A Message to my Son on World Autism Day

I am so proud of you kid.

My son,

On this World Autism Day, I want to tell you how proud I am of you.

I want to thank you for teaching me, our family, and even the world about autism.

I want to thank you for being patient with me as I settled into this unique life.

I want to thank you for being brave, determined and for being yourself. You are more yourself than any other person I have ever met.

I want to thank you for trying. For letting me teach you. For being resilient. For going out into a world every day that doesn’t understand you.

This is your month. A month to share your world, your gifts, your strengths, all of you, with the world around us.

So, dance. Stim. Wiggle. Communicate however you can. Love trains and penguins and line up sheets of colorful paper.

Be you.

And go easy on your old mom as she reflects back on the really hard days. Because looking at this photo of us with our book has me feeling every possible feeling.

I am so proud of you kid.

You made it. You stayed true to you, to every part of autism, while navigating it all.

Thank you, buddy. Thank you for teaching me.

I am walking into April so proud to be your mom.

Love,
Mom

YOU ARE INVITED - Coop's Troop

A few years ago, I created a space…a space that I needed. A space for families like mine to come together online. We chat, laugh, cry, and support each other. It’s called Coop’s Troop and it is a paid subscription group on Facebook.

Which means, Facebook charges a small fee to be a part of the group. I’ll be honest with you…I was scared to start a paid group. I thought, no one will ever join. But I did it. I did it because I couldn’t take the bullying and shaming that is done towards families with special needs online. And this mama needed a safe space.

Overnight the group grew and over the years it has evolved into a living, thriving community. I go live daily. We educate, ask questions, give support. And we have in-person events when we can. And when we can’t, we connect you via zoom on a variety of topics.

I would like to invite you to join my group. Try it for one month. And I bet it will significantly change your life for the better.

You are not alone. I know it may feel that way. But you are not.

If for some reason that link doesn’t work, because we all know technology can be weird, go to my Facebook page, Finding Cooper’s Voice, and click the blue become a supporter button.

Thank you all for being here!

I have upcoming events in Maryland, North Carolina, Minnesota, Virginia, and Wyoming. For more information visit my website.

Thank you all!

Kate