Last week I helped a father while his daughter was in the middle of an autistic meltdown. We’ve all been there. As the parent your focus is safety and getting through the meltdown. This man needed an extra pair of hands. And I had no problem offering mine. After she calmed down we had a quick conversation that has stuck with me. Without knowing each other, or saying much more than an introduction, he said, ‘I didn’t know how hard it was going to be. And I really didn’t know…
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The holidays are here! And wow are they stressful. Non-stop events, travel, shopping, expectations, etc. As much as I love Christmas time I know I always breathe a sigh of relief when January rolls around. One element that makes it more challenging is having a child with a disability. My son Cooper simply can’t go most places. Restaurants are not an option. Crowds, noise, being away from home and expectations are very challenging for him. Because of all that we had to implement some tough decisions when Cooper was three.…
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(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Carmen and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) I’m honoring my husband’s Aunt Sandra and Uncle Harry. I am thankful to them for simply loving my children from the beginning. Aunt Sandra and Uncle Harry have taught me to have faith in humanity again. They love my children unconditionally, no matter what, and have never known my kids are on the spectrum, because we ourselves didn’t know for a good while. Sounds simple enough to love children, but it hasn’t…
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I have two sons, Cooper is seven and Sawyer is four. They are both blonde, adorable, strong-willed, and funny. They are both obsessed with their mama. They are loud. They are both snugglers. They have been brothers since Cooper was almost two. And yet, it wasn’t until recently that they even began acknowledging each other. Yes, it broke my heart for years. There are days when it still does. I can almost picture what my life would be like if my boys were able to play each other. If I…
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(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Nikki Wallace and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) This December I am honoring and thanking my son’s mighty village. I have so many people that I am grateful for that I don’t even know where to start. First, I want to thank my son’s aide Mrs. Angie Flint. She has been with us for two years now and she is like a second mom to my nonverbal six year old. When he is with her I never have to worry.…
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I have many goals for my nonverbal son. Obviously, I want him to speak one day. But even more than that I want him to be able to communicate and in more than just a ‘preferred request’ sort of way. I want him to be conversational. I want him to ask me questions. I want him to be heard and understood. Right now, since he is nonverbal and struggles with Apraxia on top of his Autism, reaching these goals means encouraging the use of his Speech Device. Cooper uses a…
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(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Carrie Gagne and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) This December I want to honor and thank Katie, my son’s Creative Arts Therapist. While I know we are lucky to have many wonderful therapists and teachers who help Drew every day, we are especially grateful for Katie. My son Drew was diagnosed with autism at 18 months. He was and still is nonverbal. Looking back now, I was in a total fog. Confused, scared and in complete denial. Then, angry…
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We spent the weekend at a water park. I will be honest when I say I was very worried about it. The trip involved a long drive, a hotel stay, waiting, walking, crowds, chaos, etc. You get it. Bringing Cooper somewhere like a water park would traditionally threw off his schedule for weeks. We’d go, have a really tough time and then come home thinking it would be better once we got him back into his routine with his things. Except we were wrong. Cooper, and our family, felt the…
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Grief is not linear my friends. I know that better than anyone. One day you are fine and the next you are not. That’s just how it goes I guess. But lately, I have reached a place where I am okay with my son’s autism. I’ve done the crying thing. I’ve done the heartache and worry. I’ve done the desperation. I’ve come full circle. I’m in an amazing place. My son is thriving. He is farther along than I ever thought he would be. At age seven he is communicating…
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(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Morgan Ayala and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) This December I would like to honor and thank Nina, the co-founder of Agapi Behavioral Consultants. Agapi was established in 2015 and their primary clinic is located in Greenville, South Carolina. Their mission is to provide a fun and educational centered environment for children with developmental delays. While also providing an environment which motivates and rewards their team of therapists. I have two boys, both with ASD. Dominic is five and…
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