A reader asked me yesterday…’My son has autism and I’m not depressed. I know that. But I feel like his disability is consuming me. Help me please. Why is this happening? I don’t even recognize myself anymore.’ I reread her message over and over again. I related to her with every fiber of my being. At 34 I have been on the Autism journey for almost five years now. I work. I have two kids. I have friends and family. I have a full, busy life as most would say.…
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I am that mom. The one you see running around at the park, covered in sweat, and continuously redoing her pony tail. The one climbing to the top of the jungle gym and sliding down with a kiddo between her legs. I See You I can see you out of the corner of my eye sitting with a group of women leisurely drinking your coffee. I see you watching me. We’ve bumped into each other a few times. I know you are a lovely person. You smile and wave. I…
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Hey all. Yesterday we had a heartbreaking day and it hit our family pretty hard. And to make it worse it seems that something is super ‘off’ with Cooper. We can’t seem to get him regulated and as we sat and analyzed his behaviors last night we realized he’s been off for over a week. And for the life of us we can’t figure out what’s changed in his world. This regression is dramatic. And a huge shock. This is one of the hardest parts of raising a nonverbal kid.…
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I have two sons, Cooper is six 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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Most days I think this is going to be alright. I can give my autistic, nonverbal son the best life ever. He can live with mom and dad forever and we will be OK. I tell myself I can do this. And I’ll find someone to care for him after I’m gone. I am a fighter. I will never give up. But even more than that I am an advocate for a little boy with autism that deserves the best life possible. And I’ve quickly realized that when you have…
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When my son was first diagnosed with Autism I was inundated with information. It seemed like everyone I met knew something about Autism. And a few even seemed to know children who were miraculously cured of their autistic behaviors. I remember being so scared. I often joked that I was still waiting for my ‘autism manual’ to come in the mail. I was not a doctor or a therapist or a teacher. I was just a mom. A mom to a little boy that needed so much care. Autism was…
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I am continuously asked how my world has changed since opening up my family and life to the world of Facebook. First, I want you to know I started the blog, Finding Cooper’s Voice, three years ago because I had no one to talk to about my son’s autism. I poured my heart out daily and had very few followers. My sole purpose was talking about my emotions around my son’s confusing disability. It was the best decision I ever made. Going Viral In January of this year, I decided…
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It was a cloudy cold Sunday in Minnesota so our family took to the beach. This is common for us. Many families of autistic children go to highly visited places on days with bad weather. Less people, less stress, less stares, and less chaos for our kids. I will be honest and say that if we get to an event, park, beach and there are a lot of people I instantly tense up. My little man is a mover and a thrower. He has no understanding of safety or social…
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Eve Megargel, author of ‘Learning to Kiss,’ is an impressive woman. I figured that out quite easily with a quick Google search. She is a published author, educator, filmmaker and advocate. But what really impressed me, and drew me to her, were her views on people with nonverbal autism. She believes that despite having no spoken words they are still communicators. She believes in setting standards for them, giving them a voice, and refusing to settle. She has been a pioneer in this way of thinking for over twenty years.…
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Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing dad’s out there that are raising Autistic kiddos. It can be a selfless job and often seems more like a caregiver role than a father. I’d like to introduce you to my son’s dad, Jamie. He is a patient and caring man and is always willing to change a diaper, spoon feed his son and take a punch when needed. Questions for an Autism Dad Happy Father’s Day to all that amazing dad’s out there that are caring for autistic children. These are…
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