Posts Tagged ‘severe autism’
Our Days Are No Longer Lost
For the first time, since as far as I can think back, I want time to slow down. I actually haven’t ever really felt this way. My whole life I’ve been sprinting to reach the next milestone. A shame I know, trust me. I wish it hadn’t of taken me thirty years to realize this. And it’s kinda an odd feeling to have made this shift. Since having Noah, all I’ve been doing is trying to catch up. Rushing to do everything and anything I could to get him ‘better.’…
Read MoreAs Parents, We Need to Start a Conversation About Autism
I read an article today about autism. It said children with autism most likely won’t show affection. They won’t need affection. They won’t understand emotion. They won’t have empathy or sympathy. Then I went onto read an article about an autistic boy that attacked his teacher. I noticed no one asked why. The child was labeled as a monster. No one questioned the school. Instead, it labeled the seven-year-old boy as autistic. I heard words like aggressive. Angry. And the police were called. I let myself read another article about…
Read MoreAdvice For The New Autism Parent
Dear New Autism Parent, First of all, I want to say I’m sorry! Even if you’ve suspected that your child has autism, having your theory confirmed hurts. It’s like a smack in the face. It feels like all of the plans you had are gone and the child you expected to have may never be possible. It sucks! Believe me I’ve been there not once but twice. I’ve had to sit through a meeting where they break the news that my suspicions were correct. Despite how you might feel right…
Read MoreYour First Time Seeing Autism
We’ve known each other for years. Friend of a friend I suppose you could say. We are the same age. Both married. Both busy. You don’t have children though. I would say you know me pretty well. You know where I work. Where I live. Who my friends and family are. I see you regularly. You know that my son has autism. You hear me talk about him often. Sometimes I talk about the hard times. The medical struggles. The sleep deprivation. The constant fight. Sometimes I talk about my…
Read MoreI am Thankful for Those Rare Moments
I’m going to be real here. Throughout the frustration, the exhaustion, the tears and screaming, I really start to question how much I can handle sometimes. There are days where I really don’t want to get out of bed and face the day. There are days where I want to hide away, just for five minutes of peace. There are days where I want to scream and cry. There are days when I truly do think, ‘autism really sucks.’ Then, there is the feeling of guilt that for a brief…
Read MoreHowever Hard Autism is for Me; It is Harder for My Son
At 9 months old, I knew there was something different about Zachary. At 17 months old I took it upon myself to get him started in feeding therapy, and then shortly after early intervention. At that early point in Zachary’s life everyone tells you, “he is fine…he is a boy, they take longer to do certain things” and all that extra fluff. As a nurse I knew differently, and as a mom I knew in my heart. Zachary will be 4 years old in April, which also means I have been a mom for that long as…
Read MoreThe Forgotten Side of Autism
The forgotten side of autism is something my son Cody lives every day. And as his mother, everyday I live the severe, nonverbal, sometimes even aggressive side. You hear so much about the children labeled autistic that go on to become speakers, lawyers or even doctors. And that’s amazing. However, that’s not our autism. I just want my son to be able to put his pants on the right way. I want my son to learn to bathe himself. I want my son to be able to tell me what…
Read MoreNew VIDEO: The Difference a Year Can Make
Oh the difference a year can make. If you would’ve told me last May that my son would be where he is now…I would’ve probably thought you were crazy. I would’ve for sure cried. One year ago, our autistic son had MAJOR problems with school, eating, sleeping, behaviors, safety, communicating, ear infections and constipation. Jamie and I felt like we were failing. Or at least it felt that way. We couldn’t get help. We couldn’t get doctors to listen to us. We couldn’t get a team put together. We were…
Read MoreMeasuring Success a Little Differently Than Most
A few days ago, Cooper had an event at his therapy center. This was the first event he has ever had. While many of you parents may have had different outcomes, Cooper was never included in any programs when he was in public education. Looking back I am pretty sad about it. But that’s a story for another day. Anyhow, today, he attends a full-time autism program. We made the decision to pull him from public education during his kindergarten year when it started to feel like he was being…
Read MoreNew Video: Wondering Why My Child
As parents, we can play a vicious game of ‘why my kid.’ I’ve been there. When my son was younger I would look around and wonder why. I did everything right when I was pregnant. Why is my beautiful boy not meeting milestones? Why is he not talking? Why him? Why our family? I’d hear stories of mothers who did drugs or drank during pregnancy and had perfectly healthy children. And I’d wonder why him. Why our family. I’m human. And so are you. I’ve had countless mothers tell me…
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