If you are raising a child with autism, then you know that we always have a battle to fight. Our journey becomes a roller coaster ride that we board when our children are diagnosed. It is easy for us to burn out, especially when sources of support are few and access to services is limited. These are our realities. There is no way around it. So what can we do? We have two … [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...]
Autism: Moving Beyond Awareness to Acceptance
I have mixed feelings about autism awareness month. I am glad for the attention that autism gets during April but by the time May comes there is a cloud of neglect that is cast over the autism community. What society needs to realize is that for families of individuals with autism, we are aware of it every single day. We are aware of the challenges that come with raising a … [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...]
The Best Gift We Can Give Our Children with Autism This Holiday Season
As parents of children with autism, we often wonder what to get our children for Christmas. Some of our children are verbal and can tell us what they want. Some of our children are nonverbal or have limited communication skills, so they can’t tell us what they want. As we fill our carts with clothes, gadgets, and toys, remember that the BEST gift we can give our children … [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...]
Facing Autism: My Journey to Acceptance PT I
Our first meeting about Angel’s developmental progress is one that I will never forget. It was the first time that someone suggested that he may be on the autism spectrum. This was four years ago and back then I had no idea that we were just beginning our journey with autism. I remember my husband and I walking into the meeting room with our two-year old, Angel. He … [Read more...]