Raising a child on the autism spectrum is a never ending roller coaster ride, so today I want to celebrate the highs. Today, I want to celebrate the reasons why my son makes me feel grateful. Progress: When parents of children on the autism spectrum talk to one another, the word “progress” comes up a lot. We ask questions like: “How is he doing?” “Is he making progress?” We … [Read more...]
How We Celebrated Father’s Day with an Autism Dad
Father's Day means to a lot to our family. My husband started loving our son Angel before he was born. I remember being at our 20-week OB appointment and waiting to find out if we were having a boy or a girl. Angel's dad never missed an OB appointment. Not one. I remember as we looked anxiously at the screen during my ultrasound to see if we could tell what sex our baby was. … [Read more...]
Leveling the Playing Field for Our Children with Autism
Parenting a child with autism is not easy. We struggle daily to level the playing field for our children. Honestly, we have no choice but to stay in fight mode and this can be overwhelming. The moment you let your guard down, something could slip through the cracks. So I worry. I worry because I know that there are callous people in this world. They do not give two hoots … [Read more...]
7 Things Every Parent Needs to Know About Autism
You’ve probably heard this statistic by now: 1 in 68 children have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released this statistic from their most recent report just in time for April, which is Autism Awareness Month. The report, Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years made headlines across the country. The report … [Read more...]
How I’m Raising the Bar for My Autistic Son
I have a confession to make. I have been holding my son back. Angel will be seven this year and there is so much that he can do. He can do more than I thought, more than I imagined. Of course, I did not realize this before because I never gave him a chance. I told myself he is autistic. He needs me. I need to do these things for him. Then, I would get a note from school about … [Read more...]
The Impact of Autism on My Marriage
Marriage can be a roller coaster ride. This is to be expected when two people are trying to build a life together. So what happens when autism enters the mix? Although autism impacts each child and marriage in a different way, there are some common issues that autism families face. They can include financial challenges, child care, special education, lack of support, parenting … [Read more...]
Facing Autism: 10 Things We Think About When Considering A Second Child
When are you having second child? Does Angel get lonely? People ask me these questions all the time. Some even tell me that I am depriving Angel of having a playmate. In essence, they all want to know when my six-year old son will get a brother or sister. All I can say is: “I don’t know.” When Angel was born, my husband and I never asked IF we would have a second child. We … [Read more...]
Facing Autism: My Journey to Acceptance PT II
Click here to read Facing Autism: My Journey to Acceptance PT I In fall 2011, I found out that my four-year old son was cognitively 1.8 years old. Life had just gotten real. Of all the words that were written on Angel’s school progress report, those were the words that hit me the hardest. At this point in our journey, we were finally facing the fact that our son needed … [Read more...]