Posts Tagged ‘Nonverbal’
Questions for an Autism Dad
Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing dad’s out there that are raising Autistic kiddos. It can be a selfless job and often seems more like a caregiver role than a father. I’d like to introduce you to my son’s dad, Jamie. He is a patient and caring man and is always willing to change a diaper, spoon feed his son and take a punch when needed. Questions for an Autism Dad Happy Father’s Day to all that amazing dad’s out there that are caring for autistic children. These are…
Read MoreWhen Persistence Finally Starts To Pay Off
Many of you will look at this picture and see a boy drinking out of a cup and think…so what? This is a normal thing. How is that a big deal? To a parent that has a kiddo that struggles with using a straw, drinking water, using a cup, swallowing, pooping, using his lips, frustration, fear, rigidity, learning, trying new things, regressing…this is so much more than a picture of a boy drinking out of a cup. This is a picture of five long years of struggles finally coming together.…
Read MoreWhen the Autism Checklists are Wrong
I like to talk about common misconceptions surrounding Autism because I was lead astray by well-meaning friends, loving family members, a guilty, worried conscious, and the damn internet. I like to talk about misconceptions around autism because I was so confused before I knew. Before I REALLY knew. And lost. And scared. I was so desperate for my son to NOT be autistic that I believed anything I read on the internet…or that was told to me. I was a new mom with a beautiful, smart, cuddly baby boy. A baby…
Read MoreI Never Lost My Son…In A Way, It Felt Like I Never Had Him.
I want to talk about the first three years of Cooper’s life because they were the saddest of mine. I had dreamt of becoming a mother for years. It was the thing I wanted most in my life. And then in the blink of an eye I was a mama to a beautiful, healthy baby boy. Except from day one something wasn’t right. Only, I couldn’t describe it and to make it worse it was like no one believed me. My son didn’t need me for anything besides a bottle…
Read MoreLeaving The House With An Autistic Child
I want to talk about leaving the house with my severely Autistic, six year old son. I think there are misconceptions about why we choose too and not too bring him places. I’ve been accused of hiding my son. Of being embarrassed of his behavior. I’ve been accused of letting the bullies win. On the other side, I’ve been praised for continuing to try and bring my super challenging son to stores. Everyone has an opinion. Measures of Success Last night we had a really tough outing. And if I’m…
Read MoreUnderstanding The Entire Spectrum Of Autism
I had the honor of doing an interview with Kerry Magro. He is an Autism Advocate who is truly making a difference in the world. Here is our conversation. This guest Q&A is with Kate Swenson who is the mother to two amazing little boys. Her son Cooper is on the severe end of the spectrum. She shares a glimpse into her secret world through videos at Finding Cooper’s Voice. Q. How did the idea of filming your story first come about? I started blogging about Autism when my son was…
Read MorePutting Your Mask On First
I’ve been having some minor medical stuff going on. Nothing huge but still slightly concerning. My fatigue and exhaustion were starting to affect my outlook on life and parenting so I broke down and went to the doctor. Of course it took me a while…like six months. I have no time for medical appointments when my son has so many of his own. You get it. I feel guilt about missing work so often already and then adding in another appointment. It’s just a lot. But like I said, my…
Read MoreThe Secret World of Autism
April is Autism Awareness Month. Prior to my son’s diagnosis, I never knew this month even existed. That’s how it typically goes I guess. People don’t pay attention until it’s their life. I get it. That was me pre-Autism. Now, my whole world is an Autism Awareness Month. I have a six-year old with nonverbal, severe Autism, and I invite you to take a peek inside our secret world. Autism can be scary, isolating, beautiful, humorous, amazing and sad. I, along with many other families, live in this world. Honestly, having…
Read MoreGut Health and Autism
I shared a video on Facebook today about our first visit to a Naturopath. There was quit the response and 99% of it was positive. That’s a pretty great feeling. I am bringing my son to a Naturopath solely to work on his stomach complications. We have reach a dead end with traditional GI doctors. My son has not had an in-medicated poop in over 4 years. My kid is 6. That is messed up. I am hoping this Naturopath can work with us on diet modifications. I am hoping he…
Read MoreMy Journey As An Autism Mom-Video
There were two huge things I needed in the beginning of my Autism mom journey. I needed someone to tell me what to do and I needed someone to validate me. I kept seeking out a friend or a mom or a doctor that could understand what I was going through, validate how hard it was and tell me what direction to take. I never found it. There were times when I’d joke that I wasn’t qualified to make these huge, life changing decisions for another person. I wasn’t an…
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