Posts Tagged ‘Special Needs Child’
Beyond Words: A Mother’s Fight for Her Autistic Son
A year after Benton’s diagnosis, we began the search for private speech therapy. We had received services from the Tennessee Early Intervention System since he was 18 months and would lose the therapy services the day he turned three. The school system would take over his care, and we would supplement with private therapy. Our insurance refused to pay for private therapy, but we felt like Benton would benefit greatly from a few more hours of services outside of preschool. We walked into the speech clinic, and we were taken…
Read MoreInside My Nonspeaking Son’s World: Dreams, Plans, and Hope
I used to pray for a glimpse inside my nonspeaking son’s world. Simple things… Why does he love trains so much? What’s his favorite color? Why will he eat apple sauce out of a cup but not a pouch? But big things too… Is he happy? What does he want to be when he grows up? What is he afraid of? Does he know how loved he is? For years, I had no idea. I was walking blind as a mother. Today, my sweet boy is 12 years old. He’s…
Read MoreBrotherly Love: Navigating Autism and Anxiety Together
I heard his little voice before I saw him. ‘Cooper. Cooper. We don’t hurt our body. We love it.’ I peeked around the corner. What I saw made me gasp. The four year old who wants to be 10 like his next older brother. Blonde hair. Bare feet. Scabbed over knees from a crash on his bike. A Paw Patrol costume half on. He was holding a Ninja Turtle in one hand. The other hand was stretched out. Holding his older brother’s hand. Cooper. He is 12 years old. And…
Read MoreLiving with Autism: A Mother’s Raw Reality
Autism showed up in my life five years ago. I had no idea about it before that, and it saddens me that I was oblivious to this world until it affected my family. Now, I wish for inclusion. I wish to educate the future leaders of society about people like my son and families like mine, who live in a world within this one, which very often can feel lonely, isolated, and restricting. Autism is cruel and also beautiful. I grieve the son I thought I’d have, and I celebrate…
Read MoreAutism Diagnosis: 5 Life-Changing Lessons
The day I learned autism was now a part of our journey seems like a lifetime ago. No one in our family or immediate circle of friends had a child on the spectrum, and it wasn’t something we were familiar with. I had a flawless pregnancy. All I could think about was taking baby bump photos, rocking him to sleep, never missing a bedtime story, and making my own baby food. Nowhere did I think I would have a baby who didn’t sleep, one who struggled to eat, didn’t babble,…
Read MorePrioritizing My Autistic Child’s Happiness
Is she happy? When I think about my autistic daughter, that is the question that is always in the front of my mind. When I think about school, when I plan a trip, when I go to the store, or when I look in the rearview mirror and see her staring out the window of the car, it is always on my mind. Do I want her to learn to read and write? Yes. Do math? Sure. Gain skills of independence and make friends? Of course. But in the end,…
Read MoreCompassion and Encouragement are Priceless in Moments of Autism Distress
Many of us that live with autism are familiar with the comings and goings of something that feels like a ticking time bomb; one that disappears for periods of time, so much so that we might forget about it. Then suddenly, this bomb drops at our doorstep in the form of a returning or new obstacle, so intense that it causes us to pause our lives, alter our plans, maybe even change our current paths. For our family, the new challenge has been sudden piercing, momentary screams. Not constant or…
Read MoreCelebrating Easter With My Yellow Haired Boy
I never thought I would have four kids. I’m not sure if I’ve ever shared that before. I thought two, maybe three. But four? It still surprises me sometimes. Four is loud. Four is chaotic. Four is wonderful. Four is fulfilling. Today I woke up first. Which most definitely surprised me because as my two middles went to sleep last night I heard them plotting to wake up early to catch the Easter bunny. As I got the coffee going my third son came downstairs. Together we woke up Sawyer…
Read MoreParenting a Child with A Disability: Challenges and Joy
Some days, I can’t help but watch. Watch everyone else and envy how easy things seem to be for them. Deep down I know that everyone has their own struggles, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that our day-to-day life is so much more complicated. At school drop-off I watch as other kids jump out of their cars and walk confidently into the building, while we have to park and walk our son directly to his para. And at pickup, I see kids my son’s age walking home or…
Read MoreGrandma’s Return After Months Apart
‘He had a snack and went right in and pulled the covers down for a nap. He must have been up early this morning. He is one happy child.’ That’s the text I got this morning from my mom. Cooper’s grandma. If you follow our story you know that Cooper has been waiting for his grandma to come home from Texas for nearly four months. It’s been very hard for him. He loves her so much. And he doesn’t quite understand all the ins and outs of wintering somewhere warm.…
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