Posts Tagged ‘severe autism’
How 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 MoreChristmas Cards with a Side of Hope
I am so excited to share our 2017 Christmas card with you. Christmas cards are one of my favorite holiday traditions, and I love documenting the end of our year with a new card. Every year I include a quote about autism and hope on the back of our card. I think people get the subtle reference and hopefully smile. My favorite: ‘Anything can happen child. Anything can be. Never stop believing.’ I also love receiving cards from our friends and family. I hang them all over my kitchen and…
Read MoreFour Pieces of Advice from the Mother of an Autistic Child
I’m often asked what bits of advice would I give to parents of newly diagnosed children. Or, what would I say to my younger self to make the autism journey easier. That question always makes me think. What would I say? It’s hard because I feel that so much of it we just have to go through. It’s almost a right of passage and a journey of self discovery. These are the four things I wish I could’ve told my younger self about relationships, behaviors, hope and challenging my child.…
Read MoreA Letter to My Son on His Birthday
My sweet boy, Today is your birthday. You are growing up. I think most parents would say, ‘where has the time gone?’ I don’t feel that way pal. I remember every single moment. Every high and low. Every regression and every victory. I feel like I can remember every sleepless night. I think about the hours I spent rocking you in the recliner and pacing around the living room. I can even vividly remember being a new mom and crying at the side of your crib because you didn’t sleep.…
Read MoreYou Are Not Failing As A Mom
When I think about my life with autism and motherhood, I like to believe that I take chaos in stride. I try to find joy and approach most struggles with optimism. That’s just me. And honestly, the only way I can survive with my sanity. In saying all that, sometimes it all gets to be too much. Lately, I feel like I am waving the white flag. Surgeries, birthday parties, Pink Eye, pee, messes, snow pants, dogs, jobs, and overall feeling like crap is taking it’s toll on this mama.…
Read MoreYou Are Describing Two Different Children
A few weeks ago I received a comment on one of my videos that said, ‘When you talk about your son it seems like you are describing two different children. Is he high functioning or severe? Which one is it? Is he loving and sweet or exhausting and violent? Your videos are hard to watch because you are always jumping back and forth.’ I had to laugh. This woman had perfectly described the emotional roller coaster that is autism. Not only do I feel like I am describing different children…
Read MoreCooper’s Seventh Birthday Party
I wanted to give an update about Cooper’s birthday party! Overall, it went great. He did so well. He spent the majority of time on his Kindle and doing his own thing and after nearly seven years I can honestly say…that’s okay. Birthday parties in the past have been very stressful for Cooper and ultimately very stressful for mom and dad. They were especially hard at age two and three, pre autism diagnosis. Cooper didn’t want to be around people. He didn’t enjoy parties or noise or food or presents…
Read MoreHaircut Tips for Autistic Children
I can think of a lot of struggles that Cooper and I have had over the years. He is autistic and nonverbal. That alone is hard. But to this day, one of his biggest struggles was and is getting a haircut. When Cooper was two we visited a local Cost Cutters for his first trim. We put it off forever because we knew it was going to be awful. Cooper hated to sit and be touched by strangers. So, we went very early in the morning and hoped for the…
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