Hi there. My name is Kate. I am a mother to four children. I share that because my life is full. Fuller than full. There is very little quiet. There is never a day without laundry. And I get no less than a hundred hugs a day. I am an expert in putting bandaids on owies, blowing on mac and cheese, and finding blankets before bed. Skills I never knew would be so important and vital to life. My first born, Cooper, is twelve. He will be 13 in 55…
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Dear Autism, I never wanted you, yet here you are. Over the years we’ve grown to have a love-hate-love relationship. You’re always at the forefront of our lives. You and all your comorbidity friends; ADHD, anxiety, ticks, eating struggles, language delays, epilepsy and intellectual disability. Just to name a few. So many days I just want to give you the big ol’ bird and say F YOU!! Scream in your face and tell you how much I hate you. I hate watching my child struggle with all these things and…
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“Keep an eye on your brother.” I blurted it out without much consideration, absorbed in the chaos of managing my children on my own. The words were meant for my 5-year-old daughter regarding her 8-year-old brother. Their dynamic is far from typical because my son is autistic. He often requires reminders to stay safe as his attention can be fickle. We were at soccer practice, and I was setting up camp chairs. Fearing my son might wander off, his little sister listened and went over and held his hand, a…
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This morning, while drinking my coffee, I saw a commercial. It was for some insurance company. Perfect family, house and kids. The oldest graduating from high school. The tag line said something like…”these are the moments we prepare for. The only moments that matter.” I’ve been thinking about it all day. My mind keeps going back to it. The only moments that matter… First day of school. Getting a driver’s license. Graduation. A college acceptance letter. First job. A promotion, Marriage. Babies. Retirement. But what if a person doesn’t achieve…
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My daughter, Alyssa has autism. She has severe non verbal autism. This means her autism comes with all the bells and whistles. She has severe anxiety, apraxia, limited diet, OCD like behaviors, weak receptive language, difficulty communicating, regulating emotions, and a hard time deviating from her routine or what is expected. She is autistic. It is not who she is. It is not all she is. It is however a part of her. A huge part. It is like the colors of the rainbow, it encompasses her. It is everywhere…
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My son has been in school for a little over a month now. He is a 7th grader at our local middle school. Except it looks a little different than most. He doesn’t switch classes. Or have a locker combination. And we’ve never had to worry about the cell phone policy. I have no idea what the cool kids are wearing or even what middle schoolers are into. And I don’t know anything about the extracurricular activities and often I tear up when I read the newsletter. It’s hard to…
Read MoreLast night something monumental happened in our little world. Our middle son Sawyer had a gaggle of friends over playing and as they ran from room to room, crashing and bashing and giggling about farts and butts, our oldest son Cooper ran behind. He was the oldest of the whole group on paper. The big brother and yet not. He will be 13 in a few months. But he has no interest in Nerf Guns or ninja warrior games. He doesn’t acknowledge the coolest shoes or ask for a cell…
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When my son Cooper was first diagnosed with autism, and in the years that followed, I spent a lot of time secretly wondering what our relationship would be like. I was told he would never be able to talk. Or live independently. And a whole lot of other things as well. And I’d wonder. And worry. Would we ever have a conversation? Would we ever go grab dinner together at a restaurant? Go to his first concert? And so on. I’d wonder while driving and studying him in the rear…
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For years, I’ve been on a mission to change perceptions about autism as an advocate and professional speaker. From my own experiences during my autism journey, I’ve realized that autistic individuals aren’t just capable of working in traditional jobs but can soar to leadership roles, turning the conventional thinking about our community upside down. During months like October for National Disability Employment Awareness Month, where our society has more conversations around disability employment, I hope we can focus on this topic. When people think about autism, they often associate it…
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My daughter, Olivia, is 14 years old. She is autistic, she has Sensory Processing Disorder, and anxiety. These photos were taken in 2009, during my daughter’s first year of life. Look at her amazing joint attention. She is always looking directly at me with a smile as bright as the sun. Such happy, beautiful pictures of our baby girl. This was before the regression happened. Before she became locked inside herself. Before the joy of hearing her first words, only to have them all disappear as quickly as they appeared.…
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