Posts Tagged ‘Thankful’
Thankful for the Grandmothers in my Life
I would like to honor my mom and mother-in-law this November. I’m thankful for everything they’ve done for my family in the past three years. I have three kids with special needs and they both have been there since the beginning. They’re our biggest support system. My first son Nicholas was recently diagnosed with Autism. He’s 3.5 years old, non-verbal, has global developmental delay, and sensory processing disorder, among other things. Daniel, my second son, is 2 years old and was born with an association that affects many body systems,…
Read MoreMy Daughter, I am Thankful for You
My seven year old daughter, Emmy, sat down next to me this evening and asked me what I am most thankful for this year. She told me ‘Don’t just say family, really think about it. Be specific.’ Without any hesitation…I said ‘You. I am most thankful for you.’ She looked puzzled. Offended mostly. ‘How could you say you’re most thankful for me?! What about Dawson?! Are you not thankful for Dawson too?’ I smiled, and I hugged her tight. Emmy is always thinking about her little brother. Putting his wants…
Read MoreFive Reasons Why I’m Thankful for Autism
Most day I could probably write a longer grocery list of why autism is so hard on us and Zachary, my nonverbal child. If you could make the best life for your child, you would. No questions ask. If I could ease his troubles and anxiety, I would in a heartbeat. Autism has significantly changed my life and perspectives on things. I had thought I was a grateful person beforehand, and maybe I was, but looking back it seems far more shallow. Here is my “grocery list” of 5 reasons…
Read MoreThe Therapist that Changed Our Lives
We have been blessed with literally dozens of amazing people since starting this special needs journey. They all love my son and want him to succeed as much as I do. But for today I want to say how thankful I am that Kayli came into our lives. Max was six months in to his Autism diagnosis, after years of trying to get answers. We were four months into ABA therapy. Our family was going through so many changes. We bought our first home, Max was transitioning to full day…
Read MoreOur Tribe, I’m So Thankful For You
While motherhood has certainly been my greatest adventure, the vulnerability in becoming a mom, and an autism mom, has been a substantial challenge for me. I found myself, for the first time in a long time, in need of help. A lot of it. This has never been something I’ll easily admit, ask for, or receive. Thankfully, I am surrounded by the most patient, kind and generous humans who constantly offer their support. Our friends and family and friends who are family, you open your homes to our curious five-year-old…
Read MoreThankful For All Those Who Have Crossed Our Path
My name is Stacy Hartmann. My husband Danny and I have been married for 8 years. We have a son named River, who is 5 and a daughter named Adeline, who is 2. We live near our families in Southern California where Danny works as a electrical engineer and I am a stay at home mom. River was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome just a year ago. While our son was the center of our world, my husband and I always knew something about him was different. As a baby he…
Read MoreThank You Friend for Being Part of Our Tribe
Along the journey of Special Needs, we often forget to recognize those people who chose to truly walk beside our families and make a difference. Maybe, we just begin to feel like they are family, one of us. In reality they have chosen to to be there, and that’s a choice that deserves to be honored. With Thanksgiving around the corner, I’d like to take this opportunity to honor, Jake’s amazing speech therapist, Kelly Cadden! Kelly came into our lives almost three years ago when I embarked on the home…
Read MoreThankful to the Aide that Made a Difference
This November I am thankful for the aide that made a difference in my son’s life. The aides that work with our kiddos definitely don’t get the thanks they deserve. A little bit about our family…My husband Gary and I have been married for 12 years. We met working as Firefighters. I am now a stay at home mom and advocate for our son Andrew. Gary is a full time firefighter/paramedic along with a councilperson for the Village we reside in. We have twins who recently turned 9 years old.…
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…
Read MoreHusband, It Might Always Be This Hard
My husband and I are, in a sense, new to this role of being special needs parents. Both of our children have fragile x syndrome and although our boys were born with this genetic condition, we didn’t know how significant our 2 year old son’s delays were until this past summer when Caleb’s genetic results came back. A few months after receiving Caleb’s results, we got news of Ben’s diagnosis as well. Both of our boys have full mutations of fragile x syndrome which causes them to have significant developmental…
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