My son’s autism diagnosis happened six years ago this spring. Thankfully during that time I have grown a lot and learned so much. I didn’t handle the lead up to the diagnosis well. It was a trying time, but now I can appreciate that it helped me look inward and was a catalyst for positive […]
Tag: personal story
An Open Letter to My Son on Autism Awareness Day
To my beautiful, wonderful, autistic son. When you were born I dreamt of the person you’d one day become. Selfishly, I projected all the things I considered to be great in the world onto you. I filled my heart with hopes of how I thought you’d grow and what you’d like or dislike. Without even […]
Disability Parenting Series: Rylan & Family
Cindy is a mom of two boys; Nicholas (15) and Rylan (11). She and her husband, Neal, raise their family in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. Rylan was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in 2013. Cindy and I discussed her experience with her son’s diagnosis and how things have changed over the years. Kathy: Tell me a […]
Scared about having another child?
My husband and I often find ourselves talking about how grateful we are that autism wasn’t on our radar when we decided to have a third child. We were really naive about child development, and it wasn’t until our son’s 4-year check-up that his pediatrician suggested we pursue an autism diagnosis. At that time, I […]
Disability Parenting: My Experience So Far
When our pediatrician first suggested pursuing an autism diagnosis for our son, I was floored. It was such an overwhelming time for me as a young mother. I didn’t know the first thing about autism, or where to turn to learn about it. That was five years ago now. We aren’t far into the journey, […]
We’re Back in Lockdown
Where I live in Alberta, we have been put back into lockdown. I understand that I have a lot of privilege and the lockdown does not affect me in a major way. Believe me when I say that I am incredibly grateful for that. My husband and I comment daily about how lucky our family […]
Pandemic Parenting Series on Motherly
Motherly has started a Pandemic Parenting series, profiling mothers about how the pandemic has affected their families. I recently spoke with them to discuss the changes our family has experienced. You can check it out here. Sharing our stories is one of the most powerful way to connect with one another. It breaks down barriers, […]
My Son’s Diagnosis Drove Me To Grief and Denial
Today is World Autism Awareness Day. This day always reminds me of how much growth I’ve experienced in the past few years. I never thought I would open up about my son’s diagnosis — and I sure as hell never thought I would be writing about my journey on the internet! But, when he was […]
A Toddler Speech Delay Can Signal a Bigger Problem
When my son was three I started really wondering about his speech development. He didn’t seem to be talking as much as kids his age, and he almost never tried to engage others in conversation. He could communicate his needs and wants, but he rarely did so with words or even sounds. I was terrified […]
Before and After My Child’s Autism Diagnosis
The older I get the more I realize how many definitive moments we have along the way. Before and afters that changed the path you were on and take you on a completely unexpected detour of your life. My son’s ASD diagnosis is one of those before and after moments for me. Before autism I […]
