A Special Family

I am a mother to three children. Ashley is my oldest daughter. Hailey was born 18 months later. Then 22 months later came our son, Joshua. Ashley is eleven years old and has severe autism. She is completely nonverbal, but uses a talker (computerized speech device) to communicate. Hailey is nine years old and in fourth grade. She has ADHD and a lot of allergies. Josh is seven years old and in second grade. He has been diagnosed with OCD, ADHD, symptoms of Bipolar Disorder, and he may have some Asperger’s symptoms as well. We are a Christian family. We used to home school, but they all began public school in November 2009. For some reason, we are the family that weird and rare things happen to. I have countless stories of strange medical issues, allergic reactions, or unbelievable things my children have done. I remember a time that seems so long ago, but really it has only been a few years, when I was struggling to care for three children all three and under, all in diapers, nobody could really talk, nobody slept well, and there were lots of “issues”. At that point we did not have a good understanding of what was going on with our children and we were fighting so hard to save them from autism, etc. I felt like I was drowning. I had to pray before I got out of bed because I was so tired and I had no idea what I was going to have to face that day. My husband worked long hours, seven days a week. He got one day off a month. We literally were just trying to make it through the day, every day. We were trying all sorts of treatments and just trying to get a handle on our life. Today, we still have lots of “issues”, but life seems so much easier. Everybody has a way to communicate and is potty trained! We understand better what is going on with each child and are coping with the “issues”. My husband works far less hours and is home so much more. The sleep is somewhat better, depending on the day and the child. We are truly very happy and feel very blessed. I still pray my way through each day because it is an excellent habit that has gotten me through the worst of times. I finally have some time and energy and have started a website business. The goal of our website is to help educate people about disabilities and help people who are just starting down the path we have spent years navigating. We also sell Christian products for people with disabilities and everyone else. The website is www.createdinhisimage.net. This blog is meant to go along with our website and provide additional information about the day to day life of our family and the choices we have made to get through our life thus far. I started the blog to help people who have special needs kids to feel less alone, and to give other people a glimpse of what it is like to have a child with special needs. My goal is to portray a completely honest picture of our family and day to day life. There are times we are exhausted, overwhelmed, and life seems really difficult. But overall we are so grateful for the life we have been given, the many lessons we have learned, and the many blessings we have received. I believe God has a purpose and a good plan for our life (Jeremiah 29:11) and that his strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Originally posted April 2011