Posts Tagged ‘speech therapy’
A Colorful Life
Children are survival pros. Immediately after birth, they usually come to their desired goal by screaming. I admit, the needs are still manageable and easily met: they are either hungry or thirsty, have a stomach ache or need a diaper change. As soon as the need is met and there is no longer an existential crisis, babies are relaxed. And so are the parents. When children get to the age in which screaming is no longer effective or has the opposite effect (“if you keep screaming, you won’t get anything!”), they change their tactics. Smart! They…
Read MoreA Love Letter to Our First Advocate
My son was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 3. But I can honestly say that if it hadn’t been for his Speech Therapist at the time, he still may not have a diagnosis. That’s how far into the black hole of denial I was. The funny thing about denial is that no one can pull you out. You have to do it own your own, but there are people that can be that light you reach for. And my son’s first speech therapist was that light for me. …
Read MoreHard Work
Some kids work really hard before they start their school day. Harder than most. The get up early and leave the house in the dark when it’s 19 degrees and go to speech and do puzzles and practice saying words. They sit on the ground with their angel-like therapist and their mom and try. They turn the lights off and run out the door and giggle and get mad when the sounds won’t come out right. The ask for hugs from mom when it gets to hard and practice calm…
Read MoreMy Promise to my Son
My son, I have never met a person who works as hard as you just to live in this world. I think so often we forget that this place simply doesn’t make sense to you. Or kids like you. You like and need things different than the norm. It’s too loud, too bright, too smelly. It’s crowded and overwhelming. And people just don’t understand you. They don’t take the time to listen or see you or understand. But every single day, you persist. You try. You practice. You adapt. You…
Read MoreAm I Doing the Right Things?
You know those moments as a parent where you question if you are doing the right things? I have them with all three of my kids. But with my son Cooper it’s times a hundred. The stakes are higher. The decisions are monumental. I want to help him as much as I possibly can. And in a way I often feel like it’s a race against time. But often, the things that will help him, the therapies especially, cause him so much stress. He also works so hard every single…
Read MoreWhen Saying “Enough” is OK
“So your saying that Hudson was recommended for speech therapy…but he isn’t currently receiving those services?” My eyes dropped down to the table in front of me. Without making eye contact with the therapist, I responded “No. I just couldn’t get him to one more appointment during the week.” Boom! Immediate mom guilt set it, and along with it came a flood of emotions that I wasn’t prepared for. First: GUILT How could I as a mother not provide my child with a therapy service that he was recommended for?…
Read MoreWhen my Son Introduced me to a Stranger
My favorite autism moment with my son is when he introduced me to a stranger. It was an amazing moment I will cherish forever! My son, Eli was diagnosed at 19 months old with moderate autism spectrum disorder. It was not shocking news to me. We had concerns with Eli since he was super little. Never greeted anyone, never responded when spoken to, never spoke a word. He always used screams, cries, and grunts to communicate. Once diagnosed, we began outpatient speech and occupational therapies at our local hospital. Eli…
Read MoreSay ‘Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma’
Last night I was snuggling with Harbor and I found myself subconsciously saying…’say ma-ma-ma-ma.’ And as I looked at him I saw Cooper. I immediately flashed back to seven years ago and all the times I encouraged him to start making sounds. I waited for so long. Calmly at first. But eventually desperate. Here we go again. https://www.facebook.com/findingcoopersvoice/videos/862215027463626/ Finding Cooper’s Voice is a safe, humorous, caring and honest place where you can celebrate the unique challenges of parenting a special needs child. Because you’re never alone in the struggles you…
Read MoreThank You to the ‘Original’ Member of our Tribe
We want to honor our son’s speech therapist Jacqui. She started as a person that came to our home on Saturday’s to give Carter extra help with speech, but she has become a part of our family and our Autism journey. She is the “original” member of our tribe. Our family lives in the Tampa Bay area, as well as almost our entire extended family. We have a huge support network and Carter’s tribe is the most amazing group of people that I have ever gotten to have the pleasure…
Read MoreHonoring our Therapists
I would like to honor the amazing therapists at Accelerate Early Intervention. They listened to me when no one else did. They believed in my sons abilities and they nurtured and cared for both of us like family for three years. I stumbled into their small facility teary eyed and scared when my son was around 20 months. Owen began therapy with them at age 2 and spent 10-15 hrs a week with them for 3 years. They became an extended family. They never gave up on Owen and were…
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