Posts Tagged ‘severe autism’
I Am That Mom
I am that mom. The one you see running around at the park, covered in sweat, and continuously redoing her pony tail. The one climbing to the top of the jungle gym and sliding down with a kiddo between her legs. I See You I can see you out of the corner of my eye sitting with a group of women leisurely drinking your coffee. I see you watching me. We’ve bumped into each other a few times. I know you are a lovely person. You smile and wave. I…
Read MoreAutism and Regression
Hey all. Yesterday we had a heartbreaking day and it hit our family pretty hard. And to make it worse it seems that something is super ‘off’ with Cooper. We can’t seem to get him regulated and as we sat and analyzed his behaviors last night we realized he’s been off for over a week. And for the life of us we can’t figure out what’s changed in his world. This regression is dramatic. And a huge shock. This is one of the hardest parts of raising a nonverbal kid.…
Read MoreThe Night My Boys Became Brothers
I have two sons, Cooper is six 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 MoreThis is Going to be Okay…
Most days I think this is going to be alright. I can give my autistic, nonverbal son the best life ever. He can live with mom and dad forever and we will be OK. I tell myself I can do this. And I’ll find someone to care for him after I’m gone. I am a fighter. I will never give up. But even more than that I am an advocate for a little boy with autism that deserves the best life possible. And I’ve quickly realized that when you have…
Read MoreThe Secret World of Finding Cooper’s Voice
I am continuously asked how my world has changed since opening up my family and life to the world of Facebook. First, I want you to know I started the blog, Finding Cooper’s Voice, three years ago because I had no one to talk to about my son’s autism. I poured my heart out daily and had very few followers. My sole purpose was talking about my emotions around my son’s confusing disability. It was the best decision I ever made. Going Viral In January of this year, I decided…
Read MoreIsolation and Autism
It was a cloudy cold Sunday in Minnesota so our family took to the beach. This is common for us. Many families of autistic children go to highly visited places on days with bad weather. Less people, less stress, less stares, and less chaos for our kids. I will be honest and say that if we get to an event, park, beach and there are a lot of people I instantly tense up. My little man is a mover and a thrower. He has no understanding of safety or social…
Read MoreQuestions 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 MoreAutism and Age
Have you stopped thinking of your Autistic child as a certain age? I think I sorta have. While Cooper is six…cognitively, socially, behaviorally, emotionally, he is all over the board. He ranges from six months to probably four years old. Yes, he wears 6T clothes. And yes, he was born in 2010. On paper he is six years old. But in my mind, he is almost his own unique age. And, I don’t think it even is a number. In my world…age and autism don’t correlate. Having a disabled child…
Read MoreEducating Police Officers About Autistic Behaviors
Autism and law enforcement is a hot topic in the news right now. Stories like the one about the ten year old boy with Autism who was arrested at his school in Florida are all over my Facebook news-feed. I continue to get questioned about it by friends and family. How do I feel about it? As a mom to a little boy with severe, nonverbal Autism my answer is…SCARED. And it’s not just about law enforcement. It’s by teachers, therapists, doctors and even strangers. I could go on and…
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