband and I found out in the ultrasound room that our baby was a boy, or the night we walked together on our favorite trail while I was in labor with him. My husband sang to my stomach to let Johnny know he was loved, and that we were waiting for him on the other side of the dark. I remember it like…
Read MoreThe Relationships Lost Along the Way
There is a very important lesson you will learn after you have a child diagnosed with autism. There are people in your life, and your child’s life, that will never fully understand. They will never be what you need them to be. Maybe it’s a shoulder to cry on. A phone call. A visit. But they simply can’t do it. They also aren’t always bad people either. They just can’t emotionally handle the diagnosis. Or the differences. I will admit it took me years to understand and accept that. Many…
Read MoreSharing the Realities of our World
We have been having so many wins lately with our severely autistic son. He is thriving. Our family is letting that breath out we have been holding for years. I feel like many parts are actually getting easier. And yet, the roller coaster continues. Our son had his longest behavior to date yesterday, 10 minutes, and had to be put into a hold. I spent the night feeling guilty. And worrying. And wondering why his life has to be so hard. Why can’t it just be easy? And as he…
Read MoreWhen No One Says Hi Back
I just encountered a handicapped gentlemen in the skyway outside of my office. I would say he was in his fifties. I heard him coming. He was saying the most cheerful ‘hi’ to every person he passed. I noticed he was being ignored. Which I guess isn’t all that uncommon. When a stranger says hi it’s probably normal to ignore. When he said hi to me I gave him the most cheerful hi I could give. He stopped walking and asked if I was going to have a baby. I…
Read MoreAdvocating for my Child Doesn’t Mean I am Trying to Cure Him
The small room is kept cold and quite. It only has one long rectangular table with 12 black cushioned chairs that have wheels at the bottom of them. The walls are painted light tan, with no pictures hanging from it, and the carpet is dark brown. You can not hear the sound of my heels walking to one of the chairs where I will sit for the next hour. It’s August and every room at the board of education is full and humming with excitement and nervousness for the upcoming…
Read MoreMedical Cannabis Update-Week Three
I promised I would give a weekly update on our journey with medical cannabis for our severely autistic son. We are 21 days in! In Minnesota, medical cannabis was legalized for autism in July 2018. The program is regulated by the state of Minnesota. You can read more HERE about how we got started. Want to know if medical cannabis is legal for autism in your state? Click HERE. After getting a prescription from his doctor and jumping through all the hoops, we started him on the lowest dose possible.…
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