To all the Moms for Tuesday, 9 May 2017 of Autism Speaks in New York, New York, United States

To all the Moms for Tuesday, 9 May 2017 of Autism Speaks in New York, New York, United States

E-Speaks Newsletter
This Mother's Day, we celebrate the millions of moms in our global community who continue to teach us all about true understanding and acceptance of people with autism.
To the Moms who raise little ones with autism this Mother's Day

You wake up so early every morning and your body is still exhausted from the previous day... week... month... year. You give yourself a pep talk, take a deep breath, and swing your legs over the side of the bed. If you're super lucky, like me, your husband will have already brought up a hot cup of coffee and set it on the nightstand. Read More
To The Moms Who Raise Little Ones with Autism This Mother’s Day by Lauren Casper a mother of two who blogs at www.laurencasper.com. Lauren's son Mareto is on the autism spectrum. This blog originally appeared here.

You wake up so early every morning and your body is still exhausted from the previous day… week… month… year. You give yourself a pep talk, take a deep breath, and swing your legs over the side of the bed. If you’re super lucky, like me, your husband will have already brought up a hot cup of coffee and set it on the nightstand.
You head down stairs and mentally prepare yourself for the battles and potential triggers that lay ahead. You keep your voice light and even as you greet your child. Some mornings you get a big excited bear hug, and other mornings you are met with silent indifference or an, “I’m busy.” You’ve learned not to take it personally.
The rest of the morning is spent getting yourself and your children ready for the day… you administer medications and then brainstorm the best way to get him to brush his teeth. Dressing takes three times as long as you fight your own selfish desire to just dress him yourself to make it go faster, but you know this is a life skill he needs to learn – no matter how long it takes. So you work together, sweating, and help him through it. He wouldn’t eat that morning but you know that’s not unusual, still you feel guilty as you drive him to school on an empty stomach. Come to think of it, you never got a chance to eat either.

The day is full, full of phone calls and paperwork and emails. You set up appointments, or drive to appointments. You call insurance companies and pick up prescriptions. You read the information given to you about new therapies and programs and you try to balance your budget to figure out how to make it work. Horse therapy seems amazing and so does swim therapy, but you can’t get the numbers to agree, so you set it aside for another year, another time.
Laundry, grocery shopping, dishes, vacuuming, dusting, changing the sheets, mopping, and all these things get wedged in somewhere as you have time. Sometimes you don’t, and that’s okay too.
At pick up your heart swells as your child runs out of the school doors to greet you. The teachers tell you about his day and you are so thankful for him and so very proud of who he is and how hard he works. He sat through the entire school play and you cry tears of joy on the way home because that was such a big step for him.
Later in the afternoon you go from moments of silly fun to calm to panic in less than five minutes. He ran out the front door again and you didn’t catch up until he was at the end of the street. Sweating and panting you try to explain how dangerous running away is and are met with a confused stare. Back inside you write a note to yourself to install a new specialty lock. That night you’ll wake up in a sweat because you dreamed he ran again but this time you didn’t hear the door.
As you build train tracks he points to a toy and says the word that has been baffling you all week. Ah! Finally you know what he’s been trying to say. Relief sweeps over you as you realize next time he asks for it you’ll know what he wants and won’t have to settle in for an enormous melt down.
You watch him play with his sister as you fix dinner and your heart swells with joy at the gifts you’ve been given.

Another sunset and it’s time to repeat the routine you did that morning – meds, teeth brushing, and getting on pajamas. You go through three different shirts because they were either too scratchy or too tight or too… something. His sensory system is rebelling against clothes, but he can’t sleep naked so you try again and at the end of the whole thing he winds up accepting the very first shirt you put on him.
You carry his tired body up the stairs and read him the same book you’ve read for the last eight nights because he loves the routine and consistency. You turn out the light and lay down… rubbing his back and humming for the next 30-60 minutes… or two hours… however long it takes for his body to settle. You look at his beautiful face and your heart swells. You kiss his forehead before you tip toe out of the room.
When you make your way downstairs you glance at your to-do list and see that’s it’s not even half finished, but you’re wiped out. Friends have left messages but they will have to wait for another day. You’re too weary to talk, too weary to do much of anything. So you collapse on the couch and grab a book or the remote and just sit in the peace. If you’re lucky, you have someone sitting next to you… and if you’re really lucky he’ll be rubbing your feet.
You head off to bed and say a silent prayer that your door won’t be opened too early in the night by a frightened little boy who can’t sleep without the comfort and safety of your body next to his. You force yourself to turn off your brain as you lay in the dark going over everything that’s still unfinished and undone and waiting.
You know you’re going to start over again the next day and the work will never be done. You also know that it’s worth it. You know that this is your story too. This story is about him and it’s about you and it’s about so many other people whose lives are touched by the little person you get to raise and love.
And you know that no matter what anyone else thinks, that all of this – the mentioned and the unmentioned, the hardest things and the most joyful moments – is a gift. Because it’s not that you have to do those things… it’s that you get to the be the one to do them. And you get the front row seat to every miracle.
So to you mommies… the ones who get to do so much and feel so much for your little people with extra needs… Happy Mother’s Day. I hope you have people in your life who tell you not just this weekend, but every day, how appreciated and loved you are. You are beautiful.

Explore more:
Awareness
Family Services
Lauren Casper
Mothers Day
School Age
The Autism Speaks blog features opinions from people throughout the autism community. Each blog represents the point of view of the author and does not necessarily reflect Autism Speaks' beliefs or point of view.
Thanks for being there

This weekend is Mother's Day, and I wanted you to know how important you are to your child. You may not know it, but simply by being there for them you are making a huge difference. I know this because when I was growing up with autism my mom helped me through some of the hardest moments in my life... Read More
To the moms who raise someone on the autism spectrum by Kerry Magro, an international motivational speaker on the autism spectrum.

To the moms who raise a loved one on the spectrum,
This weekend is Mother’s Day, and I wanted you to know how important you are to your child. You may not know it, but simply by being there for them you are making a huge difference. I know this because when I was growing up with autism my mom helped me through some of the hardest moments in my life…
When I was completely nonverbal (up until I was 2.5), my mom was there.
When I was diagnosed with autism when I was 4, my mom was there.
When educators in my schools couldn’t understand why I was lashing out, my mom was there.
When I started school my mom was there.
When I had to move to three different public schools in four years, my mom was there.
When I came home crying from school for not only being bullied but having difficulty with that transition, my mom was there.
When we fought our school district for two and a half years to get me an out of district placement for students with learning disabilities, my mom was there.
When I needed someone to drive me to school, my mom was there.
When I found my strengths, my mom was there.
When we finally found the therapies that worked best for me, my mom was there.
When I made my first friend and ran home to tell everyone, my mom was there.
When I graduated from grade school, my mom was there.
When I was struggling with taking the SATs, my mom was there.
When I graduated from high school, my mom was there.
When I was nervously waiting for an acceptance letter to come to our house to see if I got into college, my mom was there.
When I graduated with my undergraduate and master’s degrees, my mom was there.
When I received my first full-time job offer, my mom was there.
When I had any self-doubt in my ability to achieve great things, my mom was there.
When I succeeded and overcame the obstacles that challenged me when I was younger, my mom was there.
To the moms out there who love someone with autism, I hope you realize the impact you have, like my mom had on me, simply by being there.
I love you, Mom!
Wishing all the amazing moms out there in our community a Happy Mother’s Day!

Have a story you want to share about living on the autism spectrum? Email us at InOurOwnWords@autismspeaks.org.
Explore more:
Adults with autism
Awareness
Family Services
In Our Own Words
Kerry Magro
Mothers Day
The Autism Speaks blog features opinions from people throughout the autism community. Each blog represents the point of view of the author and does not necessarily reflect Autism Speaks' beliefs or point of view.
Parents provide information about the needs of students with autism

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos convened a parent roundtable on special education during Autism Awareness Month. The meeting included several mothers of children with autism who were able to share their journeys and the needs of their children with autism in the education system. Read More
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos Convenes Parent Roundtable on Special Education during Autism Awareness Month
Contact: Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.govIn recognition of Autism Awareness Month, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos convened a roundtable yesterday with parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to gain a better understanding of the support these students receive and the challenges they face while navigating the education system. After the meeting, Secretary DeVos released the following statement:
"Children on the autism spectrum have many unique abilities and talents while also facing unique challenges. As we wrap up Autism Awareness Month, it is important to remember that all children learn in their own unique ways. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is committed to helping all families find the right tools and resources to help their children learn and thrive. We must empower families with the supports they need in the learning environments that best suit their children’s individual educational needs.
"I thank Autism Speaks for helping to convene this roundtable and all of the parents who participated in it for the productive and thoughtful discussion. I also want to recognize ED's Parent Training and Information Centers for participating in today’s meeting and for their work in supporting the families of children with special needs. I look forward to continuing to work with these groups and all others who tirelessly advocate for special-needs students and their families."
Mother's Day eCards


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