Posts Tagged ‘Special Needs Parenting’
Navigating the Autism Maze
When I first learned our sweet, beautiful daughter had autism I felt as if a tsunami had swept me up, taking with it my family’s happiness and peace. I thought from here on, our life would be limited to therapies and hardships. I was frightened and uncertain about our now shaky future. Would our almost three year old daughter ever be able to fully communicate? What type of relationship could she and I have as she grew older? She blends in now, but what sort of behaviors might she develop…
Read MoreNot the Summer I Expected
I am a special ed teacher. I am so fortunate to have my summers off. I look forward to them. After April vacation the countdown begins. I get to spend time with my boys doing all the things they love; going to the beach, swimming, playgrounds, hanging with their cousins and my friends’ children. Only this will not be the case for one of my sons. My 3 year old Dominic will spend a 32 hours a week at his ABA center. He will go to occupational therapy. This hit…
Read MoreWaiting for a Diagnosis
Before we had our third baby we knew there was a chance. When I googled, it said something like a 25% chance. That number felt high. Really high. So high, that my husband and I fought about it. We cried about it. We debated. We rationalized. We prayed about it. One day I would say let’s go for it. And he would say…we can’t handle two kids with special needs. The next week I would be exhausted from therapies and behaviors and say…we can’t risk it. Two kids is perfect.…
Read MoreI’m Not Scared Anymore
My dear, sweet Harper. Where do I even begin. You were my first born, my first true love. When I found out that I was pregnant, I thought about all of the things that you would do. I wondered what you would be like. Would you be smart like your Daddy, sassy like your Mama? Would you play t-ball, go to dances, have a girlfriend, go to college, get married, have children of your own? I pictured it all. In my head…I could see it. I could see you, out…
Read MoreYou Must Love Him Differently
‘You must love him differently,’ she said. I looked at her curiously when she said that. ‘Why?’ I asked. ‘Because he needs you so much more than the other two. Because of the autism.’ I didn’t know what to say at first. She went there. Without fear. Without hesitation. I smiled and said, ‘I love him because he’s mine. I don’t love him any more or less or any different than his brothers. Autism has never changed a thing with my love for him.’ I love him because he made…
Read MoreWhat if the Danger to Yourself is You?
With your brother Sawyer, I can fix everything with a Band-Aid and a hug. He falls off of his scooter? A Band-Aid, a kiss and a hug will do the trick. It’s all textbook. He’s six years old going on 12. His world is bike riding, baseball, friends and BeyBlades. His world doesn’t make sense to you. But with you Cooper, the problems are so different. You’ve never fallen off a bike. You’ve never had a friend steal your toy. You’ve never skinned your knees. Not only do you refuse…
Read MoreFinding My Independence
We lasted 15 minutes at our neighborhood 4th of July celebration tonight. He didn’t even see a firework. His anxiety has been high all week, I knew better. I feel guilty for taking him but know I would have felt guilty if we didn’t attempt to go. I hugged my dude and put him to bed. He loves bedtime flashlight story time. He doesn’t even care he missed the fireworks. Yet I’m back in the sorrows tonight. It’s so crazy how up and down it all is. There are no…
Read MoreWe Want You Here
We. Want. You. Here. Four words, 13 letters. Those four words are words that I just recently realized have a huge impact, not just on the recipient, but on the person saying them. As a family, we spent years adapting to autism. We started with Early Intervention when he was 18 months, moved into a public pre-school program when my tiny nonverbal child was just three and could barely walk up and down stairs. We walked circles with his baby brother around Children’s Hospital three days a week for two…
Read MoreUnexpected Spectrum
When my wife Tammy and I met, we had four children between us; two from her first marriage, and two from mine. After a few years of being married we became like any other couple. We talked about having a child. We had yours and mine, and now we wanted the ours. Tammy, having her tubes tied after her second child, made it a little more difficult to get what we wanted. We could choose the surgery route to reverse her previous procedure, which costs a lot of money with…
Read MoreMom sends Son with Autism on a Plane with $10 Note
As a parent to a child on the spectrum, I worry constantly about how people will treat my son. All parents do. When the child has special needs, it’s time a hundred. I worry when I’m there. I worry when I’m not there. He can be loud. He can be challenging. He’s a big kid. And yes, he can be funny and adorable too. There is no doubt about that. But he is spirited. And like every other parent, I worry. I’ve said numerous times, the problem is in no…
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