Posts Tagged ‘nonverbal autism’
The Conversations Missed
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about my son talking. Or not talking. I want you to know that on the surface I’m okay with having a nonverbal son. And by okay I mean I can picture a future where my adult son does not speak to me. I don’t cry about it anymore. I haven’t for years. It wasn’t fair to him or me. I had to move on. I rarely dwell. I am even excited about his Speech Device and am hopeful that one day he will use…
Read MoreA Conversation with a Stranger
Last week I helped a father while his daughter was in the middle of an autistic meltdown. We’ve all been there. As the parent your focus is safety and getting through the meltdown. This man needed an extra pair of hands. And I had no problem offering mine. After she calmed down we had a quick conversation that has stuck with me. Without knowing each other, or saying much more than an introduction, he said, ‘I didn’t know how hard it was going to be. And I really didn’t know…
Read MoreCooper’s Guide to Surviving the Holidays with Autism
The holidays are here! And wow are they stressful. Non-stop events, travel, shopping, expectations, etc. As much as I love Christmas time I know I always breathe a sigh of relief when January rolls around. One element that makes it more challenging is having a child with a disability. My son Cooper simply can’t go most places. Restaurants are not an option. Crowds, noise, being away from home and expectations are very challenging for him. Because of all that we had to implement some tough decisions when Cooper was three.…
Read MoreI’m Thankful For You: My Son’s Village
(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Nikki Wallace and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) This December I am honoring and thanking my son’s mighty village. I have so many people that I am grateful for that I don’t even know where to start. First, I want to thank my son’s aide Mrs. Angie Flint. She has been with us for two years now and she is like a second mom to my nonverbal six year old. When he is with her I never have to worry.…
Read MoreHow I Encourage My Nonverbal Son to use his Speech Device
I have many goals for my nonverbal son. Obviously, I want him to speak one day. But even more than that I want him to be able to communicate and in more than just a ‘preferred request’ sort of way. I want him to be conversational. I want him to ask me questions. I want him to be heard and understood. Right now, since he is nonverbal and struggles with Apraxia on top of his Autism, reaching these goals means encouraging the use of his Speech Device. Cooper uses a…
Read MoreI’m Thankful For You: My Son’s Creative Arts Therapist
(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Carrie Gagne and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) This December I want to honor and thank Katie, my son’s Creative Arts Therapist. While I know we are lucky to have many wonderful therapists and teachers who help Drew every day, we are especially grateful for Katie. My son Drew was diagnosed with autism at 18 months. He was and still is nonverbal. Looking back now, I was in a total fog. Confused, scared and in complete denial. Then, angry…
Read MoreHow Does My Autistic Son Fit Into The Real World?
We spent the weekend at a water park. I will be honest when I say I was very worried about it. The trip involved a long drive, a hotel stay, waiting, walking, crowds, chaos, etc. You get it. Bringing Cooper somewhere like a water park would traditionally threw off his schedule for weeks. We’d go, have a really tough time and then come home thinking it would be better once we got him back into his routine with his things. Except we were wrong. Cooper, and our family, felt the…
Read MoreMama, Will I Ever be an Uncle?
Grief is not linear my friends. I know that better than anyone. One day you are fine and the next you are not. That’s just how it goes I guess. But lately, I have reached a place where I am okay with my son’s autism. I’ve done the crying thing. I’ve done the heartache and worry. I’ve done the desperation. I’ve come full circle. I’m in an amazing place. My son is thriving. He is farther along than I ever thought he would be. At age seven he is communicating…
Read MoreAutism and Sleep Struggles
The number one question I am most commonly asked is…does your son with autism sleep? And if he does, give us your secrets. The answer is yes. He sleeps now. But he didn’t for nearly six years. Cooper did not sleep through the night until he was 4.5 years old. As a newborn he slept 6-8 hours in a 24 hour period and never slept longer than a 45 minute period. The sleep deprivation was torture. Around age 4.5 Cooper started sleeping but woke up before 4 am for a…
Read MoreI’m Thankful For You: Our Son’s Teacher
(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Cindy Heitman and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) This December I want to honor and thank our son’s teacher, Shannon Tackes. I am so very grateful for Shannon! My son, Erik, has non-verbal autism. Although he can’t speak, he doesn’t have any trouble letting you know what he wants. Erik is so sweet and his giggle will make you giggle too. Erik is 6, however, he wasn’t diagnosed until he was 4 1/2 years old. Because Erik had great eye contact, was…
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