Posts Tagged ‘severe autism’
A Letter to the Mother of a Child With Autism
Dear mama, I want you to know that when you leave your child with me, he will be safe, loved, and encouraged. I want you to know that I see you and you are not alone. I also want you to know mom, that I see behind your smile and want to hug you every day. When you leave your child at my door I sometimes secretly hope that you are going to do something wonderful for yourself and that you don’t forget to take care of yourself. I want…
Read MoreTeaching Play To Children With Autism
At age seven my son has very few play skills and no imaginative play. This means keeping him entertained without technology is a real challenge. What I wouldn’t give to be able to say to my son, ‘go play.’ Right now that phrase doesn’t make sense to him. He needs to be taught the skills first. For years we have worked on puzzles and anything alphabet related. But both of those types of play meant that I was sitting next to him and engaging with him. I had hoped by…
Read MoreWill It Always Be This Hard?
I read a blog post today. It was written by a super exhausted mama for the super exhausted mama. Which obviously caught my eye. That’s me. I work full time. Two kids. One with autism. Three dogs. Home owner. Friend. Daughter. Spouse. I spend my days sharing autism, advocating, attempting to have a social life, trying to drink enough water, playing with my kids, exercising, fighting with Cooper over eating and communication, cooking dinner, cleaning my house, wishing I could walk my dogs, get a good night sleep and pee…
Read MoreA Conversation with Sawyer: Is My Brother Coming With?
A few nights ago, Jamie and I attended our four-year-olds first Christmas pageant. I can’t even tell you how excited I was to attend. Sawyer had been talking about it for weeks. I knew it was going to be special. Sawyer nailed it. Just like he always does. He stood, sang, participated and hammed it up. And we watched. It was wonderful. It was pretty special to watch him. My little Sawyer’s first Christmas concert. He’s a star! And also appears to have some emotions midway through. He’s on the…
Read MoreDoes Parenting A Child With Special Needs Get Easier As They Age?
Have you ever wondered that? I used to all the time. I would be at a particularly low point in our Autism journey and I would ask that question to my mom or a friend or a doctor. And no one would tell me the truth. I just needed to hear if it was going to get easier or get harder. I needed an honest answer. The problem was I was asking the wrong people. I’m not surprised I get asked this question every day by parents of newly diagnosed…
Read MoreThe 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 MoreAutism and the Effects on Siblings
I have two sons, Cooper is seven and Sawyer is four. They are both blonde, adorable, strong-willed, and funny. They are both obsessed with their mama. They are loud. They are both snugglers. They have been brothers since Cooper was almost two. And yet, it wasn’t until recently that they even began acknowledging each other. Yes, it broke my heart for years. There are days when it still does. I can almost picture what my life would be like if my boys were able to play each other. If I…
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 More