Posts Tagged ‘special needs sibling’
Is God Still Building Cooper’s Voice?
My most favorite thing is having conversations with Sawyer. And typically, the best ones happen while I’m driving. Yesterday, on our way to a birthday party, he asked me if he will ever get to ride a dinosaur and who decides where the roads start and stop. He asked me if we were rich. When I told him no he asked me if he could get a job. He told me a fascinating story about how his dad ran out of gas and had to walk to the gas station…
Read MoreSuperman isn’t Autism…and Autism isn’t Superman
Superman is Superman. He is one of the happiest little boys that I have ever seen in my life. He is also my son. Before Autism, he was my son, after Autism, he is still my son. There is a never ending debate about curing and symptoms and gluten and all of the other crazy stuff that gets wrapped in with an autism diagnosis. Of course we have IEPs and we do whatever the hell we have to in order to make his life easier. But…that’s us, that’s me and…
Read MoreI’m Thankful For You: The Co-Founder of Agapi
(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Morgan Ayala and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) This December I would like to honor and thank Nina, the co-founder of Agapi Behavioral Consultants. Agapi was established in 2015 and their primary clinic is located in Greenville, South Carolina. Their mission is to provide a fun and educational centered environment for children with developmental delays. While also providing an environment which motivates and rewards their team of therapists. I have two boys, both with ASD. Dominic is five and…
Read MoreI’m Thankful For You: My Daughter Olivia
(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Melissa Prater and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) This December I would like to honor and thank my daughter Olivia. She is my rock. A little bit about our family. We are a family of four but a village of many. My husband works full time and I get the privilege to stay home. We have two children ages 5 and 16. Jack is my youngest and is diagnosed with ADHD, a speech delay and is on the autism spectrum.…
Read MoreI’m Thankful For You: My Oldest Son
(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Kelli Stutzman and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) This December I would like to honor and thank my oldest son Andrew. He is an amazing brother and son and I am so blessed to have him. To start, I want to share with you just how much my son Andrew helped me. Two years ago, at age 19, Andrew had just moved to Kansas City to live with his dad. It was a whirlwind at our house. I had…
Read MoreA Letter From the Sibling of Child with Autism
A few days ago I shared a letter I wrote for my son Sawyer. You can read it HERE. It was a toughie to share. It was brutally honest. It was real. And I really put myself out there. I purged every ounce of worry and self-doubt that I have about raising an autistic child alongside a typical child. Let’s get something straight. Cooper is an amazing little boy. He is funny and sweet and brings more joy than I can put into words. But…it’s different for me. I am…
Read MoreI’m Thankful For You: My Son, The Best Big Brother
(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Carrie Indelicato and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) I want to tell you about the best big brother in the whole wide world, my oldest son Danny. From the moment Danny saw his baby brother Aaron he was in love! I would often come into Aaron’s room in the morning only to find Danny had gotten there first, talking to his baby brother through the slats in his crib. Whether he was planting a kiss on Aaron’s big, irresistible…
Read MoreA Conversation with Cooper’s Brother
Last night I was putting my four year old to bed after a particularity hard autism day. I’m to the point in our journey where I can openly admit when autism is hard. I can also admit when motherhood in general is hard. I have two amazing kids. Cooper, my funny, silly, train loving boy, who has autism, is six years old. And his brother Sawyer, is my energetic, smart, curious four year old. Together, they are the perfect storm of joy and chaos. Yesterday, Jamie and I had reached…
Read MoreI’m Thankful For You: My Daughter Selena
(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Christina Abernethy and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) This November I would like to honor and thank Selena, my understanding, passionate and kind hearted daughter. There are many people that I could write about that help our sweet ‘Bubba’ but she’s the one who stands out the most! Selena is 15 years old and the best big sister to our twin boys Ethan and Braidan. They are six years old and in first grade. Ethan (nickname ‘Bubba’) is our…
Read MoreI’m Thankful For You: My Amazing Daughter
(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Jennifer Hood and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) This November I would like to honor and thank my 24-year-old daughter Keegan. Or as she is known in our home, Sissy. I’ve raised an amazing daughter and I want her to know how truly thankful and appreciative I am for her. A little bit about our family. My husband and I have five children total. His, mine, and ours! They range in age from 4 to 24. When my 4-year-old…
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