Posts Tagged ‘tribe’
Five Years…Thank You Village
When my son was born I kept hearing the phrase, “It takes a village to raise a child”. I never understood it until my son was diagnosed with autism. When we finally heard the words, “Your son has autism spectrum disorder” from the doctor, I had to text my family because I knew I couldn’t get through a conversation without bursting into tears. Even though we knew he had it, it isn’t real until you hear it from the doctor. The next day my parents came over and the first…
Read MoreI am so Thankful for my Cheer Squad
Special needs parenting is rough. I’m not gonna sugar coat it anymore. It is the single most hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. The first two years were pretty typical, I always looked to my friends for mom advice. Diaper cream, sippy cups etc. The last three have been hard. I don’t have anyone to ask for advice anymore. It’s just us. My husband, our pre-verbal ASD son and me. We make a great team and my son is the MVP. He is tough, smart and even though…
Read MoreAin’t Nobody Got Time for Drama when You’re an Autism Mama
When I received a private message today from a sweet autism mama, my heart sank. She was leaving her support group because of drama between her and some moms in the group who had been her best friends. I knew this decision didn’t come lightly. I knew her eyes were bloodshot from nights wasted worrying about the right thing to do, wondering how this situation got so far out of control, and feeling betrayed by the very people who were her lifelines for so many years in early autism. Her…
Read MoreWe Want You Here
We. Want. You. Here. Four words, 13 letters. Those four words are words that I just recently realized have a huge impact, not just on the recipient, but on the person saying them. As a family, we spent years adapting to autism. We started with Early Intervention when he was 18 months, moved into a public pre-school program when my tiny nonverbal child was just three and could barely walk up and down stairs. We walked circles with his baby brother around Children’s Hospital three days a week for two…
Read MoreTo the Women who Heard Me
“He qualifies for the full day program.” It was like being smacked with a brick. How on earth could I put my little boy, who said nothing, into the care of complete strangers and trust that he will be taken care of the way I take care of him. When my son was 2 years and 8 months old he went to a preschool screening and I was faced with another harsh reality, that he was still so behind. He qualified for all day preschool and would be starting there…
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 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…
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