Posts Tagged ‘Special Needs’
A War With Hope
My son Cooper has taught me so much about timing over the years. And how we don’t have a set time limit to accomplish things. When he was diagnosed we heard a lot of things. We heard game over. We heard prepare for the worst. We heard he would never talk, or make a friend or ride a bike. We were told he would never live independently or have any type of self care. After kindergarten we were told he would never be able to attend a public school. And…
Read MoreFind Your Tribe
A few weeks ago, I posted a blog about exactly what to do after you have learned of your child’s diagnosis, you can find that post here. It’s a bit overwhelming and once you pull yourself out from behind the curtain of sleep deprivation and emotional exhaustion, you need to do something very important. Find Your Tribe. At first, your friends and family will be there. Emphatically. Supporting you. Hanging on your every word and asking how they can be there for you. You may have friends that will want to…
Read MoreThe Deafening Silence
My son Knox, five, lives each day with non-verbal autism. He has said some words, many sounds, but there is no consistent voice for him. Consistently, there is a deafening silence. A silence that makes my heart drop with each unanswered question I pose to him. A silence that is so loud, it makes me want to scream in pain. Scream in pain for him, for me, and for the voice that our family so longs to hear from him. A silence that is so deafening, it is all I…
Read MoreDora the Pirate
I’d love to bring you a smile today. Because over here we are grinning from ear to ear. A week or so ago, my son Cooper took an interest in Dora the Explorer. But not just any Dora. Because she has always been his favorite. He wanted to dress like Pirate Dora. He wanted her hat, jacket, backpack and black boots. He wanted to board a pirate ship and search for mermaid rock. He wanted a pet monkey named Boots. He wanted whatever the pig characters were too. He asked…
Read MoreWhat Are Your Expectations?
I remember my very first autism workshop about 3 years ago like it was yesterday. Sitting in a room filled with other autism moms and dads, I didn’t know what to expect. Not knowing, that day would be one of the most important days of my life. Being surrounded by people who had the same questions, same worries, same fears, it gave me the opportunity to openly discuss autism for the first time, and made me realize that we’re not alone on this autism journey. The first question directed at…
Read MorePublic Schools Accused of Defrauding Special Education Students During Pandemic Nationwide
Our lives are often broken up by dates that mark significant events that change us. Our wedding dates, the birthdays of our children, the death of a family member we loved and cherished.. And for parents in 2020, there are various dates throughout the second week of March that will stay with them forever. For us, March 11th 2020 is the day our world stopped. My husband began working from home, my small business was forced onto a virtual platform, and so were our therapies for our six year old…
Read MoreShielding Them From the Dark
As the parents of a daughter with significant special needs, my husband and I have always tried to shield our two sons from some of the darker realities of Lizzy’s issues. Still, we remain as open as possible so they can feel close and connected with her and her care. If that sounds as if it might be impossible to accomplish, it is. Four years ago, I realized what a fool’s errand it was. Our oldest, Tom, was 17, and was mowing the lawn. Joe and Lizzy were also in…
Read MoreA Letter to the Mama Who Gets It
How would it feel to meet someone who knew every part of your story, before you told them? How would it feel to meet someone who lived your story, when all along you thought you were the only one? How would it feel to meet an old friend, for the very first time? You and I, we are the same. We learned early on that the journey of a special needs parent wouldbe a lonely one. We each have wonderful friends that choose to loveour children. We have families that…
Read MoreHe’s My Brother
These two had it out last night. Like brothers have been known to do. It was over an iPad. There was a truck involved too. Lots of screaming and wrestling. They were eventually separated. One was put in the bath and told me the whole story, nonverbally of course. He asked for hugs and kisses as his alligator tears filled the tub. The other one, the tough guy, he didn’t need a hug or a kiss. But he did tell, and by that I mean yell, his side of the…
Read MoreMy Brother Jack
I was surprised when I found out my brother Jack has autism. To me he wasn’t weird or odd. That was just him. He always asks a lot of questions, like what color shampoo people used. He asked that one so much that I thought it was something people usually asked each other in a conversation. He gets mad sometimes. He gets mad when there is too much noise. He puts his hands over his ears and screams. He worries a lot. After I found out about his autism, I…
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