“Thank you to the woman in the bathroom yesterday… you are so unaware of amazing kids like my son. I’m sorry you felt the need speak to a stranger’s child the way you did. I’m thankful for you giving us more reason to go out into the world and share my son.”
‘Shut up and be quiet!’ An innocent, amazing child was crying, but he was also present and doing amazingly well.’: Mom advocates for autism awareness after shocking encounter
‘Her cries sounded painful. ‘Did she nap today? Do you think she’s hungry?’ But I knew it wasn’t that.’: Mom navigates daughter’s autism diagnosis, ‘I’m so proud to be her mama’
“She’d fling her head back every night. Her behaviors became violent. I suspected something greater was going on, but I sold myself the idea she’d catch up in her own time. The wait and see remained.”
‘My child would NEVER act like that, and if they did they wouldn’t get away with it.’ He is NOT misbehaving in these situations, he is trying to COPE.’: Mom shares reality of having a son with autism, ‘His brain just works differently’
“‘He doesn’t have autism, it’s all in your head.’ Please don’t tell me ‘he’s not THAT bad, it’s hardly noticeable, it’s very mild.’ I wouldn’t be surprised if someone suggests an exorcism!”
‘My little boy can’t say ‘I love you.’ I get hurt a lot. My friends live unrelatable lives.’: Mom of son with autism says ‘thank you for helping me recognize your beauty’
“Many humans sleepwalk through their lives. I feel the wild euphoria of my child putting on a sock.”
‘Your son has severe autism.’ I became a divorced mother of 2 post-diagnosis. Josh welcomed him with open arms.’: Special needs mom, bonus dad urge ‘our love knows no bounds’
“I asked myself, ‘Why would God bless other parents with perfectly healthy children? Why ME?’ Little did I know, divine intervention would bring my future husband into our lives at a time we needed him most. He is their biggest cheerleader, wanting to be involved in everything, like an amazing bonus dad should.”
‘My son may not look at you all the time, but he absolutely sees you.’: Mom shares lessons from autistic son
“Rory, my nonverbal son with autism, doesn’t make eye contact. At times, he approaches other moms with hair like mine. Sometimes, he approaches other dads who are tall and thin like his dad. For a long time, I thought he didn’t really know who we all are.”
‘We went to stores to practice wearing a mask. He fought us hard. We couldn’t even make it out of the parking lot.’: Mom shares autistic son’s inspiring progress amid pandemic
“And then the unthinkable happened. Lots of crying, hitting, and aggression. But I was not ready to quit.”
‘If something happens, how will he tell me?’ He shouldn’t be ignored. It feels like I’ve failed him.’: Mom of nonverbal, autistic son says ‘it is our job to listen’
“When the day comes you have to take a step back and realize, to others, your child’s speech is unintelligible, and it hurts. Then it hits you hard. Harder than you could imagine. But we can never give up.”
‘I don’t know his favorite color. He can’t tell me. I’ve grieved. Imagine not being able to communicate?’: Autism mom describes highs and lows of parenting, ‘He makes me a better me’
“I was in tears during every evaluation. ‘How dare she put labels on him!’ I’m not sure if I was ignorant or in denial. Maybe both. I’ve watched his brother surpass him, and it stings.”
‘Because of autism, my daughter doesn’t know her beautiful brown skin is a threat in this world.’: Mom to daughter with autism says ‘I must worry about protecting her’
“Because of autism, I don’t have to explain the growing list of hashtags. Because of autism, I must worry about protecting my nonverbal child from authorities who don’t understand she will not comprehend or obey verbal orders.”
