Amidst the everyday challenges as of late, there is something looming ahead in the horizon. If you’re anything like me, then the fear of the unknown can be quite debilitating. As a fellow...
Where Do We Go Now?
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Blog
Here you’ll find relevant essays related to raising a child with unique and complex needs. The purpose of these posts is to form connections through our shared stories. Stories have the power to change the world when we feel less alone in our struggles and finally seen.
Without My Daughter
“I know just how you feel, I lost my cat a year ago.” I tried to muster an appropriate response; the woman meant well. But I was still raw after the death of my youngest child and tired...
What Happens When Your Second Child is Diagnosed?
It’s not like we weren’t aware of Damek’s challenges early in his life. The speech delays at three years old, the hyperactivity and constant need to move and interrupt conversations, the inability...
Walking in the Wilderness: Seeking Out Hope in the Middle of the Mess
They showed another video from the series Healing Journeys by Andrew Womack at church today, and I didn’t cry. In fact, they begin each Sunday with one of these videos, and I never cry. When you...
Thanksgiving
Today I am home with a sick child. My complex, disabled, and now ill child. I started the day annoyed that I had to miss work. I have only been back to work (barely part-time) a few...
Alone in a Crowded Room: The Truth About Special Needs Parenting
Parenthood. It’s often touted as a miraculous journey filled with love, joy, and a sense of purpose— a transformative experience that challenges us in countless ways, but also rewards us with...
(In)Visibility: How My Daughter and I Can Be Both Highly Visible and Completely Overlooked
The world of special needs parenting is full of paradoxes. One of the most unexpected is how we and our children can both be highly visible and completely overlooked by the rest of the world....
The Forever Caregiver
For months, I have been conflicted about whether or not to put these thoughts on a page. I know people will make a judgment about me based on a piece of writing. And that terrifies me. Also, I know...
Autism is like a rose, a mixture of beauty and thorns.
Guest Post From: Kim Cummings at A Unicorn Among Horses "Autism is like a rose; a mixture of beauty and thorns." This weekend there were a lot of thorns. This weekend, we went camping at a place we...
When children with severe autism endanger their families, residential care may be the best option.
I asked Lara Garrard when she first sensed something was different with her third son, Luka. She replied, “I could tell at 6 months. He wasn’t bonding with me like his older brothers.” Lara has four...
Our Child As A Baby
I was advanced material age (38) when I was pregnant with Sully and a high risk of going into labor early which led to taking shots weekly. (Did this lead to autism?) It was by far my hardest...
When Profound Autism Falls Off the Cliff into the Abyss
“‘Transition Plan’ is a mockery for kids like Pabs, because no program will take him, no day programs exist that can support his profound needs.” This post is written by Alicia Mesa and was...