Posts Tagged ‘Special Needs’
A Perfect World For My Son
I think a lot about the things that make this kid happy. And bring him joy. Because for a lot of years, the list was pretty small. It’s gotten bigger though, thankfully. If I was to build a world for him, one that was entirely for him…what would it look like? Well, it would be full of color. Bright reds and blues and yellows. Our clothes would all be bright too. Our houses and the objects inside as well. Music would always be playing. Happy, fun, LOUD music. We would…
Read MoreTo Any Special Needs Parent Who’s Having One Of Those Days
Dear Special Needs Parent, I know some days are tough. You are beaten down. Your child is having a meltdown. Your teenager is having challenges at school and your young adult is desperately trying to be placed in a job or find somewhere to live. No matter what the obstacle is, we’ve all been there, special need parent or not. We want to run away at times because we wonder to ourselves “Will it get better? CAN it get better?” Your son can’t be bathed because of the texture of…
Read MoreI Hope They’re Nice
I’m a fairly laid back mom. I roll with a situation because if there is one thing I’ve learned in my almost seven year parenting journey is that NOTHING will go as planned. If it does, I usually listen extra carefully because I’m sure the apocalypse or Jesus are coming. One thing that special needs parenting in particular has taught me is that you need to have a plan months in advanced and while making that plan you should probably make plans B-Z because there’s a chance that what ends…
Read MoreManaging My Fears and Worries
I believe in honesty, transparency, and reality. So, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared about providing lifelong care to my son. And there are times when that fear can consume me. It will eat me up at 3 am if I let it. But I’m working on it. I’m working on managing my fears and worries. And I’m working even harder on teaching my son all that I can to help him achieve his greatest level of independence. I push. I pull. I teach. I hope.…
Read MoreAll I’ve Been Told
Oh, he’s not talking yet? Kids do things in their own time, there’s no need to worry. Don’t rush to label him. A label could hold him back in life. You need to do something to get him sleep. You should let him cry. Maybe try co-sleeping. Oh, co-sleeping is very bad. He’ll eat when he’s hungry. Don’t tell everyone he has autism. People will judge him for it. You look tired. Have you tried essential oils? Have you looked into a gluten-free diet? Have you considered horse therapy? He…
Read MoreSometimes You Just Do Not Need Words
My daughter does not speak as much as a three and half year old should. She thinks a lot. She understands. She is very bright but she cannot express her feelings and experiences into words. She has never said her belly hurts or that she is scared. I have never heard about her day. She has never asked me why a sound of something is super loud, in fact she has never asked me a question about anything, not one single time. The other day I picked her up…
Read MoreComing Up For Air
The day that we finally received a diagnosis for my son was the day that the flood gates opened. After eighteen months of second guessing myself, of my pediatrician telling me that I was just being an overprotective new mother, I finally had the confirmation that I needed. Not that I desired. Not that I wanted. I physically needed it. I finally had the affirmation that there was something genuinely out of the ordinary going on with my child. I’m not sure if you, whoever you are, have experienced this type of…
Read MoreMy Dream for a Better Tomorrow
I dream of a world where Autistic is put in the special skills and strengths section of a CV and not the medical section. The knowledge should already exist that we have additional needs, we shouldn’t have to specify it on a form as a disability or disorder. Here is why the word Autistic should be respected, admired and in some cases envied. I cannot emphasize enough how much autistic people have shaped this world and provided global changing technology, medicine, knowledge, understanding of the unknown, detailed analysis of countless…
Read MoreThe Secret Club of Siblings
Today is an exciting day. Today, I made a friend. As a young adult in a new city, this is a pretty huge achievement. We met at our apartment complex’s pool after I saw she was reading a book I have been meaning to read and the conversation moved from there. We talked about the places we want to visit when COVID is over, griped about our landlord, joked about how the Midwest is like your annoying sibling — if you’re from there, you’re allowed to make fun of it.…
Read MoreDear Caregiver
Dear caregiver, A letter of intent is something that was just recently brought to my attention as something that I need to leave for you. Sure, my husband and I are young, but I’m learning after losing a dear friend at twenty-eight, that life can be short. We need to be prepared. A letter of intent is honestly a term I hadn’t heard of before, but the meaning behind it haunts me every single night. How will you know what he needs if I can’t communicate that for him? Sure,…
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