Posts Tagged ‘Special Needs Parenting’
Old Autism Mama
If you are reading this, there is a good chance someone you know has autism. Hi. My name is Carrie. I have five kids, and my second son, Jack, has autism. He was diagnosed when he was eighteen months old. I was a young mother with a three-year old, and a one-year old, and a tender new baby on the way. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. The world stood still when the doctor said the words Autism Spectrum Disorder. That’s the only way I can describe…
Read MoreA Moment in the Park
It was a beautiful evening. The puppy needed a walk, Gracie needed out of the house, so we went to the park. It was quiet, only a few kids here and there. Gracie was enjoying the playground and running around. As she went around the side of the slide a little girl about her age said hello. Gracie stopped dead in her tracks. She didn’t say hello back, she didn’t wave, not even a smile. She froze, panic on her face as she tried to think of something to do.…
Read MoreThe Phone Calls We Take
I have been on countless phone calls in my lifetime. There was a time in my youth where I loved getting all the phone calls on my birthday, relatives singing happy birthday to me on the other end of the line. There was a time in my teens where I loved getting calls from my friends. The type of calls that invited stretching the cord as far as could around the corner, kicking my legs up against the wall and gabbing endlessly. The time in my 20’s where I graduated…
Read MoreQuarantine, Autism and Never Giving Up
Oh, quarantine and autism. You have been a doozy. You would think we would have embraced this socially distant period like all the autism memes suggested at the beginning of this lockdown. “We’ve been social distancing since before it was a thing!” No. These past few months at home have allowed regression to creep back in, distressing my boy at a whole new level. I knew it would, right when we said goodbye to his routine back in March. It was inevitable. Unfortunately, that expectation did not make these months…
Read MoreA Boy of No
Once upon a time, there was a boy who always said no. When he was very small and didn’t have his words, he learned to sign it with his fingers. When that didn’t work and his mother or his father kept asking him to try a bite of a banana, he simply clamped his mouth shut, and shook his head. No. Later he learned to talk—first one word at a time, then two. After a long wait, he began to string them together like bright lights on a wire. But…
Read MoreWalk a Mile in Autism
A poem for my 16-year-old brother with autism: Neil Kurshan said, “Walk a mile in my shoes is good advice. Our children will learn to respect others if they are used to imagining themselves in another’s place”.But Mom, people cannot put themselves in my shoes, not unless they live it too.Friends and classmates use the words ‘weird’ and ‘autistic’ as if they’re the same.It hurts my heart and I want to get angry, but I continue to smile anyway.But I’m tired of smiling and I’m tired of changing the subject.So,…
Read MoreI’ve Been a Primary Caregiver for 30 Years. Here is What I Want you to Know:
Hi, my name is Kelly and I am the mother to an amazing young man named Steven. He was diagnosed with autism at age 2 and later apraxia. He recently turned 30 and is a dynamic, smart, interesting, funny young man. We share our story on Instagram at Growing Up Steven. Being a primary caregiver for the last 30 years has rewarded me with a few things: A panic disorder, depression, anxiety, excessive worry, marriage struggles, and at times, not the mom my kids deserved. I want you to learn…
Read MoreNever Miss a Moment
Recently I took my son to a local indoor water park for a few hours. He loved it. I had a few very interesting social observations. One of the most obvious was how we, the parents of special needs kids, never miss a moment in our kids lives. We are ever present, hyper vigilant, (over bearing at times) and just stuck to them like their own shadow. I get to experience and watch 98% of every single thing my son does. It dawned on me when I was watching two…
Read MoreToday, Be A Tiny Bit Selfish
Have you had them yet? The days that are a little harder to get out of bed, maybe because there’s nowhere to be or maybe because you just don’t want to. Not yet. The hot showers interrupted by the yelling outside the door, quickly followed by the thought of “I just don’t want to parent today.” Or maybe it’s the little moments that hit hard. The Zoom birthday parties that are missing all the elements of an actual celebration. Or having to say no when your kid innocently asks to…
Read MoreHe Loves You Kiddo
He loves you kiddo. I know it’s hard to see since he doesn’t care too much to play with you. Closing in on 5 years old, and missing half your school year, you need a lot more socialization than you get from a brother with autism, work from home dad, and the homeschooling/teletherapy/snack juggling mom. You often ask why your brother doesn’t talk or play, won’t ride bikes, and tears down forts once you build them. I overhear you trying to play, and I can’t truly describe what it feels…
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