VIDEO: A Realistic Look at the Future

Today, I want to talk about the future. I want to talk about how we are preparing ourselves and Cooper to have success as he ages. For years I wondered what it looked like. Would Cooper talk? Would he live on his own? Would he be potty trained? Would he have self care? No one could tell me. And often, if I brought it up, people outside my world would say I was being negative. That I should stop thinking about the future. So, for a while I stopped. And because of my inability to look at the future in a realistic way, I struggled. It was like I was stuck in a time warp.

Today, I talk about the future. I think about it. I prepare for it. I prepare Cooper for it. I prepare our family for it. And, I talk with parents that have been doing this a lot longer than me. They are the experts. They are my teachers. And when I talk to parents that have adult children with severe, nonverbal autism they always say one thing to me…’I wish I would have done more when my child was younger.’

That to me is a clear message. Here are our goals. We aren’t giving up. Not now. Not ever.

https://youtu.be/68IVrx-CGIo

Note: I am a little behind on publishing videos to my website so if you follow our journey closely you’ll realize this video is a week old. We have actually moved already. I’m just getting caught up!

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 face. And once you find your people, your allies, your village….all the challenges and struggles will seem just a little bit easier. Welcome to our journey. You can also follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our newsletter.

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