The old saying 'a problem shared is a problem halved' rings true and it definitely works both ways - it helps both the sharer and the person being shared with. It’s frustrating being neurodiverse and having to deal with medical professionals who act like authorities they aren’t. And when I asked, I had the developmental pediatrician and the psychologist from Children's Hospital in Philadelphia in the room.

While we wait for answers, extraordinary people like Kate Swenson, through their dedicated and resourceful efforts have taken it upon themselves to create a nurturing environment in which children like Cooper can grow and thrive. So please know it's really a story like that to where it's really about Plan B and how important it is. I tried to be really respectful of Cooper, and in the beginning again, I didn't know that that many people were seeing my things.Saying he was teething or not feeling well, because I truly didn’t know why it was also hard for him.

I do not have children but I was carried away on the story of Kate’s fierce mother love for her Cooper. Just with writing, I submitted a few paragraphs or a few chapters and my publisher was like what we're looking for and I remember being like, Oh, what? When a child isn't speaking, parents are often reassured that all children develop at their own pace. Her memoir describes her emotions and feelings on the diagnosis process to the disappointment and huge levity that was placed on her discovering her child would have special needs. The boys require so much of my attention during the day and I am usually exhausted by the time they are asleep.Regardless of whether they end up being right or wrong, the one thing we can’t let them do is destroy our hope. She even talks about how much of a shock it came to really understand how many people and what kinds of people see her content.

There are many people in our world who are like Cooper but they don’t have someone to fight with them and we need to hear more of their stories. Turns out it’s remarkably easy to make a recommendation, even if that rec is a subject of massive contention in the autism community. And yeah, so I mean, thank God, you got to meet with them and you got the book deal before the COVID shutdown, which I'm sure will mess things up.Mary: Yeah, yeah, well, when you think about it too just to point out for the listeners in the show notes, this will be episode 170. She has created an amazing platform through her blog Finding Cooper’s Voice and her paid Facebook group of which I am a member, Coop’s Troops.

We have a thirst for knowledge, hoping someone will somehow show us the way forward, offer us suggestions of how to help our children maybe. I am so excited today to welcome back to the show Kate Swenson from Finding Cooper's Voice, who wrote a brand new book that's out today, April 5th, 2022.I Hate labels, and shaming , and “facts” About how kids with any kind of difference are labeled, or are “supposed” to be a certain way. After sharing her struggles with her son’s invisible, yet severe disability online and in her book, “Forever Boy,” Swenson hopes to create a supportive community for other families with autistic children. Teachers, parents and even siblings of children diagnosed with ASD should read this book and take to heart the lessons that the author learned. They describe it as a long line, with one end being the most severely affected and the other end being less affected. And seeing Cooper reach new milestones is a testament to how hard his family fights for him by advocating and educating others about autism.