One of the most challenging things about being a parent of a child with special needs is definitely communication. As the years have passed by, I've wished and prayed that I could understand the thoughts that my sweet Sarah has. I want so bad to know what is going on in her head. The physical vibes or words out of her mouth are just not quite like my other two children.
It absolutely floors me when I sit and watch her put puzzles together. Get this...she never uses the picture...not kidding. She actually hates to have the picture even by her. It shows me that her brain just works quite a bit different than my own or other children around us.
Just recently we have figured out that a "feelings journal" or "letter writing" does wonders for her and us. When things are exploding or when she's frustrated we have her sit down and write to us. It's taken us 11 years but between school, therapy, and hours of work at home we have helped her learn to write. Check out her spelling, her penmanship and look how she's finally able to tell me what is going on in her head...
Sarah came running in from the bus the other day and before she even unloaded her back pack, jacket and such she shoved this in my hands. It hit me! All the work and all the prayers...it pays off! It really does give me that wish of knowing her desires/her thoughts.
So much of this list of thoughts makes me think how much she's just like me!!! Seriously. It's a flood of to do list items that are over powering her and she has to have them all done this second! Cracks me up!
So, if you have a special needs child (and you feel like I have for years...the crying, emotions or physical or nonverbal ques are just not the same as the other children around you) know that it will come. In some way or another, whether it's through hard work to get her to write like me, a bunch of little miracles or a big old giant miracle from heaven, it will happen! Hang in there! Pray, keep trying and I know miracles will happen!!! I have felt it. I have seen it with my own to eyes.
It wasn't very many years ago when I would sit and cry because I would sit in front of my daughter and ask her questions and get silence back. I would read her story after story and ask what she heard and get a shoulder shrug. I would stand there feeling helpless as a little girl would scream and cry at me while stomping her feet because she couldn't get through to me what she wanted me to know.
We still have many moments of terrible communication but I see this writing as such a beautiful miracle! I treasure these words!
