Posts Tagged ‘Nonverbal’
My Motherhood
Being a mom is the biggest blessing that I have ever been given. It is also the most challenging adventure that I have ever been on. When I found out that I was pregnant, I dreamed of all the fun things my son and I were going to do. I dreamed what my son was going to accomplish. And then one day, I realized my dreams were just dreams, and that my reality was different than what I had ever imagined it was going to be. Motherhood looks different than…
Read MoreLife Changes
Have you ever had that feeling, like your world just stopped turning? Like you are standing still, but everyone around you is moving forward? So dramatic, I know, but this isn’t like in the movies when your whole life “flashes before your eyes” or when scenes from your past/present go racing by on a fast train or something. When my son was almost two years old, the long road to his autism diagnosis began. This was also the point where my world quickly shifted to revolving solely around autism, and…
Read MoreI Used to Google Nonverbal
I used to google. A lot. Late at night typically. Always on my phone so Jamie couldn’t see my search history. I’d google flapping. I’d google ‘my toddler doesn’t sleep. ‘My toddler has no words.’ I’d google ‘my toddler doesn’t eat any food.’ ‘My toddler has no imaginative play.’ I’d google all the sentences that ran through my head on a constant stream. The sentences I had never said out loud. I’d google nonverbal at age two. Nonverbal at age three. And then eventually nonverbal at age four and five.…
Read MoreA Mom’s Letter to Autism
DEAR AUTISM, I have had this letter in my heart addressed to you for some time now. I’m ready to tell you how I really feel. Almost three years ago to the day, you hit this family like a run-away train veering off track. We were simply trying to understand how to be parents, trying to figure out how to balance life, money, work and a relationship as husband/wife. We were slowly getting the hang of what being a family was all about. Then you came knocking at OUR door….…
Read MoreFriend, My World is Different
Dear what could have been friend, And I say could have, but it’s not you, it’s me. Typical, right? But hear me out. I am generally a good person. And I don’t mean that in a boasting/bragging kinda way, just a that’s kinda how you should be way. Treat people the way you want to be treated, and all that. And you see I want this, I really do. I wish that every time you asked me a question I wasn’t simultaneously watching my child like a hawk. And it’s…
Read MoreMedical Cannabis and Autism
When our son was diagnosed with autism a little over four years ago, I thought we would immediately start helping him. I assumed, so naively, that getting the diagnosis was all we needed to help him. I was wrong. For years we paved our own path. No one told us what to do. We couldn’t find any other children like our son. Our son had severe anxiety and rigidity. He self-injured. He had no understanding of safety or danger. He had chronic ear infections and extreme GI issues. He didn’t…
Read MoreI Want Greeting Card
Last night when Cooper got home from school, he immediately ransacked his bag. He pulled everything out. Then grabbed his speech device and said…’I want greeting card.’ I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. As he got more frustrated, I got more confused. Then this morning I get a text from his amazing therapist…’Did Cooper give dad the birthday card he made?!’ And then sent these photos. I seriously almost fell out of my chair. First, my kid is a genius and amazing. Second, he used his…
Read MoreI Am A Cerebral Palsy Dad
Some of my favorite stories involve the relationships between fathers and sons. I lost my own father when I was 15 to lung cancer. My dad was my best friend. Don’t get me wrong, he could be a very difficult man. He was very old school. I would not be surprised to learn that he was probably bi-polar. He did not have the greatest upbringing. But it is funny. Although he was old school, unlike a lot of father’s from the baby boomer generation, he was very affectionate. Not a…
Read MoreA Foot in Two Very Different Worlds
Last week, my five-year-old son Sawyer spent four days with his grandparents and his cousin. They fished, swam, biked and lived the cabin life. I was so excited for him to go and have fun. One of my worries and honestly, very real realities, is that he misses out on things. Having a sibling with special needs can do that. There is no sugar coating it. As parents to our children, we kill ourselves, and stretch ourselves way too thin, to make sure our children are getting what they need.…
Read MoreI Will Give You The World Kid
For the first five years of my son’s life, he never asked me for anything. No birthday presents. No trips to Lego Land. No demanding things in the Target checkout line. Some of you with children may think I am lucky. I don’t look at it that way. Until you live it, you can never truly understand either. For the first few years of Cooper’s life, he really never asked for anything. He never told us when he was hungry. He never asked for a drink. He never told us…
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