Month: October 2018

Posted on

Why I Carry My Son

As a parent of a child with special needs. I was expecting the stares, the avoidances and the reassuring.
Today, I was told “I would not be carrying him”. “He can walk.” “Oh my back.” They exclaimed.
Sure, the person meant well, but is it something that should be said? Sure, I explained my son has special needs (I kind of have to). But I could tell the person was still kind of eh.
I carry my son at the age of 4 to keep him safe. Sure, it hurts my back eventually. But my number one priority is to keep him safe. If I put him down he will run away faster then I can catch him.
If I try to make him hold my hand he will force himself away or drop to his legs to get away.
My son is a runner. So I carry him to keep him safe. Sure, at times he rides in a cart or stroller. But in this situation it was easier to just carry him.
~ AMB  
Posted on

When Your Child with Autism is Sick.

One of the hardest things for me being a autism mom, is when my child is sick.
My child has a immune deficiency that is unknown yet. So he is sick quite often.
He is nonverbal so I am constantly questioning myself. Is he ok ? Why is he covering his ears more? Yes, he covers them some already, but it’s a lot more today. Why is he doing that? Do his ears hurt? Does his belly hurt? AM I CRAZY and over thinking ?  The list goes on.
Lucky for us, we have a amazing pediatrician that understands my concerns and is great with him.
Typically, it is a fight with him going to the doctors. But she is awesome with him.
My advice for everyone with loved ones reading this, is to trust your instincts. If you feel something is wrong, go with it. Because I bet your instincts are usually right.
 
 ~ AMB
     
Posted on

Autism Mama Bear

I am a mom to a wonderful 4 year old little boy with autism.
We began our autism journey at the age of 2 (Although I knew before they told me). I think I kind of always knew, something inside me, told me.
When I heard the diagnosis for the first time, it was like a ton of bricks being lifted off my chest. Now FINALLY an answer to why my son is “different”.
Nearly a year later he was diagnosed with 16p13.11 Microduplication Syndrome.  For those that don’t know. It is a genetic disorder, the way your DNA is built, my son has extra DNA pieces, so to speak.
I felt relieved and sadness at the same time. I think inside myself, I was hoping the autism diagnosis was wrong, and he would outgrow it like everyone was telling me. But when I faced this diagnosis, this told me it was not going away.
Since then I do everything I can to educate and advocate for him. There are times I have to step away, because it gets to be too much for me to handle.
I think its important for us autism moms to all do this. Take a break from autism.
We are mothers first. But we have to remember to take care of ourselves too.
~ AMB