raising a child with special needs Archives

Motherhood
August 13, 2020
5 Minute Read

To the Mom Raising the Child Who is Helping Mine

Dear mom in the school parking lot, I saw you today picking up your son from the kinder classroom. Your child was happy to see you, he smiled and…

Kids, Motherhood
July 29, 2020
3 Minute Read

“A Different Life is Not a Less Life” Mom Responds to Despicable Social Media Message

It goes deeper than this one story. A Colorado kindergarten teacher allegedly said the following on social media: I’m so tired of hearing about…

Child, Motherhood
July 29, 2020
3 Minute Read

I’ll Do the Talking For You

My stepmom passed away after a 14-month, brutal battle with pancreatic cancer almost a year ago. The night before we lost her, I was driving my…

Motherhood
July 19, 2020
5 Minute Read

Will Anyone Love Him?

I didn’t expect the moment to happen, but it did. It happened in a big way. I was enjoying some alone time after a very hard day of parenting…

Kids, Motherhood
July 6, 2020
4 Minute Read

Becoming a Special Needs Parent Was Unexpected—But So is My Strength As a Mother

I never wanted to be here. Carting my child from one therapy appointment to another. Arguing with the insurance company about which prescriptions…

Kids, Motherhood
May 26, 2020
5 Minute Read

3 Hard-Fought Lessons I’ve Learned as a Special Needs Parent

I have been a mother for seven whole years and a caregiver to our little fireball for three years. Going into motherhood, I didn’t expect to have a…

Motherhood
May 7, 2020
4 Minute Read

Mommy Always Makes it Better, So Why Can’t I?

Charlie is almost seven. He’s severely autistic. The truth is that raising a nonverbal, autistic child is emotionally draining. I wish I could…

Motherhood
April 21, 2020
4 Minute Read

This is the Part of Special Needs Parenting No One Talks About

I understand that generalizations can be upsetting, so I want everyone to be clear I am not clumping all special needs parents into the confines of…

Kids, Motherhood
March 22, 2020
4 Minute Read

To the Special Needs Parents in Crisis Mode

If you’re the parent of a special needs child or adult, you’re probably in exhaustion mode right now. The truth is, you were depleted…

Kids, Motherhood
January 17, 2020
6 Minute Read

He’s Extra-Unordinary and I Love Him So

This is Matthew. Matthew is smart. Too smart. But boy, is he difficult. A difficult, wonderful, unusual human. He barely eats—aside from chicken…