I Never Stopped Talking To Him

Yesterday I interviewed my dear friend Leasa of Cody Speaks. If you don’t follow her you should.

Her son Cody is 20. He loves videos and the mail. His autism was discovered when he was 17 months old.

And he started talking at 9 years old. When she said that on the live, comments immediately came in asking what she did. What is the magic thing that got him to start talking?

I understand because when I found Leasa and Cody, I asked the same question. My son was 7 and didn’t say a word. Not one.

Her answer was the same then as it was yesterday.

‘I never stopped talking to him. Even when he couldn’t answer I talked and I talked to him. I included him in every conversation. So much so that I started talking to myself more often than not. And I never let anyone speak negatively about him in front of him, because even though he couldn’t speak, he could hear.’

That right there is unbelievable advice. Some that I put into practice as soon as Leasa told it to me.

See, I had a journey of my own when I learned that my son might never speak. I had no idea that was even a possibility. I didn’t know.

So for years I poured myself and my son into speech with hope and determination holding me together. And when a therapist told me to prepare myself for a life without words I stopped talking for a few days. I felt lost. You could even say I lost my own words.

And then shortly after I found myself riding in the car with my six year old son. I had just picked him up from somewhere fun. As I studied him in the rear view mirror I felt an unbelievable sadness. But not because he couldn’t talk or tell me about his day. But because I wasn’t asking him. Or telling him about mine.

So I asked him a dozen questions. I told him about his brother and our plans and that our puppy had eaten a shoe. I talked for 10 minutes straight.

He didn’t say a word back. Not one. And that’s ok. Because he heard me.

Take Leasa’s advice. Keep talking. And hang onto that hope and determination. Those are two beautiful things that are worth holding onto.

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, subscribe for exclusive videos, and subscribe to our newsletter.